Economy on Crime Rates it

¶ … Economy on Crime Rates

It is the general aim of all researchers not only to discover new information but as much as possible to build on what other people have already done in the field (Becker, p76). This is particularly important as these works whether published or unpublished can serve as a cheaper source of mobilizing data. It also helps the researcher to put the issues under consideration into the right perspective. The San Bernardino economy in general has received its fair share of academic and non-academic writing based on research or normative thought.

Some these works have usually focused on selected aspects of the economy just like this one seeks to examine the economy in relationship to crime rate. This research will examine these works of other researchers in order to broaden the frontiers of knowledge.

Profile of San Bernardino

According to Becker et all (2007, pp28-30.), the interaction between crime and economy is a unique subject in the general study of criminology hence justifying the numerous researches that has been devoted to this field of study including the eleventh criminological colloquium of the council of Europe. Ehrlich (1999, p3) defines the topic as the "links between structural economic changes and business cycles and crime." Although crime has always been traced to illegal immigration, globalisation and cultural extrapolation, exposure to violent orientation in films, breakdown of family structure, inordinate desire to get rich quick, drug abuse and child trafficking, Juston however argues that recent studies have focused on economic factors such as unemployment, increased disposable income, proliferation of cash-based economy, increase economic value for drugs and sex related trade. In order to understand the nitty-gritty of the subject as it pertains to specific environments as the case of San Bernardino an understanding of the social cultural environment is always needed.

In California, crime and crime related activities has been the agenda for a number of local and county-based seminars, conferences and initiatives. According to Lochner (1999, p34) the upsurge in crime and the growing complexity of the phenomenon in the San Bernardino demands an urgent attention and strategy to curtail its further deterioration. Grogger (2006, p32) asserts the importance of this and supports his claims by the recent United Nations Organisation publication which affirms that crime rate across the globe increases each year by a whooping 7.5% on the averages. She agrees with the organization in their view that crime wave is assuming a level of complexity unequaled in the annals of human history. McDonalds (Freeman, 2009, p75) reports that most of the crimes in America come in the form of sexual crimes, robbery, narcotic, prostitution, terrorism, academic crimes and other domestic violence.

The San Bernardo County in California in the United States of America acts as the capital of the region. Statistics from the 2009 quarterly bulletin of the administrative council asserts that the city is the eighteenth largest in California and the one hundred and first major state in the whole of the United States of America. Although the town is adorned with some of the beautiful edifices of nature and technology, it still has a lot of socio economic challenges that its currently fighting. (Freeman, 2009, p43) The city like all other ones of the United States of American is very cosmopolitan in nature embracing people of all persuasion with a predominant number of black and white American occupying a substantial portion of the entire city. Although the city does not appear to be a major hub of economic activity due to the closure of the Norton Air force which was a major tourist destination and the subsequent relocation of Kaiser Steel as well as railway job. (Flinn, 2003, p12)

However the fact that the famous McDonald food chain traces its root to this city is enough to give the city a fair share of economic activity. This is without prejudice to the economic booms which the city receives each year due to the inland empire which is considered to be the fourteenth largest train route in the whole of the United States of America and the annual route number sixty six rendezvous which is a multi-tentacle and classic automobile event held in the city each September as well as the National orange show held in April/May and the Western regional little league championship held in august of each year to consolidate the economic achievements of the city. (Ehrlich 1999, p97). The city's administration office reveals that hospitality is the most vibrant economic activity within the territory. This information is very crucial to the discussion as it unfolds.

The population of the city is also associated with crime and crime related activities. The Bureau of National Statistics in its report ending the period 2006 discloses that the city which has a total land mass of 153.5 kilometers square is gifted with a an estimated population of 205, 010 with a spread out of 35.2% of the population below the age of eighteen. It is estimated that 11.0% of the population are between the ages of 18 and 24 while 29.6% are between the ages of 22 and 44 while 16.0% represent those people who are between the ages of 45 and 64. The department also discloses that 8.2% are 65 years of age and above. It is also disclosed that the ratio of male to female is 96.7: 100. It is estimated that the average income of a family is in the region of $31.140. (BNS, 2009, p43). Another important information is in relation to the per capital income of the city which is estimated as $12.925 with 28.6% of the population and 23.5% of all families languishing below the poverty line. It is also noted that 36.2% of those under the age of eighteen and 11.4% of those who are sixty five and older are living below the poverty line. From the above information it can be concluded that San Bernardino city and its inherent socio- technical nature is enough to solicit criminal activities as it has all the dynamics of a circular society (67).

Statistics from the County Police administration indicates that the predominant wave of crime is found in murders, rapes, robberies, aggravated assault, burglaries, larceny/theft, motor theft, domestic violence, racial abuse, drug and sexual crime. Although the city is protected by one of the most discipline police force available in the United States of America the spate of crime is still alarming. Earlier researchers have dwelt on other non-economic factors and its relationship with crime, the emergence of economic dimension of the crime has been given more prominence in researches in the city over the past few years. The statistics indicate that murder related crimes in the city has risen from an average of 39 cases per month to 46 cases between the years 1999 to 2009. (County Police Service, 2009, p12)

Rape related crimes on the other hand has risen from an average of 43 cases to 50 cases per month from the year 2000 to 2009 while robberies escalated from an average of 607 cases to 904 cases per month for the same period. The statistics also discloses that the San Bernardino city recorded a sharp increase in aggravated assault moving from an average of 944 cases per month in 1999 to 1017 cases per month at the close of 2009. It is asserted that burglaries in the city has also increase from a figure of 1634 cases per month recorded in the year 2000 to the present average figure of 2135 cases per month, Larceny was 3211 cases per month on the average in 1999 but the present average is 4708 cases per month. The document also indicates that vehicle theft has risen from an average of 2881 cases per month to an average of 2917 cases per month in 2009 while prostitution has tripled to 1899 cases per month at the end of 2009, Illegal immigration has generally reduced from an average of 41 cases per month to 34 cases per month at the close of the year 2009 while narcotic related crimes also increased to 23 cases per month from an average of 12 per month as at 1999.

