Crime Mapping

What Kids Should Know About Kidnappings

admin — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 they need to understand they are to only be picked up by their parents or someone you designate.

Children between seven and twelve should be assured that, if something were to happen, that a kidnapper would not want to hurt them and would only be trying to get money. Anything more than that, you could risk them trying to get away from someone and getting hurt. Of course, teenagers must know more about how they can keep themselves safe.

How much you tell your child about kidnappings will depend on their own level of maturity. The last thing you want to do is scare your child away from experiencing life to its fullest.

Ten Situations that Make You Vulnerable to Crime

admin — Tue, 24 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 town, know what areas to avoid and know ahead of time where you are going. Out of state plates and looking like a tourist gives the evildoers a heads up. Always look like you know where you are going and know the area very well. If in a situation you get a flat tire or a dead battery, stay in your car. Call for help from a cell phone and have someone come to help you.
Never flash money around. Separate your traveling money and only remove small amounts at a time to spend. Avoid wearing excessive jewelry and never leave a dance or club with someone that you just met.

Can Knowing Crime Statistics Make You Safer?

admin — Mon, 09 May 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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 statistics

If you are close to your neighbors you may wish to know how many sex offenders are in your neighborhood. You can find national and local sex offender listings, http://www.familywatchdog.us/ With this knowledge you can avoid the streets or the houses where a known sex offender lives.

Shopping

Learn your mall, department, or discount superstore’s statistics on robberies. If you learn that there have been abductions or thefts of cars or property at a particular shopping establishment you will be able to choose whether to shop there or not. Also, you can be certain to watch your surroundings for suspicious vehicles or people and report to security.

Club Drugs

www.crime-mapping.com — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 00:00:00 +0000

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, Ecstasy ED mentions increased from 421 in 1995 to 4,026 in 2002; and GHB ED mentions increased from 145 in 1995 to 3,330 in 2002. Staggering increase in numbers.But beyond ED admissions there are many unreported incidents such as drug rape, impaired driving resulting in accidents, etc.; and the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) has written that “to some, club drugs seem harmless. In reality, these substances can cause serious physical and psychological problemseven death.” Yep, you read that right: death. So much for having fun at a club.

Using Medical Marijuana in Non-Legal States

www.crime-mapping.com — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:59:58 +0000

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):

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.
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.”
In keeping with the above statement, you should never answer any questions without your attorney present — whether arrested or not you should always exercise your right to remain silent.
Do not be hostile and do not physically resist should officers persist in their detainment. Merely repeat “I do not consent to this contact and I do not want to answer any questions if I am not under arrest I would like you to now leave and leave me alone.”
Lastly, consider downloading and carrying the NORML Foundation Freedom Card.

This article is not intended to discuss the rights or wrongs of marijuana use. It is merely intended to assist those individuals who have a true and dire need for its medicinal qualities while also protecting their Fourth Amendment rights.

The Marijuana Identity Crisis

www.crime-mapping.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:47:17 +0000

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.Then something changed.After two decades of crackdown on this drug, in 1996 California passed Proposition 215 allowing the legal use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. However, a Supreme Court decision overturned this law and disallowed this practice. In recent years a number of states have decriminalized the use of marijuana and many have allowed for the legal use with a physician’s recommendation. Though it has been decided that the federal government does have the right to restrict the sale and use of this product, it varies from one administration to the next whether or not states will be left to make their own decision or if the federal government will do its part to restrict the use of marijuana. The current administration has made it clear that it is not making the crackdown of marijuana use a priority, effectively allowing states to make their own decisions regarding this drug. Many recent elections have seen ballot propositions regarding the legalization of marijuana and this trend is likely to continue.The fate of marijuana use in this country is still unclear, but it has certainly seen drastic changes throughout the last century and will likely continue to do so.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marihuana_Tax_Act_of_1937

National Drop in Crime Rates

www.crime-mapping.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:43:54 +0000

