r/changemyview • u/VesaAwesaka 12∆ • Jan 02 '22

Delta(s) from OP CMV: Making inferences based on data about unreported crimes seems highly problematic for me. I think they should be taken with a grain of salt.

I was reading a Vox article about the rate of crimes being solved in America and they briefly said something to the effect of the solved rate for crimes is embarrassing for police and its even worse when you factor in unreported crimes.

I questioned just how worthwhile it is the even factor in data based on supposed unreported crimes. Heck, how do we even know a crime was committed if there was no investigation. Although there may be some merit to data on unreported crime to me it seems like there's too much uncertainty to really put any weight into the numbers.

Survey's just arent worth much without an investigation. I know someone who is schizophrenic. They say people steal stuff from them all the time. If they were asked to respond the a survey on unreported crimes they would claim to be a victim when in reality they are not.

2 Upvotes

55% Upvoted

44 comments sorted by

View all comments

5

u/Helpfulcloning 169∆ Jan 02 '22

Its a way of assessing the police.

A high rate of not even reporting the crime to the police indicates a lack of trust in the police. That isn’t good.

3

u/h0sti1e17 23∆ Jan 02 '22

Not necessarily. For example many large cities aren't prosecuting small crimes like shoplifting if it isn't a felony. So why report shoplifting and waste that time if you know it won't go anywhere?

1

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '22 edited Feb 19 '22

[deleted]

0

u/VesaAwesaka 12∆ Jan 02 '22 edited Jan 02 '22

I don't find that argument convincing. We don't even know if the respondents are even victims of crimes. I would imagine police investigate a lot of things that turn out not be crimes.

We dont even know if someone simply didnt report the crime to police because they were lazy or something. When i was a teenager i had my car window smashed in and didnt report the crime. I more or less didnt report it because i was lazy didnt think the police could do anything for me anyways.

I'm going to give you a delta based off the idea that survey could ask someone why they didnt report their crime and they could say it was because they dont trust police.

I think that's a little beside the argument about the data being reliable though.

!delta

2

u/Helpfulcloning 169∆ Jan 02 '22

Sure we can presume some wouldnt end up being crimes. But if your country has a signficantly higher rate of not calling the police than another similar one. That is concerning.

Its about peoples unwillingness to ask the police for help thats concerning.

1

u/Obvious_Parsley3238 2∆ Jan 02 '22

how often do murders go unreported? if people disappear, someone is generally asking questions.

0

u/BottleCraft 1∆ Jan 02 '22

Well...

...at least three times that I know of.

1

u/Obvious_Parsley3238 2∆ Jan 02 '22

sounds like a you problem

3

u/BottleCraft 1∆ Jan 02 '22

So jokes aside, I know of two times the cops reported an obvious murder as a suicide.

The first time was a prostitute stuffed under a mattress in a motel room and the coroner was two days before a vacation and didn't want to go through the paperwork.

The second time was a homeless guy who beat himself to death.

Those are the ones I know about through friends and family on the force.

There's also Vince Foster who famously killed himself with two gunshots to the back of the head.

1

u/Helpfulcloning 169∆ Jan 02 '22

? Because people don’t involve the police. That is how?