Show Crime crisis It is impossible to view the most recent FBI release of crime statistics in the United States with any degree of tranquility tein America has been climbing is is is' well recognized but now that the figures for the year 1974 have been compiled and tabulated it turns out that the actual crime rate is far worse than many people had previously realized The record shows that in 1974 criminals criminals criminals crim crim- killed more than people and stole property worth 26 billion The value of the loot stolen is more than the entire budget for the Department Department Department Depart Depart- ment of Justice and more than twice what it takes to run the City of Chicago for an entire year The statistics recorded by the FBI with the assistance of local police departments departments departments de de- de- de throughout the United States shows that there were increases es for all sections of the country and for all seven crime categories measured measured measured mea mea- murder rape robbery assault burglary larceny and vehicle theft Violent crimes against persons murder murder murder mur mur- der rape and assault accounted for more than one-half one million of the reported offenses Perhaps most shocking of all is the realization that while the population of the United States increased by about 12 percent during 1974 the rate of crime increased 18 13 percent or 15 times faster than the rise in tion For t the e past 14 years the rate of Jf of r ri n lion s. s gorse gone up uP er ye yea r. r Today the rate is is' more than percent greater than it was in 1961 If there are no easy answers there are some obvious facts It is clear that whatever we have been doing to combat crime in the last 14 years and that apparently includes everything everything everything every every- thing it isn't working One of the crime solutions we have had foisted on us during the past years at ata a cost of millions of taxpayer dollars dollars dollars dol dol- dol- dol lars has been slum clearance Government sociologists assured us that criminals were caused by environment environment environment en and that by moving folks from let us say dwellings with outhouses outhouses outhouses out out- houses into apartments with fancy plumbing we would create better peo peo- Of course we know what hap hap- The vaunted public housing units quickly became new slums and crime skyrocketed We cant can't get away from another nagging fact that while the crime rate has been going up the percentage of families actively participating in churches Protestant Jewish and Catholic has been going down Is there a connection Isn't it time for forus forus forus us to find out |