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. Even more encouraging is that these improvements aren’t limited to this specific year. In an FBI report of crimes between 1980 and 1999, there are continuous and significant decreases in property crime. While overall violent crimes remained relatively constant, in 1980 there were 12,063,700 property crimes and by 1999 that number was down to 10,204,500. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the FBI, most violent crimes have steadily decreased in recent years as well but a stagnation of homicide rates is preventing a significant decrease from being witnessed in the overall violent crimes category.Some suggest that the reason behind the decreasing property crimes is the improvement in home security technology. Advancements have allowed home security systems to become a mainstream product in American households. Technology used to send signals between an alarm system and a security company response center has improved, allowing for rapid response, deterring criminals. New features such as smart phone applications, which allow homeowners to arm or disarm an alarm encourages activation and use of these systems, further preventing property crime.The numbers are encouraging, but in order for this trend to continue, home security must continue to be a priority amongst homeowners. Nobody wants to be on the wrong side of these statistics.

Legacy of the Three Strikes Law

www.crime-mapping.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:42:30 +0000

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.The ideology behind this legislation is that repeat offenders should not be allowed to continue roaming the street committing future crimes. There is also a goal to deter criminals from further offenses knowing that the consequences will be great.Even though it wasn’t the first to pass one of these laws, California has one of the strictest forms of this legislation and received a great deal of attention for their version. Many critics accuse the law of imposing unjust sentences on petty crimes. This law even resulted in a Supreme Court case, Ewing v. California, where it was determined the law was constitutional and did not violate any rights. Some suggest that distinct conclusions about the effect of the law can’t be determined because California crime rates were already beginning to decline when the law was passed. However, the trend certainly continued with significant drops up until the late ’90s when a slight increase occurred. Another question raised by this law is the effects of overcrowding on the system. The number of inmates in California prisons significantly increased during the first 7 years after the passing of the law and has since leveled out, but there are lasting strains on the prison system as a result.

Changing Drug Trends in the United States

www.crime-mapping.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:34:19 +0000

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. Rates of use are measured as either current, within the past year, or at some point in your life. Use of methamphetamines, cocaine, hallucinogens have all decreased in the last five years. After extremely high rates of drug abuse in the 70s and early 90s, a push for drug abuse education hit America’s public schools. Videos, special speakers, and presentations warning of the risks associated with drug abuse were ever-present within the nation’s schools. Though it may have seemed overbearing or excessive, these messages may have had some effect and could be partly responsible for the improvements to this problem.One type of drug abuse that seems to be resisting improvement is the abuse and overuse of prescription drugs. This could be the case because since these drugs are legal under certain circumstances and prescribed for specific conditions, they can be more easily obtained. A teenager could much more easily steal a few pills from a parent’s medicine cabinet than acquire cocaine on the street, and with less risk. Though this trend appears to be leveling off, for a period of time, there was a large concern with the abuse of over the counter medicines. The ingredients in these medicines, when overused, can create similar reactions to illegal drugs such as speed. An even larger concern was the use of pseudoephedrine found in these drugs to make methamphetamines. In order to fight this growing problem, the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Act of 2005 limited how much of any medicine containing pseudoephedrine a person could purchase, which could have played a role in the leveling off of this form of drug abuse.

Breaking Down Crime Rates

www.crime-mapping.com — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 20:32:31 +0000

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. According to CQ Press, in 2009, only two southern states ranked in the top half of a ranking of crime rates among states: West Virginia and Virginia, and most southerners don’t even claim those states as part of the south. Additionally, four of the bottom ten states were from the south. Many experts draw a correlation between the median income of a state and its crime rates, suggesting that wealthier states often have lower crime rates. This is reflected to some degree in the 2009 data with South Carolina and Louisiana, two of the poorest states in the Union, ranking 48^th and 49^th, respectively. A ranking of states by median household income would place most southern states below the national average, thus possibly contributing to their higher crime rates.In general New England sees the lowest crime rates in the nation. Interestingly, New England states also are typically the wealthiest states in the US, again confirming the correlation of crime and wealth.One important factor to note is that when states are ranked by crime rate it includes the total for the whole state and doesn’t reflect that one or two cities may have much higher crime rates than the state average, which can lead to an overall ranking that isn’t reflective of the state as a whole. Whenever you plan on moving to a new city, you should take into account not only the state’s annual crime rates but also the city or town itself.