introduction to criminal justice 6
Week 1 Discussion
Crime Trends
Part 1
A lecture from this week presented a table that shows 2015 crime data for the United States. Visit the Federal Bureau of Investigation website and locate the page titled “Crime in the United States 2015.” Find the data for your city or town. If you live in an area where several cities exist in a small area, use the “Metropolitan Statistical Area” data.
- Compare the 2015 crime data from your home area to the overall rates for the United States. For instance, how does the murder rate in your area compare to the overall US rate of 4.9 murders per 100,000 residents? How does your home area compare with the rest of the country in terms of overall violent crime and property crime?
- Choose any two specific crimes that seem to be more common or less common in your area than the rest of the country. Define those crimes and explain why you believe the results are the way they are. For instance, if your area has a high incidence of auto theft, why do you think that is the case?
Part 2
Earlier this week, you examined a list of questions that illustrated the types of studies that criminologists conduct. Choose one of the questions listed or create your own. Then include the following in your post:
- State the question you have chosen or created.
- Describe how you think a criminologist would go about finding the answer to the question.
- State what you expect a criminologist would find and explain why you expect this answer.