There’s an editor of a newspaper called The Deseret who follows my blog. She’s called me a few times to interview me. Her name is Jennifer Graham. She is the Ideas and Culture editor of the Deseret News.
It’s been a few years since I’ve heard from her, but she emailed me this week to ask if she could link to my blog for an article she’s working on about crime.
Here’s an excerpt from her article:
Regardless of what the numbers say, many Americans don’t feel safe, and fear — not statistics — is what they’ll take with them into the voting booth. According to Gallup, “More than three-quarters of Americans, 77%, believe there is more crime in the U.S. than a year ago, and a majority, 55%, say the same about crime in their local area.”
Significantly, the number of Americans reporting that someone in their household has been a victim of crime edged up last year. Again, per Gallup, “Overall, a combined 28% say they or someone in their household has been victimized in the past year by one of seven different crimes asked about in the survey, including vandalism, car theft, burglary, robbery, armed robbery, sexual assault and battery. The composite figure is up from 23% when the question was last asked in 2021 and from 20% — the low point in the trend — in 2020.”
Elizabeth Wickham, a blogger in Arizona, recently wrote that she knows two people who were mugged within two weeks. “If I know two people mugged in a short amount of time, this must be happening frequently,” she wrote.
https://www.deseret.com/opinion/2024/03/06/new-york-city-national-guard-subways-democrats-crime/
Graham said she thinks that it doesn’t matter what the actual statistics are, if Americans don’t feel safe, this is a problem for whatever party is in power.
Here’s a link to an article that she wrote about parents hiring parenting coaches in 2018:
What are your thoughts about crime where you live?
Has it gotten worse, better or stayed the same?
I agree that “feeling unsafe” where you live or in your community is something to be concerned about, however I also think that it does matter what the statistics are, especially if you are sending out a publication that relies on facts to inform readers. Isn’t a news organization supposed to be about accurate statistics?
I did go to the link you provided about NYC/subways/dems. I also realize this is an Opinion piece by this writer so it is clearly filled with her political bias. Honestly EA, I rarely read this type of news. The world is so divided in so many ways right now I have chosen not to surround myself with this sort of blaming journalism.
I’ve had her reach out to me for several articles that have nothing to do with politics but how we were doing in the pandemic and on parenting. I’ve put a link to one above. Of course I said yes to have my blog linked to an article.
I agree with Graham…it feels beyond politics at this point for me. Diligence and awareness seems necessary no matter where we are. And cheers to you, Elizabeth for the editor reaching out and linking to your blog. I think that’s terrific!
That’s how I feel, too. I was honored to have my blog linked to a newspaper article. It was a nice surprise to have her reach out.
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What are your thoughts about crime where you live? We don’t have much crime in my immediate area, but the tri-state region has its share of shootings and carjackings.
Has it gotten worse, better or stayed the same? Since we moved here in 1999 crime has declined as this immediate area has become more affluent. There’s more money, there are more cops.
You’re fortunate to not have crime. Our biggest crime is speeding, which is not too bad. But the organized crime ring “dinnertime burglaries” keeps getting attention. More than 1,600 people attended a town hall with the Scottsdale Sheriff to learn about it.
Such an interesting article and connection. I agree that fear is a powerful motivator in our voting.
I’m not sure how Jennifer Graham started following me, whether it was my weekly parenting column for SwimSwam or my blog. But it was when my daughter was at the University of Utah and Jennifer writes for a Salt Lake City newspaper, The Deseret. We all want to feel safe. I think the National Guard in the subway is a timely subject. LA mentioned it yesterday.
Wow, having your blog linked to a major news article is so cool. Congratulations. Okay, the safety thing is the important part of your message and I agree the statistics matter less than the general consensus of the public’s opinion. We’ve been in Mexico and we were always cognizant of our safety when walking at night. I feel safe in my community at home but I have noticed that crime is on the rise in many communities. Many of the major businesses in San Francisco are closing their shops due to crime. This is happening everywhere. Great post. Hugs, C
Yes, I was excited to have my little blog linked in a news article 😊 As for crime, we no longer drive to the beach resort across the border. The government said not to drive into Mexico. I’ll take their advice. My kids live in the East Bay. Son and DIL moved from Berkeley to Oakland which worries me.
Oakland is definitely having its challenges with crime but there are safe neighborhoods. 💕
Whew! You made me feel better as a worrying mom.
It’s shocking to me how much crime has gone up in the past few decades, and especially the past few years. A friend of mine is a marathoner and she’s had so many friends sexually assaulted while running over the past year, even in more affluent areas.
