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It's not murder that now seems more common in my neighborhood. It's property crime. Vandalism, litering, etc. The media doesn't report on this stuff so much. The perception of a trend comes primarily from my own observations.

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If homicides are down by a single person, it would take an awful lot of littering and vandalism before I said crime went up.

I agree that all crime is something to be concerned about, and that minor crimes are easier to sweep under the rug with creative record keeping. But let's also keep in mind what's really important.

Property crime is the most visible and common sort of crime, and it's the sort of crime that has personally impacted me and my friends more than any other sort (I've been the victim of violent crime once, but the victim of property crime more times than I could ever remember.) I think for most people in normal situations, losing sleep over fear of murder is irrational. But concern about property crime is totally rational. It's the difference between a lightning strike and a termite infestation. One is certainly a lot more dramatic than the other, but which is more likely to actually visit your home?

>But let's also keep in mind what's really important.

Because of the factors mentioned above, I think I'm doing that.

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