5 ms·
How much of the precipitous drop in SF juvenile crime is simply because there are fewer juveniles in the city? SF used to have a large middle class population
by DoubleCribble 8y ago
How much of the precipitous drop in SF juvenile crime is simply because there are fewer juveniles in the city? SF used to have a large middle class population that has largely vanished with the rise in the cost of housing combined with a reduction in the number of kids per household. While once pretty common, those big families with 4-5 kids are as rare as 4 leaf clovers these days.
- Patrick_Devine 8y agoThat might be the case for SF, but the effect is being seen globally.
- refurb 8y agoAs well, it’s more correct to say “reported crimes have decreased”, not “crimes have decreased”. I know in SF a lot of people have stopped reporting petty crimes since the cops don’t care or do anything about it.
- 24gttghh 8y agoThis is likely not the case as someone else posted: https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/ncvrw/2017/images/en_artwork/Fact_Sheets/2017NCVRW_CrimeTrends_508.pdf https://www.ncjrs.gov/ovc_archives/ncvrw/2017/images/en_artw... Reporting rates haven't changed a whole lot according to that. So yes, crime on the whole has decreased nationally since the early 90's.
- Gibbon1 8y agoThe arrest rate for violent crimes for juveniles in SF went from 100 per 10,000 to 10.
- jahewson 8y agoThe arrest rates at least are given per 10,000 juveniles, not as an absolute number, for exactly the reason you mention. Some of the other numbers aren't adjusted though.
- toomanybeersies 8y agoI think that GP's question still stands though. Has the reduction in density of juveniles (either per capita or per square mile) had an effect on juvenile crime?
- DoubleCribble 8y agoIt seems to me like it would be harder for many juveniles to get into trouble if there just aren't that many other juveniles around. It's hard to form a gang if there's nobody else around to join.