National Crime Problems? Find Scapegoats. . . Or Up Social Spending?

A group of pigtailed Black preschoolers jam onto a swing
Outdoor play. Nice to have, even better if it's a crimebusting program.

When it comes to finding scapegoats for rising crime, America is hardly alone in demonizing the poor and vulnerable. Still, it’s success over decades in pointing the finger towards thousands upon thousands of innocent public housing occupants surely stands out as a world class example of scapegoating.

Now trending on the hit parade are the homeless. To many Americans as well as the country’s local governments, it’s both practical and convenient to characterize tent encampments as all-night drug-fuelled parties by the irresponsible, instead of last resort homes for those unable to find better shelter.

De-housing public housing poor, sweeping tent encampments away, criminalizing poverty — all are seemingly inexpensive ways to tackle America’s latest crime wave.

But wait a moment. Is there one? A crime wave? An article in The Nation dares to suggest that this supposed story of increasing crime is largely a scare tactic for a political party selling a ‘tough on crime’ message.

Not only is The Nation questioning the legitimacy of a so-called crime wave, it is proposing that criminalization, accompanied by care and feeding of a criminal class (via incarceration) is a poor economic bargain.

Instead, it takes a detailed look at positive results that other countries have had in reducing crime by increasing the funding a number of important social programs.

Read more in The Nation: So You Want to Reduce Crime?