Where’s the most dangerous place to go when you leave home? Probably somewhere a few miles from your own house, actually. I’m speaking to my fellow Americans here since they seem to be the most paranoid, but the lesson holds true for many other first world countries as well. No matter where you go on vacation or on a long journey, you should be aware of the risks, but always remember to put it in perspective.
One e-mail I got from a reader once was “How do I convince my mother it’s not crazy dangerous in Southeast Asia?” I replied that it’s a mother’s job to worry and there’s probably no way around it, but a subscription to The Week or The Economist would be a nice goodbye present. The main problem is that when we hear international news on TV, it’s only the big ugly stuff. You never hear, “This just in–those demonstrations we reported on two years ago have not re-occured even once this year! And Ecuador has gotten even safer than before!”
If you or a relative is worried though, do some digging around and get some stats to compare apples with apples. Chances are, you’ll be amazed how much worse crime is in your own home town than where you’re going on the other side of the world. Much of it you never even hear about unless you’re paying attention. Why here’s a fun excerpt from the monthly report posted online from my local police precinct. It says volumes about the overloaded criminal justice system in Uncle Sam’s yard.
The Copper Sting went well. In response to various nefarious characters tearing up air conditioners and buildings to steal the copper, a truck was loaded with copper tubing and coil and placed in area of the recent copper thefts in East Precinct. Arrested for the thefts were Eric O. Spencer and Douglas E. Jenkins. East Precinct detectives responded to interview them at the time of this report. Over a two day time period, several arrests were made. One of the prospectors arrested was Steven A. Kearse, who descended upon the precious metal within eight minutes of it being placed. Mr. Kearse has 107 priors, indicating that, at the least, the police have done a terrific job in intervening in his life. Floyd Batts, sporting a mere 29 charges in his arrest history, was also arrested while trying to steal the copper. However, Mr. Batts has a history of weapons and violence. Dedrick Butler was wearing his ankle bracelet monitor when he was arrested. He wears it because he’s a convicted rapist. Finally, Emmitt Johnson, Elisha Simmons and James Pullen were also stung, but they’re neophytes, as they have but 75 charges between the three of them. Problem locations such as 500 Main Street, 7th & Main St., 5th & Woodland, 1 st & Victory, and Davidson & Lenore Street were targeted. There will be ongoing efforts in these areas.
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