Examining the decreasing Capital Region crime rate from the view of the police |
CAPITAL REGION — Fulton County Sheriff Richard Giardino made an interesting, and entirely valid, point when he and I discussed a 58% drop in crime over 15 years: The odds you may be a victim of a crime may be 1 in 10,000, but if you’re that one, the odds are 1 in 1.
And no matter who you are, that’s a pretty bad day.
None of the sheriffs or police chiefs I spoke to — Giardino, Johnstown Chief Dave Gilbo, Gloversville Chief Michael Garavelli and Amsterdam Chief Joseph Spencer — could give a clear, succinct answer about why crime is falling.
In fact, none of the chiefs my colleagues spoke with in Saratoga or Schenectady counties could, either. Some were even surprised to hear it’s dropping, although the declines in the Greater Capital Region reflect a larger, national trend that goes back to 1991.
Even the disinterested experts at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice couldn’t provide much guidance. So what’s going on?
Of course, many other factors play into the decline: the increased number and capability of public and private video........