According to an annual crime report released by the FBI, there has been a substantial decline in both property and violent crimes across the nation. Most noteworthy is data revealing that America's biggest cities are seeing greater declines in burglaries, car thefts, murder, robbery, and assault. Big cities, stereotypically perceived as crime-ridden and violent are safer then ever before. The FBI's findings are surprising criminologists because they contradict the notion that crime rises with unemployment. A population shift back to the city has helped to change the urban crime landscape,
"one factor frequently cited by criminologists is demographics. Crimes are more likely to be committed by young people, so the crime rate drops when the cohort of young people shrinks, as it has in the past few years. Better policing surely helps too, as has urban revitalization, which is bringing relatively prosperous singles, couples, families, and empty nesters into neighborhoods that had been in decline in years past, improving neighborhood quality and safety."
