We always hear about the high US crime rates. However, it appears we fare better than some developed nations.

[From Interpol's Crime Statistics]
CRIME RATES PER 100,000 Population:
Murder:
US 5.61
UK 1.63
Japan 1.05
S. Africa 114.84
Sweden 10.01

Rape:
US 31.77
UK 16.50
Japan 1.75 (What's the frikkin secret -- anime porn?)
S. Africa 121.13
Sweden 23.39

Serious Assault:
US 318.55
UK 30.07
Japan 26.68
S. Africa 597.74
Sweden 667.42

Robbery/Violent Theft:
US 148.50
UK 182.69
Japan 5.02 (again, what IS their frikking secret?)
S. Africa 468.87
Sweden 95.83

Burglary:
US 740.80
UK 1,605.14 (lack of guns doesn't deter burglary, it seems)
Japan 238.59
S. Africa 883.83
Sweden 1,323.90 (maybe burglars try to escape the cold)

Auto Theft:
US 430.64
UK 650.47 (can cars so small be worth so much?)
Japan 49.71 (perhaps due to a low rate of car ownership?)
S. Africa 221.01 (is there a lack of car-owners? -- all their other stats are WAY UP)
Sweden 495.21 (imagine all the stolen Saabs)

[ 10-27-2003, 02:09 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

Timber - is this going to one of those threads where you start a circular argument the bemoan the fact that it goes in a circle?

[ 10-27-2003, 04:40 AM: Message edited by: Donut ]

Timber - is this going to one of those threads where you start a circular argument the bemoan the fact that it goes in a circle? </font>[/QUOTE]Gun controle *is* a factor to be sure - but there are others.

For example, there is no '3 strikes and your out' policy and there's no death penalty in the UK. So robbers are not likely to kill to avoid their fourth conviction, and 'murderers on the run' are less likely to kill to avoid capture...

You know, Mondays are hard enough without those people who are simply aiming to piss you off.

Your parenthetical comment may have some validity, btw, but please do a better job of setting it off from my stuff.

[ 10-27-2003, 09:36 AM: Message edited by: Timber Loftis ]

You know, Mondays are hard enough without those people who are simply aiming to piss you off.

Your parenthetical comment may have some validity, btw, but please do a better job of setting it off from my stuff. </font>[/QUOTE]Timber - how could you think such a thing?! ;)

I agree about the offsetting though. I did make an effort by italicising it.

Umm, according to this
http://www.interpol.int/Public/Stati...sweden2001.pdf
the murder rate in Sweden is 1.87. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Yep, if I'm reading that correctly, that is what it says. Now why would the Chicago magazine dream up another number and then write an article about it? These are raw statistics. One is right and one is not. How to reconcile?

Interpol error and over reporting of homicides in Sweden. I understand they included murders committed abroard that were reported in Sweden. Also, if a case involved two murders they counted two murders for each victim. i.e 2 murders were counted as 4.

Bizarre!

In 14% of burglaries in the USA guns were the only thing stolen! :D

Mind telling me how you found this out? If you've got a link perhaps I can let the folks at the magazine know of their error.