Household consumption

Levitt (2008, p11) suggest that household consumption is the major economic indicator of economic well-being. He asserts that the relationships between the issues of crime and consumption can be very intriguing but interesting. It is his argument that the effects of consumption growth on the crime evolve itself in two dimensions on property crime. Farrington, (2003, p34) supports the assertion that a growth in consumption increases the number and value of goods available for theft. It is further argued that crime increases as the number of opportunities for crime increases. An economic theory of crime suggests that the increase in the stock of goods in society will tend to increase the incentive to commit crime, otherwise known as the 'opportunity effect '.On the other hand, Richardson (2009) is of the view that consumption growth indicates increased expectations of lifetime income. The increased expectation of lawful income will reduce the temptation of illegitimate activity.

This is referred to as the 'motivation effect. The opportunity effect is a long- term influence that is positively correlated with crime, while the motivation effect is more short-term and has a negative correlation with crime. Thus, in years when people increase their spending by very small amounts or reduces it altogether, notably quickly. In contrast, during year when people rapidly increase their expenditure, property crime tends to grow less rapidly or even fall.

In relation to San Bernardino, Miguel (2006) argues that with the recent renewal of the city by industries, the unemployment rate has been reduced to a large extent. The number and value of goods available as a result of this growth in income can be linked to the upsurge in robbery cases in homes and public places such as banks.

Economic growth, unemployment and population factors

According to Oriel (2005, p233) it is already accepted that the current recession is set to be the worse of the post-war era. It took four quarters for Gross domestic product to fail by 2.2% in the 1990s in the 1980s GDP fell by 4.1% in a year, and took a further quarter to reach a trough of -- 4.9%. In the 1970s GDP fell 3.5% over three quarters, but rallied in the fourth quarter to finish only 1.6% down by the end of the first year. However, in the current economic climate, GDP has already fallen 4.2% in just three quarters. Overall GDP is predicted to fall by 3.5% in 2009. (Oriel, 2005, p43).

The level of unemployment has also been regularly linked to rising levels of crime, and is set to reach three million by the end of this year. In San Bernardino the effects of the recent economic crisis has had its own fair share on the economic activities. From the age analysis earlier on discussed it can be deduced that the number of available persons to be employed will far exceed the available jobs despite recent minimal increases in job. Unemployment has rendered a lot of able hand jobless who in their attempt to survive engage in all forms of crime including robbery, human trafficking, drugs, etc.

Proliferation of a cash economy

Jordan (2007, 19) argues that the introduction of plastic money and the transfer of fund across various places without the physical carriage of cash has been one the best measures to curtail any form of crime. In the San Bernardino County however the education for the departure from a cash base economy to a cashless economy has not been fully adhered to as a lot of persons still carry out transactions with money. In a research to determine why these individuals are adamant in following this rule despite the safety that it brings along, a number of respondents contended that they prefer keeping their money than to plant them in banks only for the banks to take a chunk of it as charges. (Jordan, 2007, p23)Two respondents in that research agreed that the banking sector which is at the fore front of the campaign to transact business without cash take advantage of the customers. In the year 2009, three hundred cases of cash robbery were reported in the last quarter. One of the victims agreed that they had taken those funds in order to carry out transactions from the Christmas festivities. It can then be concluded that while efforts are on going to reduce the amount of money with the system which attract criminals, the effort has not yielded so much because of the inherent problems with the campaign. (Granger, 2009, p3)

Narcotic economy

It has also been argued that San Bernardino is increasing in crime because of the economic opportunities that drug traffickers enjoy in the city. Statistic indicates that the street value for a small quantity of heroine and cocaine is worth thousands of dollars. Narcotic crime seem to have escalated considering the fact that a large number of the population especially the youth who are in the majority have joined the demand for narcotic products and creating a high market demand.

The Sex Economy

According to Brown (2005), the sex economy is a major challenge to the city. The demand for commercial sex workers is on the ascendancy while the income from this venture is increasing day after day. It is an open secret that with the increases in the demand and the reward for satisfying sexual desires, prostitution and other sex related crimes will be on the ascendancy. Seun (2009) concludes after a research into the sex economy that the complexity of this market and the caliber of people involved make it difficult to erase it completely

Theories regarding the links between crime and economy

Around the middle of the nineteenth century social scientists such as Fregier and Buret in France and Mayhew in England described the "dangerous classes" as the main source of crime and disorder. At the lowest level of every society existed a hard core of depraved parasites, often also called the "criminal classes are more and more thrust back from civilized customs and laws, and reduced, through the suffering and privations of pauperism, to the state of savages"(quoted from Radzinowicz: Ideology & crime, 1966, p.41).

These early sub-cultural writers paved the way for an interpretation of crime in terms of the whole economic structure of society. One of the original positive demonstrations of how levels of crime were partly determined by economic circumstances was offered by Von Mayr in 1867 that showed that property crime tended to be more prevalent in Bavaria during periods when rye prices were higher. The most famous interpretation of crime in the Marxian perspective of historical materialism was given b y the Dutch Professor Bonger in the seven hundred page book Criminality and Economic Conditions (1916). The deprivation of the proletariat of such necessities as education, humane living conditions, employment, and substantial income was explained by the general egoistic tendencies of the capitalistic system. Such exploitations brutalized its members and drove them to commit offences. Mr. Joutsen states initially, "perhaps the most familiar hypothesis linking crime and the economy is that unemployment and economic inequality increase the amount of crime. "