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Crime Waves and Fear of Crime

Crime Waves and Fear of Crime. Class 1. Administrative. Give quiz Remember to check announcements a couple of times every week. Review. Social Construction of Crime History of Crime Behaviors that are and are not criminal change over time Relationship in the past of crime and sin

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Crime Waves and Fear of Crime

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  1. Crime Waves and Fear of Crime Class 1

  2. Administrative • Give quiz • Remember to check announcements a couple of times every week

  3. Review • Social Construction of Crime • History of Crime • Behaviors that are and are not criminal change over time • Relationship in the past of crime and sin • Capital crimes were much more common • One thing that hasn’t changed much is demographic make-up of crime

  4. Today • Images of Crime and Criminals • What do the Data Show? • Limitations of Crime Data • “Recent” Crime Waves/Panics

  5. I. Images of Crime and Criminals • What do we picture when we think about crime? • Why is this what we picture? • How accurate is this picture? • What is a crime wave?

  6. II. What Do the Data Show? • Does crime get worse over time? • Why do so many people have the impression that it does?

  7. II. What Do the Data Show? • 2011 City Crime Rate Rankings • Nationally highest are Camden N.J., Detroit Mi., Flint, Mi., St. Louis, Mo. and Oakland, Ca. • Nationally lowest are Fishers, In., Johns Creek, Ga., O’Fallon Mo., Carmel, In. and Newton, Ma.

  8. II. What do the Data Show? • 2012 City Crime Rate Rankings (only cities over 500,000) • Highest are Detroit, Baltimore, Memphis, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. • Lowest are El Paso, San Diego, New York, Austin, and San Jose, Ca.

  9. II. What Do the Data Show? • Rankings of major cities in New York State • Yonkers 185* • New York 210 • Albany 313 • Syracuse 331 • Rochester 386 • Buffalo 405

  10. III. Limitations of Crime Data • Definitional issues • Who does the reporting? • What do they report? • Gaps in the data?

  11. IV. “Recent” Crime Waves/Panics • The McCarthy Period (1940s and 1950s) • The Drug Crime Scare (1980s) • Immigration Scare (2000s) • In each case, what did the data show?

  12. Next Time • An example of the response to a crime wave

  13. Crime Waves and Fear of Crime Class 2

  14. Administrative • Return quizzes

  15. Review • Our data about crime are highly imperfect • No evidence crime is becoming a worse problem – which doesn’t prevent our politicians from claiming it is • Crime waves often based on hysteria rather than hard evidence

  16. Today • What happened to Tyler Clementi and why? • What does the public believe happened? • How did the legal authorities respond? • The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Bill

  17. I. What Happened to Tyler Clementi and Why • Roommate set up webcam so he (and others) could watch Clementi during date • Watched during date and commented online • Clementi became aware and unplugged roommate’s computer so second attempt unsuccessful • Clementi reported roommate’s action to Rutgers authorities • Clementi committed suicide (jumped off George Washington Bridge)

  18. II. What Does the Public Believe Happened? • That Ravi and his friends outed Clementi • That Ravi posted pictures of Clementi having gay sex on the internet • Does the falsity of these beliefs matter? Should it matter?

  19. III. How Did the Legal Authorities Respond • Plea bargaining with Dharun Ravi’s friend Molly Wei for her testimony • Charged Ravi with 15 counts of four different offenses • Offered Ravi plea bargains which he rejected • Verdict and sentence

  20. IV. The Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Bill • Introduced less than two months after Clementi’s death • Requires colleges to have anti-harassment policies • Is this a sensible response? • Is this a major problem susceptible to legal resolution • Are there adequate laws on the books • Will this result in negative unintended consequences?

  21. Next Time • Begin section on violent crime

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