It may be down overall but I think the effects of it are still felt strongly where it is present, or more prevalent. Some issues are systemic, like where I’m living now there’s a chronic homeless population because my city is relatively supportive of the problem, but not in any meaningful way to prevent it. The issues of crime here are theft and assault and a not insignificant percentage is of people who are unable to help themselves and are refusing the little help the city is willing to offer. There’s a myriad of other aspects, but this is just one very solveable one I’m highlighting as an example, to be in stark contrast of
My home city, Oakland where there’s a gang that goes around making money from stealing catalytic converters. This is not as much of a systemic issue (it still is since it’s mostly resorting to crime due to lack of resources or opportunity due to other imposed restrictions) but the issue isn’t as easily solved. The thing is here, the effects of both of these crimes still feel prevalent in these communities because they are common occurrences due to the vast amount of unhelped people present, and the latter due to being repeat targets (if you have one, you get it replaced and they come back in a few months.)
2 years ago before I moved, my dads car got hit 6 times at least, with a cage, in a span of under 2 years. Every night I was up late and multiple times I had to shout I’m calling the cops fuck off get the fuck out of here. One time the dude looked at me through the window, pointed at me with two fingers, “shot at me”, and got in his car and drove off.
About 4 months ago almost 2 years after moving to Oregon (unrelated to the previous experience) my partners vehicle was assaulted by an extremely heavyset man wielding a walking-cane that he needed and started bashing the shit out of her hood, making massive dents. He was shouting the N-w at her (she’s Japanese…) and all kinds of other obscenities. Then he apparently lifted his cane up over his head to do one last massive strike, but toppled backwards and fell and she drove off with the cops on the way. He was actually charged since he had been harassing other people.
Unfortunately, growing up events like both of these are not at all uncommon. I’ve had so many experiences I could write about, and the core issue is always the same and the lasting effects are too. Every time the perpetrator (of the specific kinds of circumstances I’ve listed) is doing it because of a lack of support, resources, and wherewithal to see any other option than the crime. In any case, my point with all of this is not to diminish the drop in overall rate of crime nationally, but rather to extend the idea that despite that, the effects within the community are still felt deeply. From what I’m aware of, vehicle theft back home is still rampant and primarily targets already struggling to get by people. People in my city are getting attacked by people who are refusing to get the help they need, and lack the services or the opportunity in the first place. And well, it doesn’t wholly matter if crime rate is down if we’re still seeing and feeling it on a day to day basis locally.
Which just goes to show, voting locally matters if you want to see the policy enacted locally.