Dear Dr. Crime: I am afraid the impact of the virus pandemic on kids in school may be bad. Will the education mess effect crime and delinquency? Politician.
Dear Politician: I cannot predict the future, but I agree with you the issues demand our attention. NCJRS tells us the educational level of offenders is low. Also, there is a strong link between low levels of education and high rates of criminal activity. Moreover, we know that education lowers recidivism more effectively than many crime-control programs. So, I am frightened to see the percentages of students meeting Level 3 and above (grade level performance or GLP) or Level 4 and above (college and career ready or CCR) in 2020–21 was lower in all content areas and grades/courses than in the 2018–19 school year, the last year when students were tested. Discuss your concerns with others in your district.
Dear Dr. Crime: Do women run a risk of violence from husbands? Lady
Dear Lady. Yes, we would hope that relationship would be safe, but the Bureau of Justice Statistics reports that in 2005, 1,181 women were murdered by an intimate partner or an average of three women every day. About one-third of American women murdered were killed by an intimate partner.
Dear Dr. Crime: I am so glad we have a way to teach crooks about punishment so they will not do more crime. Send more to lock-up, that will solve social problems. Businessman
Dear Sir: I wish you were right, but you are not. Research by the US Bureau of Statistics followed many thousands of prisoners after release, for 10 years, and from 24 states. That recent report has much valuable information our politicians should read. In response to your issue, they found that 66% of prisoners released in 2008 were arrested within 3 years, and 82% were arrested within 10 years. Our policies did not solve the crime problem, so take this to your state, local and federal leaders!
Dear Dr. Crime: Thanks for your support of our medical workers. At this time we need professionals we can trust and I love my doctor. Outdoor worker
Dear HardWorker: Well, my advice is to be very careful about those you can trust. I admire and trust all the medical professionals I use, but consider a new report (just out) by the U. S. Department of Justice, National Health Care Fraud Enforcement Report. That shows charges of over $1.4 billion in alleged losses, involving 138 defendants, of 42 doctors, nurses, and other licensed medical professionals. They were found in 31 federal districts across the United States for their alleged participation in various health care fraud schemes. I will not believe $1.4 billion in alleged losses are billing mistakes.
Dear Dr. Crime: I think there is danger of crooks, scammers, more than in the past. Anything new? Noname
Dear Noname: Yes, and I have comments. The FBI recently issued a “public service announcement” warning of a “grandparent fraud scheme using couriers” (alert # I-072921-PSA). The crooks call elderly people and claim to be a grandchild who has been arrested and need bail money. They offer to send a courier to the grandparents’ home to get the bail money. Millions of dollars have been lost! What to do? Be careful of what you post online, be suspicious of call like that above, and never give money or information to someone you have only talked with by phone.
Dear Dr. Crime: If home is where kids learn to avoid delinquency and crime, will the pandemic mess with parents and the kids not learn good behavior? Daughter
Dear Young Lady: Psychologist have studied that and found that “parental burnout” does occur. The issue is of such importance a major focus of the October, 2021 issue of Monitor on Psychology is devoted to it. In my opinion this deserves wide attention, including by the politicians. The problem is still young, and I will not suggest outcomes other than this can be a dangerous matter.
Dear Dr. Crime: I admire our law enforcement officers and get mad at the bums who disparage them. Officers face dangers many people do not understand, including exposure to the COVID-19. Have our officers been harmed during this pandemic? Physician’s Wife
Dear Ms. MD: Yes, they must rush into situations and may be exposed. In fact, the coronavirus is the most common cause of duty related deaths in 2020 and 2021. More than 4 time as many of our officers died that way than from gunfire during those years.
Readers: See my recent book, Evil and Greed, for how to contribute your ideas about evil to my work. Thanks.
