iPods and media players increase crime rate?
By Arnold Zafra
Washington Think Tank, Urban Institute, is blaming the increase in U.S. crime rate in 2005-2006 on the proliferation of iPods and other portable media devices. Although the Institute did not directly blame Apple and the manufacturers of media players, it however suggested that they should have installed some mechanism that would make iPods and media players useless when stolen.
The report pointed out that prior to the popularity of iPods and portable media players, the crime rate in the U.S. has been declining. This trend reversed in 2005 and 2006, exactly the same time when iPods and media players gained massive popularity. The report argued that the gadgets’ tantalizing appearance and, and the ease with which they can be stolen, makes the gadgets a prime target of criminals.
Likewise, the study also pointed out that the craving to own the gadgets, especially among young ones, had resulted to in crimes being committed against gadget owners. The Juvenile crime rate increased during what the Urban Institute called the "iCrime Wave"
Although the Urban Institute’s findings may seem valid, Jack McDevitt, associate dean at Northeastern University’s College of Criminal Justice said he would not want to attribute the increase in crime rate to iPods and other media players. McDevitt pointed out that despite evidence that cell phones, iPods, GPS systems were targeted for theft, there was still no actual research that actually proved that this what was driving the crime wave..
"I guess I could sort of understand and buy that in a very narrow place, in a short period of time — a short spike for a few months, But to suggest that that’s driving the crime numbers in any major way, I don’t think so," says McDevitt.
I’m afraid I would have to agree with McDevitt, a theft is a theft and would still be committed no matter what the target might be. The iPod and other media devices just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time.
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