Crime Comparison Paper

Crime Data Comparison

CJA/314

The two cities I chose to compare crime rates are Los Angeles and Long Beach. Since Los Angeles is approximately four times the size of Long Beach, one could expect at least four times as many crimes are being committed. Although geographically close to one another, crime rates can differ due to such factors as the unemployment rate or the make-up of the population within certain communities. Population growth can also be considered an underlying factor in the differences in crime rate. Nevertheless, both locations have experienced a substantial decline in crime, however, as determined by the Uniform Crime Report, UCR, this seems to be interpreted as a standard fact nationwide (Fbi.gov, 2010).

According to the Uniform Crime Report's data (Fbi.gov, 2010), the city of Los Angeles has more crimes reported in the year 2010 compared to reports from Long Beach. Violent crimes according to national and regional figures, has become more of an issue for both of these cities. In 2010, Los Angeles with a population of 3,841,707, reported a total of 21,484 violent crimes, while Long Beach with a population of 462,267 reported a total of 2,720 violent crimes (Fbi.gov, 2010). A startling 293 murders were reported in 2010 in Los Angeles and 32 murders for Long Beach and yet it is even more shocking to know there are far more forcible rapes that occur in both of these areas. I would think that population size, diversity and other environmental factors have something to do with the differences in these numbers. The murder rate seems to have decreased while forcible rape increased in both cities, with an additional 630 incidents in Los Angeles and an additional 102 incidents in Long Beach. On the other hand, for the past several years, crime rates have dropped continually. The Los Angeles Police Department reported in 2008 that for six consecutive years, crime has dropped nearly 2.5% over the previous year (Wilson, J. 2009). These rates have continued to fall in a bad economy when there is expected to be more thefts and murders, but instead these two cities have experienced an increase in forcible rapes and other violent crimes.

Gang activity is another possible reason for the difference in crime rate numbers between Los Angeles and Long Beach. While both cities have gangs, it appears that Los Angeles is where most of the gang activity is occurring at this time, and for the past several years. If the city were able to control those groups, they may see the number of these types of crimes decrease. "Murder rates are profoundly influenced, at least in big cities, by gang activity. We don't have good ways of understanding why gang activity changes, though we suspect that changes in behavior are influenced by what the police do, whether