Washington Post "Plummeting Crime Rate 'Mystifying'"

[PatriotnMore]

Someones been paying attention.

Sure it has. The federal assault weapon ban expired 5 years ago.

[snobord99]

Has anyone studied crime rate reduction since Chinese restaurants have taken MSG out of there cooking?

You're going to the wrong Chinese restaurants. Trust me, I'm a Chinese guy .

[audihenry]

Sure it has. The federal assault weapon ban expired 5 years ago.

So, by your logic, people are defending themselves with assault weapons everywhere, thus the drop in crime rate? The crime rate has been decreasing since the 1990s, so this is a continuation of an earlier trend.

[oddball]

This is a 5 year trend, not something that happened in the last 6 months.

Violent crime has plummeted in the Washington area and in major cities across the country, a trend criminologists describe as baffling and unexpected.

The District, New York and Los Angeles are on track for fewer killings this year than in any other year in at least four decades. Boston, San Francisco, Minneapolis and other cities are also seeing notable reductions in homicides.

"Experts did not see this coming at all," said Andrew Karmen, a criminologist and professor of sociology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York.

In the District and Prince George's County, homicides are down about 17 percent this year.

From radioburning's link, they are talking about 2009 in the opening paragraphs.

[JDoe]

Violent crime has plummeted in the Washington area and in major cities across the country, a trend criminologists describe as baffling and unexpected.

So what these criminologists are saying is that their theories are garbage.

[Gunaria]

It's Bush's fault....

No wait,


Obama did it....

Damn right the best gun salesman of all time. The GOAT.

[bplvr]

I googled "Ca. homicide rates 1960 -2007 " and rates were falling in the late 90's,but made a dramatic turn up in 2001. Odd,.. something must have happened in 2000 that caused the shift. This upward trend continued until 2006 when they started to drop again. {and are still going down.}

[hoffmang]

I had to:

The Washington Post ran a very interesting article recently. It talks about how the crime rate in major urban areas around the US and including Washington D.C. have been significantly declining. They all the plummeting crime rate "mystifying."

I'm going to insert my tongue firmly in cheek and explain. Clearly the proliferation of dangerous weapons on the streets of cities like D.C. has lead to horrendous decreases in crime. The expiration of the Federal Assault Weapons ban five years ago has lead to nothing but widespread decreases in crimes of violence! Assault Weapons have no place but to be in our streets protecting the law abiding as is evidence by the massive decreases in injuries to children in our cities! Also, the reintroduction of handguns into the District of Columbia has done nothing but make the District a safer place where blood doesn't run in the gutters!

I know... but darn it is satisfying to use those who would undermine the bill of rights words' against them.

-Gene

[M. Sage]

How do you mean? Gun ownership hasn't been made more open in the last 5 years, unless you're only referring to DC, which is only ONE area that was included in the study.

Federal AW ban sunsetted 5 years ago, more and more right to carry laws across the nation.... Yeah, I'd say that gun ownership has become a bit more open in the last 5 years. Even in CA, the OLL movement has gained a lot of ground.

[bplvr]

Let me check my notes here....40 states now have CCW, pretty much on demand, the SUW ban expired 5 years ago and crime is falling faster than BHO's approval rating and since the election gun sales have .....well you know.
I think sarah, Up-Chuck , and a few more have lied to us. Dishonesty is not a good policy. It can really bite you in the ash.

[hoffmang]

It can really bite you in the ash.

Ain't it beautiful?

-Gene

[Mute]

How do you mean? Gun ownership hasn't been made more open in the last 5 years, unless you're only referring to DC, which is only ONE area that was included in the study.

It has always been these anti-gunners claims that accessibility of guns is the cause of all the crime and misery we see. Gun ownership has indeed been made more open for more than just the last 5 years. The increase in shall issue CCW across the country is just one example.

The fact that the crime rate has been declining steadily for most of the past decade completely obliterates their bigoted viewpoint on firearms. Only someone completely devoid of intelligence (or intellectual honesty) can still believe that gun ownership has any kind of negative effect on crime rates.