When the lights went out across the Northeast last month, TV news cameras from New York to Cleveland stood ready to capture what seemed inevitable: urban dwellers setting fires, smashing shop windows, and making off with large appliances. But fears of widespread violence and looting proved unfounded. It’s been a similar story across the country.
Conditions seem ripe for higher crime: unemployment is up, social services are being cut, the economy is sagging, and large numbers of ex-convicts are back on the streets. But just last week the federal government reported that, across the country, crime has reached a 30-year low. Some say tough on crime policies and longer prison terms are the reason, others say it’s just the calm before a storm.
Guests:
Joseph McNamara, former chief of police, San Jose, Califonia, research fellow, Hoover Institution
Phil Cline, acting superintendant, Chicago Police Department
Kurt Timken, Gang Investigator with the El Monte, CA Police Department.