Food for Thought?

Burglaries Have Surged 21 Percent

I’d like to draw your attention to the above article for a couple of reasons. First, it reinforces the sad fact that burglaries are continuing to increase in many places in the U.S. The second reason I wanted to show you this article is the interesting connection that the executive director of the Police Executive Research Forum, Chuck Wexler, draws between economics and crime, particularly burglary. Mr. Wexler…

said the sluggish economy could be spurring property crimes, an assessment shared by some police officials.

"It's an indicator of how economics can have some impact on crime," Wexler said. "The reality is, there is not a clear line you can draw between unemployment and poverty and crime, but there are some types of crime -- burglaries, for example -- that lend themselves to fencing."

It’s an interesting point, and one that most people don’t think of. As a disclaimer, neither I nor, I presume, Mr. Wexler are justifying the actions of these criminals. Still, he has a point. People who are willing to steal will be more inclined to do so as their own economic situation worsens. If the economic situation of the country as a whole worsens, so will individuals’ situations. This is why it is so important, especially today, to have a regularly monitored home security system.