I'm pretty suspicious of crime stats. Here in Seattle, petty crime is a constant drumbeat in city life. Anything short of a serious assault is no longer prosecuted. Things like theft and vandalism are not even reported to the police, because what's the point?
Alaska almost certainly doesn't have more crime than Illinois, for example. They just do a better job of reporting it.
The one stat that I do tend to believe, at least in the United States, is the murder rate.
Well I think the article that is mentioned here refers to violent crimes, which are probably more likely to be reported. Though the numbers don't match up (perhaps the article is more up-to-date than this quiz). However, I do agree that unfortunately some violent crimes may still be left unreported in certain areas. For example, sadly I wouldn't be surprised if rape isn't reported in many highly urban areas for a variety of reasons.
But the article mentions how crime rate is increasing. Perhaps more crime is actually being reported (rather than more crime occurring).
Alaska almost certainly doesn't have more crime than Illinois, for example. They just do a better job of reporting it.
The one stat that I do tend to believe, at least in the United States, is the murder rate.
But the article mentions how crime rate is increasing. Perhaps more crime is actually being reported (rather than more crime occurring).