Crime Mapping

While kids from a young age should be taught they should never talk to strangers, many parents are wondering what kids should know about kidnappings. You want them to be safe, but at the same time, you do not want to hinder their social development. The fact is that there really is a fine line between making them aware of crime and scaring them.

Between the ages of two and seven, you want to make sure that your child that he or she is only to talk to people they know. This is especially important for those in school, as Read the rest of this entry »

Keeping safety in mind at all times reduces the chance that one becomes a victim of crime. It can happen anywhere and at anytime, but keeping a few things in mind will reduce the chance of it happening to you.
Never travel alone. If you have to go somewhere alone, be aware of your surroundings. When walking across a parking lot, scan the area for anything suspicious. Watch for people in parked vehicles and never carry a large purse that is easy to grab.
If you are visiting another Read the rest of this entry »

Crime statistics can be helpful to an individual when they are going about their day. If you are aware of different crime statistics you will be able to make good choices when shopping or even allowing your children to play outside.

Home statistics

Your home is your sanctuary but if you live in an area that has a large number of home invasions knowing this information will help you to better secure entrances. You may choose to put bars on lower floor windows and purchase reinforced entrance doors with stronger door frames.

Neighborhood Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve heard the term bandied about but never really understood the classification of “club drugs,” we provide the following information so you can be better informed when you next hear some jargon.According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) club drugs can be briefly defined as a group of drugs being used by teenagers and young adults at bars, nightclubs and concerts which include GHB, Rohypnol, Ketamine, MDMA (Ecstasy), Methamphetamine, and LSD (Acid). Some common street names are Special K, Vitamin K, Jet, G, Liquid Ecstasy, Soap, and Roofies.Club drugs are known to have varying effects depending on any number of factors such as who manufactured the drug, but in general Ketamine distorts perception and produces feelings of detachment from the environment and self, while GHB and Rohypnol are sedating. GHB abuse can cause coma and seizures. High doses of Ketamine can cause delirium and amnesia. Rohypnol can incapacitate users and cause amnesia, and (especially when mixed with alcohol) can be lethal.The popularity of use seems to be on the increase even though current numbers have not been released. Historically, however, national rates for hospital emergency department (ED) mentions club drug involvement as low in 2002 (with none exceeding two mentions per 100,000 population) and no increases were measured from 2001 to 2002; but significant increases in certain club drug mentions were apparent from 1995 to 2002. As an example, Read the rest of this entry »

There are currently 14 states that have legalized medical marijuana laws.Should you happen to not live in one of these states but use marijuana for medicinal purposes, following are some tips should you ever find yourself on the wrong side of the interrogation table (with most being extracted from the Fourth Amendment to the Bill of Rights):

1. Since law enforcement must obtain a warrant before they can conduct a privacy-related search, it is suggested that you keep all contraband out of plain sight this includes residual materials in ashtrays.
2. Never consent to a search request without a warrant being present. If an officer asks to search you or anything that belongs to you, you should respond with “I do not consent to the search you have requested, I do not consent to this contact, and do not wish to answer any questions if I am not under arrest, I would like you to now leave me alone.”
3. In keeping with the above statement, you should never Read the rest of this entry »

Though it has been around for thousands of years, it wasn’t until the 20^th century that marijuana was first criminalized. The United States didn’t declare the use of this substance illegal until the 1930s with the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937. In the US, the ’60s and ’70s saw an epidemic of marijuana use, which resulted in increased enforcement of drug laws and stricter sentences for violators. During the Reagan administration there was even more crackdown on marijuana use such as three strikes laws that would result in life sentence for repeat offenders. New regulations even allowed for the death penalty to be sanctioned for drug lords. Read the rest of this entry »

The FBI recently released preliminary crime statistics for 2009, and there’s good news in the numbers. Violent crime, which includes murder, forcible rape robbery and aggravated assault, was down 5.5 percent in the US in 2009. The percentage change is compared to 2008 crime rates. Additionally, property crime including burglary, larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft decreased by 4.9 percent. Showing an even greater drop, the occurrence of arson was 10.4 percent less than in 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

A long history of high crime rates in the United States led to the enactment of a number of versions of the three strikes law in various states. It all began with Washington’s Initiative 593, which was passed in 1993, establishing that criminals convicted of felonies or, as it stated, “more serious offenses,” for the third time would receive life in prison without parole. California followed suit the next year with Proposition 184, with a very similar concept. Over the next few years many other states created and passed their own version of the law and now a total of 24 states have three strike laws on their books. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve spent any time around a college campus this trend might surprise you, but according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), the United States is seeing significant improvements in the occurrence of drug abuse. NIDA has conducted research and studies among high schoolers and found that, with the exception of marijuana, illicit drug use is falling. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s always a danger in making any general statement or conclusion, but the latest crime statistics show some extremely interesting trends as to what areas of the country are the safest, and which aren’t. Despite the reputation of the south as the God-fearing, church-going folk, crime rates below the Mason-Dixon line are relatively high compared to other regions. Read the rest of this entry »