Crime and the Fear and Cost of Crime in Society Crime today continues to fall, but the fear of crime seems to be rising. People have a greater fear of crime and it is a huge problem on society. The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) created by the FBI measures crimes. However, many critics say it inaccurately measures crime. The UCR only shows the index crimes. These crimes are also known as part 1 crimes. These are known as violent crimes such as murder, burglary, etc. Part II crimes such as kidnapping, drug offenses, etc. are not reported in these reports and the gatekeepers (police officers) also impact the number of crimes reported. Officers can make the decision to arrest, file reports, etc. Many other reasons such as it is voluntary data and
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Victimization surveys are believed to be a better representation of crimes committed, but they too have their critics. The cost of crimes goes far beyond just court, investigation, arresting, and prosecution. Costs from crime and victimization include medical care, lost time from work, economic loss, pain and suffering, etc. In the 1960s the fear of crime emerged and is now today an integral part of government policymaking. Fear can influence one to change their whole attitude, activities, etc. This however is not just seen as something negative. A certain amount of fear can be a great thing to have. It is very difficult if not impossible to measure fear and it is therefore impossible to determine how much fear there is in relation to crime. There is so much fear that it actually surpasses the levels of crime. In recent studies female and elderly people show that they fear of a crime to be committed against them. Statistics show on the other hand that they actually have less crimes committed against them. Fear can also be brought on to someone who hears something someone else has encountered (vicarious victimization). Signs like graffiti, abandoned vehicles and cars, media reports, etc.
Victimization surveys are believed to be a better representation of crimes committed, but they too have their critics. The cost of crimes goes far beyond just court, investigation, arresting, and prosecution. Costs from crime and victimization include medical care, lost time from work, economic loss, pain and suffering, etc. In the 1960s the fear of crime emerged and is now today an integral part of government policymaking. Fear can influence one to change their whole attitude, activities, etc. This however is not just seen as something negative. A certain amount of fear can be a great thing to have. It is very difficult if not impossible to measure fear and it is therefore impossible to determine how much fear there is in relation to crime. There is so much fear that it actually surpasses the levels of crime. In recent studies female and elderly people show that they fear of a crime to be committed against them. Statistics show on the other hand that they actually have less crimes committed against them. Fear can also be brought on to someone who hears something someone else has encountered (vicarious victimization). Signs like graffiti, abandoned vehicles and cars, media reports, etc.