Comment: “It’s all so complex” is the go-to excuse for not noticing the obvious.
“Crime rose 23 percent in Orange County last year – the greatest single-year jump in at least a decade – with the steepest increases coming in stolen vehicles, aggravated assaults, theft and burglaries, according to law enforcement records compiled by The Orange County Register.
…
Many Orange County police officials blame the surge on a state law they say makes it difficult to keep drug addicts and other low-level offenders locked up, leaving them on the streets to repeat the same crimes and steal to feed their addictions.
Criminologists say that link is speculative, at best, and has not been supported by research of the complex variables that may affect crime rates. They also warn against faulting a major criminal justice initiative before its effects have been fully evaluated.
But even as they urge restraint in drawing conclusions about the causes, academics concede something is driving up crime throughout California, which saw a 13 percent increase in property crime and a 9 percent rise in violent crime in the first half of last year, according to FBI data.”
