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America’s incarceration rate is in decline

(www.theatlantic.com)
236 points paulpauper | 1 comments | 25 Jun 25 17:14 UTC | HN request time: 0.27s | source
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outside1234 ◴[25 Jun 25 17:48 UTC] No.44379986[source]▶
Crime is also way down over the last 20 years:

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-...

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WalterBright ◴[25 Jun 25 18:30 UTC] No.44380451[source]▶
At least in Seattle, crime is "way down" because many businesses have stopped reporting it, because the police don't respond to less serious crimes anymore.

A shopkeeper friend of mine closed his business in Seattle after multiple lootings of his place and the police never showing up. He relocated to a bedroom community.

Crime statistics are not necessarily accurate, and politicians have an interest in minimizing those statistics one way or another.

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energywut ◴[25 Jun 25 23:31 UTC] No.44382781[source]▶
You have any data to support that? I've lived in Seattle for 40 years, and crime here is way less of a concern now than it ever has been. Especially violent crime.

My experience also seems to match statistics. So, it would seem that your friend's experience might be the outlier -- I'm not saying they are wrong, I'm saying their experience doesn't match the data and there's at least one anecdote (mine) that runs counter to their anecdote. Seems like a good opportunity to try and find data that supports your hypothesis?

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1. WalterBright ◴[26 Jun 25 02:11 UTC] No.44383622[source]▶
Googling "crime down in seattle due to lower reporting rates" results in:

"While crime rates in Seattle have recently shown a decrease, some reports suggest this may be partially attributed to a decline in reporting rather than a genuine reduction in criminal activity. Specifically, some authorities have noted that crimes against businesses, in particular, are frequently not reported."

"The police chief specifically mentioned that a 10% drop in property crime might not be entirely accurate because many business-related crimes go unreported."