A World Tour of Crime
Although it might not seem like it if you watch television news networks, it appears that crime has been on the decline both in the US and around the world for the last several years. Nevertheless, certain types of crime show no signs of slowing down, and many have in fact become more widespread due to technological innovations. The following tour offers a survey of ten nations and the crime that is most pervasive or notorious within their borders.
United States: Car Theft
For over 100 years the automobile has stood as a symbol of American innovation, freedom and prosperity. It is no surprise then, that it is the target of one of the most ubiquitous crimes in the United States . A car was stolen every 23 seconds in 1996 according to the FBI's crime report. Auto theft rates rose steadily in the late 1980s, peaking at over 20 thefts per 1,000 households, but have dropped to less than half that in the 2000s. Despite this progress towards relative safety, the United States continues to be one of the most dangerous places in the world for unattended cars.
Colombia: Murder
The United States is typically at or near the top of lists of crime rates in industrialized nations, but is rarely in the top ten globally, even in crimes where we have a particularly bad rap (such as gun crimes). With regard to murder rates, for example, Colombia tops the list with a rate of 6.1 per 10,000 people, well beyond the United States ' rate of 5.4. Colombia has an international reputation for its extensive drug-trafficking networks, which undoubtedly play a role in the record-high murder rate. Violent crime in general has been on the rise due to widespread poverty, primarily affecting affluent tourists in urban areas.
Denmark: Burglary
Denmark has seen a dramatic rise in burglary rates in recent years, with a 51.3% increase from 1995 to 2000, and continued rises in recent years. In 2000 alone, a burglary was reported in 1,868 of every 100,000 households, one of the highest rates in developed nations worldwide. The ensuing panic has led many homeowners to invest in a “panic room,” an impenetrable hideaway where the victimized family can retreat until help arrives. Security companies have capitalized on this increased demand, charging upwards of $30,000 kroner ($5,200 US Dollars), a small price to pay for peace of mind in one of the world's worst nations for home burglary.
Ukraine: Organized Crime
For many countries in Eastern Europe , the fall of the Soviet Union meant replacing a foreign corrupt government with a local one. Such is the case with modern Ukraine , which boasts one of the largest and most powerful organized crime networks in the world. Political exposés have revealed that everyone from bankers to public officials to law enforcement officers are involved in illegal operations that include money laundering, extortion, fraud and information sharing. These and other practices earn Ukraine a spot near the bottom of Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index, at 70 th out of 85.
Nigeria: Fraud
If you have an e-mail account, chances are you've received at least one message in the past year from an unfamiliar address, in which the sender claims to be a Nigerian government official seeking your assistance in moving a large sum of money out of the country (for which he will reward you handsomely). Hopefully, you immediately realized that it was a “4-1-9 scam” (named after section 4-1-9 of the Nigerian Penal Code which relates to fraudulent schemes) and deleted it without a second thought. Enough gullible people have failed to see through the scam, however, that the 4-1-9 letter has become Nigeria's third-largest industry and a constant headache for the U.S. State Department, as “investors” looking to claim their money are usually imprisoned and extorted immediately after setting foot on Nigerian soil.
United Kingdom: Violent Crime
If asked who the most violent people in Europe , few people would be likely to list the British among the guilty nations. But official crime reports put the UK at the top of the heap with over one million violent crimes committed in 2008, a rate of 2,034 per 100,000 residents. Violent crimes have risen 77% in the last decade, leading politicians and public officials to push for neighborhood watch and early intervention programs to deter criminal behavior. The UK also has the second-highest overall crime rate in the European Union and the fourth-highest burglary rate.
China: Software Piracy
Although American corporate executives might lead you to believe otherwise, the United States actually has one of the lowest software piracy rates in the world at about 20%. On the other end of the spectrum is China, whose losses due to software piracy total to about six billion dollars, hundreds of times greater the global average. The news isn't all bad for software executives, however: the spread of pirated copies of the Windows Operating System in Eastern Europe and China gave Microsoft a massive market share that Bill Gates and company optimistically predict will eventually generate revenue once the users “go legit.”
Mexico: Drug Trafficking
While the current debate over the porous US-Mexico border centers on illegal aliens, by a long shot the most commonly smuggled goods are marijuana, cocaine, and other illegal narcotics and amphetamines. A 2007 congressional report on Mexico 's drug cartels reported that they control the majority of the illicit drug market in the United States —for example, an estimated 90% of cocaine that enters the US passes through Mexican territory, as well as the majority of imported marijuana. The Mexican government is aware of no less than seven major Mexican drug cartels concentrated mainly in the country's urban areas such as Tijuana and Mexico City, who work with prison and street gangs to distribute the drugs to American markets.
Sudan and Burma: Human Trafficking
While illegal drug trafficking is a serious health and safety issue, an even more harmful trade continues to plague underdeveloped nations: the selling and trading of child and adult slaves for the purposes of forced labor or prostitution. Unending civil war in regions such as Sudan and Burma has led to the recruitment of child soldiers as combatants, spies, and sex slaves. While it is exceedingly difficult to track down and arrest the rebel militants who oversee this trade, there have been successes: in 2006, the Congolese government turned rebel leader Thomas Lubanga over to the International Criminal Court to be tried for crimes including the recruitment of child soldiers under the age of fifteen.
Sources: Nationmaster, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Crime Doctor, Travel.State.Gov, IceNews, The World Bank, FBI, Quantloos, The Daily Mail, Softpedia, CNET, CNN.
