100 year old WW2 veteran: "the sacrifice wasn't worth the result of what it is now"

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Doctor_MG said:

Unfortunately, the statistics don't tell the whole story. A portion of the reason crime rates have dropped dramatically is the reduction in applying criminality in some major cities to things that were traditionally criminal. 

I can't speak to how much crime rates have decreased as a function of this, of course. However, when you look at major cities in America you see large homeless encampments, huge swaths of drug users in the streets, certain crimes like shoplifting aren't as penalized (if at all), etc. 

It could very well be that crime rates have still decreased even when accounting for all of this, but, personally, I think the decrease is more likely a shift from the "tough on crime" mindset. Which could be a good or bad thing depending on how you look at it. 

This wouldn't explain why murder rates have declined, considerably as well. The U.S is down to pre-boomer levels. 

Much of it can be explained by an aging population + reduced lead poisoning rates, is my guess. 

Although the youth culture is also a lot less "bad." Teen pregnancies are down considerably, drug and alcohol usage is down, etc. 

Of course on the other-hand there is a lot more depression, social alienation, and anomie.