Crime in Maine

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by Sikaranista

Couple of thoughts...in addition to what has been said.

Unfortunately, the FBI crime statistics are based on arrests. Its as good of a metric as any....but stats do not reflect the crimes for which there are no arrests. If two scumbags down the street have had a meth lab for 6 months, and no one has been arrested...statistically, the drug crimes there did not happen.

Likewise, if a group of usually late-teen to early 20 something men decide to beat the snot out of each other (for some particular reason or another) at a local park after midnight, the chances are pretty good that those won't be reported either.

If they decide to roll someone else, then yes, the police will be notified and it will be reported. Otherwise, not a chance unless they seek medical care - in which case, medical workers are legally bound to report it.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by Revi

This weekend a very rare event happened in Portland. Three thugs beat a guy to death in Monument Square. Violent crime is actually very low in Maine, but there is a rising rate of crime in many Maine towns and cities.

I think some kind of neighborhood policing is needed, or some kind of a model that puts cops on the streets more, and out of their cars in the downtown areas.

As everyone knows by the now, the guy punched him once, and the victim fell and hit his head. Does that make the situation any better? No, but it is not like the guy repeatedly stomped on his head after he was knocked down. One punch, and the guy ran.

Beat cops could be a good idea, but one thing I have noticed about the Portland PD is that they seem more concerned with doing nothing than doing something.

I work in the Old Port, usually until closing time, and I see fights all the time. Usually it's just two or three college kids too drunk and acting tough, but it does happen more often then people think. At least once a week or so. Some co-workers where in a pizza-by-slice place in the Old Port and some dude pulled a knife on them. According to them, the guy did not seem 'quite right' like he was schizophrenic or something (the guy accused them of saying something to him). He was tackled by the cops a few moments later.

Originally Posted by Northern Maine Land Man

Check by county, MW.

The solution to crime prevention is threat assessment by potential victims and personal protection. I can be cameras, lighting. improved physical security such as locks and, yes, carrying a concealed weapon. It is not the police department's job to prevent crimes. It is their job to arrest the perp after the crime is committed. It is the citizen's job to prevent crime. Choose not be be a victim.

By the way; According to the FBI, Maine is the safest state.

There are two types of criminals; those that do crime by convenience and tend to make up the bulk of criminals. Yes, the risk of getting caught would be a deterrent to most of this type since they are looking for crimes of opportunity (unlocked car doors, people not paying attention, someone walking alone at night on a dark street, etc.). They other type are the more brazen, those whose criminal tendencies can be linked to a possible mental disorder such as being a pyromaniac or klepto. These people look for the challenge of getting around security systems, or just don't give a f**k all together.

And, for statistics, New Hampshire claims that the FBI says that they are the safest.

Either way, Maine is largely populated by an older crowd, which is more than likely why there are such small amounts of aggressive crimes in this state.

Originally Posted by Mark S.

A rise in property crime usually results from two things:

--) An influx of drug use in the area. Users steal to finance the habit.

--) Hard economic times. When faced with a possibility of their kid going hungry or swiping a neighbor's TV, sometimes even good people get desperate enough to steal.

In Maine, the latter certainly happens and has probably increased over the past couple of years, but I suspect that most property crime is due to rising drug use.

I agree, and it seems to me that the elephant in the room that Mainers would rather ignore is the drug problem in this state (or, at the very least, Maine's obsession with Allen's, which to my understanding, seems to be associated with a good number of crimes in this state).

The amount of 'poverty' does not seem to help, either.

Originally Posted by AliceT

Rule #1
If you live in a safe - or nearly crime free - area, do not broadcast the location or name the town in such places as internet forums. Bad guys read forums, too and they just love personal testimonies about keys left cars and doors left unlocked.

Rule #2
Loose lips sink ships. In other words, see rule #1

I often wondered why so many Mainers love to brag about how safe, pretty, serene, etc. the state is when all that is going to do is attract more and more people to the state. The more new comers, the more problems that are brought in. The number of people on this forum how are looking to move to Maine, of just curious about it, seems to have increased 10 fold since I joined CD in 2007.

Originally Posted by reloop

I think we need to put more teeth into sentencing. When it is possible to receive more time for jacking a deer out of season than for killing your spouse, something is very wrong IMO.

As someone who was born and raised in California, I can tell you that 'tough' sentencing does not work. Prisons become overcrowded, criminals find loop-holes in the laws to exploit, etc.

You know what would be a deterrent; public humiliation.

Originally Posted by Sikaranista

Couple of thoughts...in addition to what has been said.

Unfortunately, the FBI crime statistics are based on arrests. Its as good of a metric as any....but stats do not reflect the crimes for which there are no arrests. If two scumbags down the street have had a meth lab for 6 months, and no one has been arrested...statistically, the drug crimes there did not happen.

This is an excellent comment. Crimes only enter into the statistics if they are reported. 100 women could be raped, but if only one came forth, then only 1 rape would be recorded into the statistics. Same with assaults and burglaries, etc. A lot of crime does not get reported, especially if the victim knows the perp. They'll just handle it themselves.

I don't know about the rest of Maine, but Portland has a lot of crime. Not really aggressive crime, per se, but things like drug dealing and prostitution.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

K-luv, Public humiliation can only work if the criminal actually has a conscience.

-break-

A lot of crime is settled locally with no "authorities" becoming involved. The perp just has to leave town. I mean he HAS to leave town.