Criminology: Week 2 Discussion - Baltimore Crime Statistics Analysis

This assignment analyzes crime statistics in Baltimore, Maryland, focusing on prevalent crimes like rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The analysis explores potential causes of crime, including drug-related activities, gang involvement, lack of opportunities, and racial issues. It suggests solutions such as undercover cops, anti-gang laws, corruption elimination, and increased transparency. The assignment also discusses why victims often do not report crimes, the patterns of violent and property crimes, and the basis of fear of violent crime victimization among different segments of the population, including the role of racial inequality. The discussion challenges stereotypes about the sources of crime problems, offering a comprehensive overview of the complexities of crime in Baltimore.

Criminal Law
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Table of Contents
Question 1...................................................................................................................................................3
Question 2...................................................................................................................................................3
Question 3...................................................................................................................................................3
Question 4...................................................................................................................................................4
Question 5...................................................................................................................................................4
References...................................................................................................................................................6
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Question 1
Baltimore is the city of Maryland and it is one of the most violent cities of the United States
according to the FBI. The crime rate has increased up to 17% over the prior years in the year
2017 and the rate was 98.6% crimes per 10,000 residents. The most common crimes being found
in the city of Baltimore is forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The crime rate is
increasing rapidly in Baltimore; rapes have increased by 13% to about 230, robberies 14% to
about 4,350 and aggravated assaults increased by 15% to about 4,260 (Prudente, 2016).
Question 2
It is being found that most of the crimes are happening either drug or gang related. Lack of
employment, the absence of education and housing opportunities is making the young generation
to get involved in drug businesses and joining gangs, robbery, and burglary for easy access to
money (Jensen & Rojek, 2009). Racism is another issue for Baltimore. Though other cities of the
US are facing the same difficulties it is intractable in Baltimore. The city is divided by racially as
the people who grew up in recent decades are earning less than the similar people grew up in an
average in an average county in the US.
Question 3
Undercover cops are required to reduce crime in Baltimore and there should be a law against the
affiliation of a gang. Corruptions need to be eliminated and a campaign needs to run to
encourage the development of confidence and pride between officers. Increasing transparency
and public accountability may also help in developing an ongoing relationship of belief with all
the communities of Baltimore.
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Question 4
The victim often does not report the crime to the police because of the concern of the privacy and
fear of counterattack for the offenders. The violent crime has increased in Baltimore in the last
few years and at the same time property crime fell 2%. On April 19, 2015, the death of Freddie
Gray provokes riots in all over Baltimore and an increase in violent crime has been noticed just
after that. African Americans have limited access to facilities than their new neighborhood. They
have been fighting for their rights to use public recreational facilities and this may lead them to
fight against white people. The violent crime wave is affecting children and they are facing most
serious harm. It has been noticed that the maximum number of violence has occurred within
racial groups and that African Americans, continuously victimized by black criminals,
experiencing the violent crime more (Hall, 2012).
Question 5
Police may stop from labeling criminal behavior to the minority group of people just because
they believe that the minority group of people must be engaged in such behavior. The value of
the community can be noticed by the attitude of police towards the minorities. As long as the
minorities are being treated as alien or inferior, the more believable it is to be differentiating
(Hattis, 2013)
The blue collar crime is dreadful and it requires fair focus. The white-collar crime is considered
to be more violent crime compared to the blue collar crime as the only impact on a smaller
portion of the community.
According to the study of neighborhood in twenty-two cities of the US, the most violent crime in
the neighborhood is aggravated assault and robbery. A study was found the racial inequality
among the neighbors and this lead to violent crime.
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White collar crime is a nonviolent crime; it is basically financially motivated crime committed
by professionals of the government and business.
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References
Hall, R. (2012). Racism in the 21st century (1st ed.). Washington: U.S. G.P.O.
Hattis, S. (2013). Crime in the United States 2013 (3rd ed.). Lanham, Maryland:
Bernan Press.
Jensen, G., & Rojek, D. (2009). Delinquency and youth crime (4th ed.). Long Grove,
IL: Waveland Press, Inc.
Prudente, T. (2016). Baltimore Sun - We are currently unavailable in your region.
Retrieved from https://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/investigations/bs-
md-ci-sun-investigates-crime-data-20170928-story.html
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