What do the crime rate in Sacramento and the
price of groceries have in common? They're both way too high! If you look at
the “year to date” crime statistics, published online by the Sacramento police
department, the only crime rates that have declined in the city are those for
murder and rape. Because of the comparatively small numbers of incidents of
these crimes, a few more murders or rapes could completely reverse the trend in
these areas as well.
Before you start condemning the police department, you need to understand that
there is very little that the police proactively can do to prevent crime. In
the Kansas City preventative patrol experiment, way back in 1972-3, it was
determined that police patrol does not significantly affect the crime rate.
Most police calls for service involve responding as a crime is reported or, in
a majority of the cases, after it has occurred.
So, what is the bad news in Sacramento? Well, the chances are 1 in 23 that you
will become victim of a property crime this year. But what is a property crime?
A property crime can be anything from someone breaking the radio antenna on
your car to someone stealing the collection of gold coins from your wall safe.
Is there any good news that can be gleaned from the property crime rate? With a
burglary rate of 8.9 burglaries per 1,000 people, you chance is slightly less
than one in one hundred that you will be burglarized in the coming year.
Succinctly stated, any theft or property damage you incur will probably not
involve someone violating the sanctity of your house, and any losses should be
minor.
What about the violent crime we hear so much about? How much violent crime do
we have in Sacramento? The short answer is about twice the national average, or
7.18 chances in 1,000. To put it in simpler terms, you have one chance in every
139 people of becoming the victim of a violent crime. Again, although the rate
may be higher than the national average, your chances of becoming the victim of
a violent crime are not all that great. Also keep in mind that a “violent
crime” covers a myriad of offenses from just attempting to hit someone to
stabbing him 17 times with a butcher knife. Most violent crimes fall into the
misdemeanor category of less serious crimes.
So what can I do to lessen the chance that I will be the victim of a crime? If
you look at color coded maps showing the areas with the highest crime rate
(such as the one at Neighborhood Scout or the one at the Sacramento Police
Department website), you can make a generalization that the highest crime rate
is in the inner city in the areas with the greatest population density. Additionally, make sure to consult a criminal defense attorney in Sacramento to protect yourself against false accusations. Innocent people are incarcerated too often, so pay close attention to detail in your encounters with crime.
You could always move to the suburbs! On the serious side, just use your common
sense! Keep the doors and windows of your house and your car locked. Have a
high quality alarm installed in your house or your vehicle. Be constantly alert
when out in public, and, avoid getting involved in heated arguments,
particularly with people you don’t know well or people with a history of
violent behavior.
