Crime In America Chapter 7

Crime Something one does or fails to do in violation of a law Certain acts are prohibited or commanded to protect life, property and freedoms, and uphold morality of society

Nature and Causes of Crimes Nature of Crime year olds (youths) commit more violent crimes than any other age group Males commit four times as many crimes as females 35% of victims report that the suspect was using alcohol Crime is growing the fastest in suburbs and rural areas The rate of both violent crime and property crimes have been declining in recent years. Costs of crime in U.S. is estimated at over $1 Billion per year.

Causes of Crime Poverty Permissive (easy going) courts Unemployment Lack of education Alcohol and drug abuse Inadequate police protection Population growth and immigration Lack of parental guidance Lack of morals Ineffective Corrections System Little chances of being caught and/or convicted Television violence and influence

Incarceration Would tougher penalties (longer prison sentences) curb crime? May deter some Majority of criminals never go to prison The certainty of punishment many experts say is more important than the time served

Community Policing Closer connection with the police and the community they serve provides more contact with the community they serve Examples?

Crimes on Campus 2001: 10% of males in grades 9-12 reported bringing a gun to school 1/3 of students report that drugs are accessible to them at school Nonfatal crime has declined recently on school campuses, but fatal crimes and bullying are on the rise. Crime on college campus is of concern, and crimes committed to college students off campus is considerably higher

National Council on Crime and Delinquency (NCCD) Has studied crime since 1907, and they recommend the following actions to reduce crime Build Safer Schools Reduce the costs and increase the fairness of the criminal justice system Develop cost effective alternatives to incarceration Create effective drug control policies (contradiction with earlier expert opinion that there must be a certainty of punishment to deter crime?)

Gangs and Crime Active in towns and communities of all sizes Gangs spread through the lure of profits Gangs (defined)- people who form groups closed to others for certain common purposes, usually for the purpose of criminal activity Names, rules, emblems, initiation rituals, graffiti, tagging and distinctive ways of dressing

Criminal Gangs Concerned with issues of status and turf Focus on: Drug trafficking Firearms theft and sales Auto theft Prostitution Extortion and violence

Why do they join gangs? Sense of belonging Peer pressure Sense of protection Profit (money) Some believe they have no other alternative

Factors that put young people at risk of joining gangs Poverty School failure Substance abuse Family dysfunction Domestic and community violence Most gang members have low self esteem and little adult participation in their lives

How can the problem be solved? Outreach and intervention programs Provide greater opportunities Increase awareness of the problem and develop alternatives and opportunities for young people Prevention strategies Prosecuting gangs

2 nd Amendment A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Guns and the law Historically the US Supreme Court interpreted the 2 nd Amendment to guarantee a state’s rights to maintain a militia 2008 Supreme Court Decision: District of Columbia vs. Heller Gun Control Act of 1968: convicted felons, minors, illegal aliens may not own guns. Purchasers of a handgun must be 21, and purchasers of a rifle must be 18 years old Brady Act- Created the National Background Check System

Alcohol and Crime Alcohol is the most widely abused controlled substance in the U.S. Annual cost of Alcohol abuse to society is $150 billion Involved in 35% of all violent crimes Involved in two-thirds of all domestic violence cases DUI in CA: BAC impaired if under or higher intoxicated if under or higher intoxicated if 21 or over Implied Consent Law

Drugs and Crime Drug use has led to an increase in criminal activity ranging from abuse, corruption and murder % of those arrested test positive for drugs Some credit the “get tough” approach to drugs and the increasing pressure on crack cocaine for the decrease of crime in the 1990s.

Federal Drug Law Controlled Substances Act Categorizes drugs into five groups based on their medical use (if any), potential for abuse, and physical or psychological addiction Drug forfeiture laws Repeat Offender laws (recidivist) Legalization?

Crime Victims Teenagers are more frequently victimized Males are twice as likely to be victimized than females Minorities are more likely to be victimized than Caucasians are Megan’s Law

Victim Assistance Programs Counseling Medical Care Victim Compensation Laws Restitution- paying back to a victim for the victim’s monetary losses due to the criminals actions Victim Impact Statements Victim Advocacy Groups- help advocate for the rights of victims and also help them through their trauma

If you become a victim Should you not resist (fight back)? Should you resist? Proper preplanning and visualization of what you will do will help prepare you either way in such an event. 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime (14.8% completed rape; 2.8% attempted rape).

Good Samaritan Laws Most states have laws that relieve bystanders from civil liability if they help somebody in danger Should states have laws that require people to help and then punish/convict those that don’t?