What bothers me the most is many of the perpetrator have a recent criminal record and were released on bail for a violent crime just a day or two prior. I’ve been really intrigued by the turnaround in El Salvador. It went from one of the most dangerous countries in the world to one of the safest, simply because they locked up 50,000 gang members with extensive criminal histories. I think the statistic was that 1% of the population was responsible for 85% of the crime. I suspect it’s similar in the USA and I wish we would take a similar approach.
That is so frightening that women are being sexually assaulted while running. We definitely need to be tougher on criminals with records. My kids are in the Bay Area and they don’t see crime as an issue, but I’m frightened for them. People aren’t arrested there for stealing $1,000 or less in stores, which results in lots of stores closing. I never knew about that in El Salvador.
I worry that the leniency with theft my expand out to other crimes, as well. It’s scary. It’s just been in the last year that the president of El Salvador, Bukele, has been tough on crime. He’s really done a lot to clean up the country over the last 5 years, and the new president of Argentina, Milei, seems to be following a similar path. It just shows that it is possible.
I agree that being lenient on some crimes, makes more crime possible. In Palm Springs we had neighborhood meetings with the police. They told us the law had changed and they could no longer charge people for drug possession. They said it took away a major tool to get criminals off the street, who would then commit other crimes.
Crime is down in most places but fear of it is up, probably due to social media and some cable news channels. Fear sells. My NextDoor feed is full of reports of car break-ins and burglaries, yet our neighborhood is safe and quiet. Be smart, be safe, and be aware but don’t live in fear.
It was a change for me moving to AZ and leaving my doors unlocked all the time. It was such a change from Palm Springs, where I was padlocking the gate while inside. There have been burglaries from an organized crime ring with high tech gadgets. They’ve stolen more than $3 million breaking into more than 100 homes nearby. I feel safe in my home, but have to lock the doors now.
Wow, $3 million from 100 homes… that’s $30,000 per house. They’d be pretty disappointed if they broke into our house. Even so, it would feel awful if someone broke into my home and took whatever they wanted.
I’ve never lived in an area that I felt okay not to lock the doors. I don’t know if my concern was fully justified or it was one of those habits that gets instilled in us at a young age.
I think it was closer to 140 homes, but still! They are taking cash, jewelry, handbags, whatever is valuable. My daughter lived in Arizona for a year and she was burglarized while at work. They took her dime store jewelry. Fortunately they locked her pug in the garage. He was the only valuable thing there, and her heart would have been broken. She was terrified to be in her home alone after it was ransacked. I grew up without locking our doors. So, it felt so good to go back to those days, although they were short-lived.
I have to wonder where people are getting the perception that there’s more crime if it isn’t supported by the statistics. Is there a media problem? I understand in the case of your neighborhood that there have been some upticks in certain crimes, but it isn’t universal. I do not perceive any increase where I live, and I feel quite safe.
A lot of the change in crime statistics is what constitutes a crime. The definition has changed on what is considered a crime to report in the stats. Not on murder. Something to investigate. That’s so good you feel safe. I felt so unsafe before we moved from California. I really don’t feel unsafe in my new home, but realize it’s realistic to lock my doors.
It’s so funny I’m reading this now. I just wrote my post for Monday about an incident in the subway though not crime centers around issues of feeling unsafe. And you already know about the national guard and the subway here….
It was after you mentioned the national guard in a comment that the editor reached out to me and asked if she could link a recent blog post of mine to an article she was writing. Coincidence!
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The perception of increased danger definitely matters. I’ve wondered what the actual statistics are for current crime. Crime usually increases when the economy is bad, which it is, despite what they want us to think. There’s only one thing that matters to people, can they afford to live. If they can’t, some will resort to crime.
The editor told me that not all states are reporting crime. That could be one reason the statistics show crime being lower. Also, I know where my kids live it’s no longer a crime to steal up to $1,000 from a store.
Crime is always noted as bad in certain areas, but where I live no real uptick in crime. We feel quite safe.
That’s great. You’re lucky.
I truly feel for your situation 😶
Thanks. I worry more for my kids in Oakland and Berkeley than for us in Arizona.
Ok everyones situation..be thinking positive thoughts for a crime free tomorrow
Yes!
I don’t think crime is happening everywhere even where there is growth of population. It is dependent on law enforcement and how the crimes are prosecuted. Strong prosecution will not ensure repeat offenders but if they feel they can get away with it,……On the other hand, traffic fatalities and accidents increase with population booms. It would be nice if we could think positive thoughts and crime be gone, but crime often takes place when an opportunity meets a need. Leaving the garage door open or car unlocked with a bag inside, a sick child, easy money, robbing. Unfortunately, not everyone has our best interests at heart.
Make good neighbors and keep watch.
Yes our neighbors look out for each other.
Interesting thoughts about population booms and traffic versus other crimes.