Trends in Crime
Even though it might not be possible to predict with precise accuracy what the future holds with regard to the crime trends, it is possible to reduce crime and overcome the negative factors that surround crime patterns. One of the most serious issues affecting crime trends is the failure to report crimes. As a result, the present trend is not accurate since in some cases only half the numbers of crimes commited are recorded. This occurs because of a given reasons. To begin with, people do not report crimes in fear of victimization or out of ignorance because they do not see any benefits that accrue to doing so. In future, the state agencies must do their best in order to encourage the normal citizens to report crimes (Benjamin and Sokenu, 2008).
Additionally, it is clear that even when criminals commit a number of crimes, the security agencies just ignore the minor offenses and end up reporting the most serious offense as the only crime committed. The Uniform Criminal Report also contributes to this because it also requires the state officers to report the most serious offense. In other cases, the crimes are not well defined and as a result, the police end up recording a different crime to the actual reported crime. In future, checks and reforms will have to be instituted in both the uniform criminal record and the state agencies to ensure that all the reported crimes are correctly recorded (Rosen, 2006).
According to Rosen, (2006) crime patterns show that the police place more emphasis on resolving violent crimes as compared to property crimes. For instance, the police only solved less than twenty percent of property crimes reported in 2008 through arrests. In future, the police must step up their efforts in solving property crimes. They must not be ignored at the expense of violent crimes.
References
Benjamin, J. J. & Sokenu, C. O. (2008). White collar crime 2008: prosecutors and regulators
speak. New York, NY: Practising Law Institute.
Rosen, M. (2006). Chief concerns: a gathering storm - violent crime in America. Washington,
DC: Police Executive Research Forum.
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