Poverty, Income Inequality, and Community Crime Rates Research Paper

Poverty, Income Inequality, and Community Crime Rates - Research Paper Example From the essay it is clear that increased rates of violent crime and burglary in the United States have raised questions about their association with the aggregate economic condition. Rising crime rates during the current time of economic uncertainty have exacerbated an already difficult situation for societies across the United States. In the early 1970s and late 1980s, a range of important literature reviews failed to arrive at a clear consensus regarding the association between income inequality in various states and violent crime. The majority of researchers chose to focus on the link between crime and selected social aspects, while others examined the impact of the rate of inflation. The U.S. Congress has also expressed concern over this issue and directed funding toward a number of federal programs that provide support to local and state law enforcement agencies. This shows clearly the impact of income on crime. This discussion highlights that the United Nations Global Pulse initiative cautions that world leaders must closely monitor indications of rising social tension and crime in their countries in the context of negative economic situations, and particularly vulnerable populations experiencing high levels of inequality. This assertion relies on the premise that offenders and victims of crime are vulnerable groups that have a likelihood of increasing in size during tough economic conditions, especially in areas with poor income distribution. In times of economic crisis, large numbers of citizens may undergo severe, or even sudden, income reductions.