In fairness, social data is just as tricky as any other kind of data (even if sociology is a "soft science").
First of all, lower crime rates doesn't necessarily mean that less crime is happening. It means that less crime is getting reported. There is a huge difference. For instance, you may notice that crime rates in Britain skyrocketed the same year they passed a handgun ban. As it turns out, they also switched to a more accurate crime reporting system that same year which caused the spike.
Secondly, crime rates are difficult to analyze. Saying "crime is going down" is like saying "sickness is going down". There are lots of different kinds of crime with lots of different motivations behind each, and those kinds of broad generalizations are rarely useful.
So while I do feel that the media is playing games with the American public, I also can't blame the public for not being more educated on crime rates.
First of all, lower crime rates doesn't necessarily mean that less crime is happening. It means that less crime is getting reported. There is a huge difference. For instance, you may notice that crime rates in Britain skyrocketed the same year they passed a handgun ban. As it turns out, they also switched to a more accurate crime reporting system that same year which caused the spike.
Secondly, crime rates are difficult to analyze. Saying "crime is going down" is like saying "sickness is going down". There are lots of different kinds of crime with lots of different motivations behind each, and those kinds of broad generalizations are rarely useful.
So while I do feel that the media is playing games with the American public, I also can't blame the public for not being more educated on crime rates.