Go to the Disaster Center website, www.disastercenter.com/crime. Review the crime rate nationally, and, by picking out links to state reports, compare the recent crime rates in two states. Report on the prevalence of the crimes you have examined. Propose a causal explanation for variation in crime between states over time. What research design would you propose to test this explanation? Explain.
Go to the Crime Stoppers USA (CSUSA) website at www.crimestoppersusa.org. Check out “Profile” and then “FAQ.” How is CSUSA “fighting crime”? What does CSUSA’s approach assume about the cause of crime? Do you think CSUSA’s approach to fighting crime is based on valid conclusions about causality? Explain.
What are the latest trends in crime? Write a short statement after inspecting the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports at www.fbi.gov (go to the “Services” section and then “UCR”; select “Crime Stats for 20__” and then pick specific categories to review).
