Where have all the burglars gone? And a Woman Warrior Passes

An article in the July 19, 2013 online edition of the Economist notes that police records and surveys of victims across Europe and North America show crime against the person and against property falling over the past ten years.  Even falling dramatically.

 In America the fall began around 1991; in Britain it began around 1995, though the murder rate followed only in the mid-2000s. In France, property crime rose until 2001—but it has fallen by a third since. Some crimes are all but disappearing. In 1997, some 400,000 cars were reported stolen in England and Wales: in 2012, just 86,000.

 Why?  The experts are divided in explaining the decline, but it appears to be a combination of better policing, better  awareness of crime prevention by the population, and certain demographic changes.

 To read the entire Economist Article:  Falling crime

Looking for a woman war hero to write about or fictionalize?  In the same issue of the economist is the story of fighter pilot Nadia Popova, a true woman war hero who flew over eight hundred sorties against German positions on the Russian front during WWII.  Even if historical or war fiction isn't your genre', it's a fascinating story of a brave warrior who just happened to look like a Hollywood starlet.  Fascinating stuff.


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