Author R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.  

Crime continues to be a major concern of the American people. This is understandable since one of the prime responsibilities of any government, local or federal, is to ensure that citizens are safe in their homes and in public. Recent horrific tragedies, like the knife killing of Iryna Zarutska on a commuter train in Charlotte and the assassination of freedom patriot Charlie Kirk,  show the urgency of the crime problem. When examining any issue, it is best to start off with the facts before addressing causes and potential solutions.

Below is a list of some of the basic facts about crime in this country. Violent crime rates are higher in urban than in rural areas. Democrat run cities have the highest crime rates. The cities with the highest crime rates include:  Memphis, Detroit, Baltimore, Chicago, and Milwaukee. All of these cities have had Democrat mayors for most of the past 30 years with few exceptions. Cities with the highest crime rates tend to have liberal district attorneys who favor no cash bail and other soft on crime policies. Most of the violent crimes are committed by a small proportion of the population. For example, over 60% of the violent crimes are committed by black males between the age of 18 and 45 which represent only 3% of the entire population. Most crimes are committed by repeat offenders who have multiple arrests and prior convictions. Longer incarceration terms for so-called career criminals keep the community safe by keeping criminals off the streets. Prison rehabilitation programs are not a reliable way of reducing recidivism rates since most repeat offenders return to a life of crime.

The causes of criminal activity need to be understood before corrective action can be taken. Human beings are not born with a conscience or any knowledge of right or wrong. A person with a properly developed conscience controls their own behavior by judging and directing their behavior according to the rules of their learned conscience. A society that does not teach strong moral standards to their citizens is forced to rely on external controls, such as police presence and fear of apprehension instead of internal control of one’s behavior. Historically, western civilization has relied upon parental instruction and religion to ensure that children develop a law-abiding conscience. If a child learns to believe that stealing is a sin, they will not steal. Since the 1960s, the traditional family has been significantly weakened in our society. In 1960, 72% of adults were married. By 2017 that number was down to less than 50%. The average age for first marriage in 1960 was 20 yrs. for women and 23 yrs. for men; it is now 28 yrs. for women and 30 yrs. for men. Consequently, the birthrate has declined significantly. The birthrate is now 1.6 births per woman, which is not sufficient to maintain the population. Since 1960, the divorce rate has more than doubled. In 1960, only 5% of all births occurred out of wedlock. That number has now risen to over 40%. The diminishing of the traditional family has negatively impacted the socialization of children into law abiding citizens. Combine this with the dramatic decrease in church attendance, particularly among younger people, and the problem of raising children without a prosocial conscience is obvious. The diminishing of the role of the family is exactly what the Marxists have hoped for and is one of their prime goals. They want people to be dependent on the government–not their family. Speaking of Marxist influences, Marxists divide society into the oppressed and the oppressors. In so doing, they provide for some people the justification for criminal behavior towards those they deem to be oppressing them. It is certain that some of the criminals believe they are entitled to prey on the rich because they have been unfairly oppressed. The final factor that I want to mention that influences crime is mental illness. While mental illness in general does not substantially increase the likelihood of committing crimes, certain disorders that impact on misinterpreting the motives of others, such as paranoia, and loss of emotional control can be related. For example, depression can influence a person’s decision making, leading to suicide or in some cases blaming others for their problems. Mass shooters are examples of misdirected anger and blaming of others resulting in murder/suicides.

Part II of this article will address what society can do to control crime.