The crime drop in America: an exploration of some recent crime trends

Author: Blumstein, Alfred
Publication: Journal of Scandinavian Studies in Criminology & Crime Prevention
Topics: Crime Gun Carrying Supply Surveillance/Data Collection U.S./National
Keywords: DRUG traffic GUN control IMPRISONMENT MURDER ROBBERY
Bibliographic information +

The author examined data from the annual Federal Bureau of Investigation annual volume Crime in the United States, a compilation based on crimes reported by the police. Between 1993 and 2000 the United States experienced a sharp decline of over 40% in murder and robbery rates. One of two major components of the decline was the undoing of a process that earlier had recruited young people into crack markets, armed them with handguns for their own protection, and resulted in a diffusion of weapons into the street. After 1993, there was a disarmament race as young people found roles in the legitimate economy and so did not need guns.