Ten myths about crooks and cops

Ten myths about crooks and cops

The public is bombarded every day with information about crime and criminal justice. Most of the information is either a distortion of reality or simply false. There are literally dozens of myths propagated about this particular subject, far too many for a short column. So I thought I would share ten of the most common.

Myth 1 - The insanity defense allows dangerous offenders to go free or get light sentences.

Fact: The way this issue is so often portrayed (especially by politicians during an election year or when one case makes the headlines) you=d think it is an everyday occurrence. The fact is that there are only about 300 insanity pleas each year in the country, which amounts to less than 1% of all felony cases filed. Most of those who are successful at this plea (and many are not) end up spending the rest of their life in some kind of institution, which is hardly a light sentence.

Myth 2 - Programs like boot camps, Scared Straight and D.A.R.E. are effective at reducing crime.

Fact: Literally none of the research on these and similar simplistic programs has proven that they are effective. In some cases, it has been found that program participants do worse.

Myth 3 - Many criminals get off on "technicalities" such as the "exclusionary rule."

Fact: The exclusionary rule (evidence gather illegally cannot be used in court) is rarely applied (less than 3% of all felony cases) and mostly in drug cases.

Myth 4 - More police result in less crime.

Fact: This is one of the oldest myths and one that is constantly used, especially when police departments are seeking more funding. There is virtually no correlation between the number of police officers on a force and the rate of crime in an area. In fact, some studies have found just the opposite to be true, that more police equals more crime (among other reasons, because the more police you have the more arrests are made). As a corollary, quicker police response time bears no relationship to the crime rate.

Myth 5 - Most of those in jail are violent and dangerous offenders.

Fact: This is especially popular when local officials argue for more jail space (as they did in the most recent jail bond referendum in Clark County), despite the fact that the overwhelming majority of those sitting in jail at any given time are either minor offenders (charged with misdemeanors) or property offenders. Incidentally, it should be pointed out that the majority of those in jail are merely charged with a crime and are awaiting their court appearance. If they had any money or property, they would be released.

Myth 6 - "Three-Strikes and You're Out" and other "habitual offender" laws have reduced crime.

Fact: Research shows that there is no relationship between such laws and the crime rate. In the case of "Three Strikes" laws, the majority of those sent to prison have not committed a violent crime (this law was intended by its supporters to attack violent crime). Such laws make good election-year slogans, but do nothing to protect the public.

Myth 7 - Most criminal cases end up going before a jury.

Fact: Less than 10% of all felony cases end up in a jury trial. The O.J. Simpson and similar cases are the exception, rather than the rule - which is why they make the headlines. The vast majority of cases are quickly processed via a guilty plea.

Myth 8 - The death penalty acts as a deterrent to murder.

Fact: Over 50 years of research has found no relationship between the death penalty and murder rates or crime in general. Yet the majority of Americans steadfastly continue to support this penalty. (Incidentally, we share this penalty with several Third World dictatorships, while most democratic societies have long-ago abandoned this practice.)

Myth 9 - More severe penalties (such as longer terms in prison) will reduce crime.

Fact: Our crime rate (especially violent crime) is higher than any other industrialized democracy, and so is our rate of imprisonment and, by the way, the average length of sentence. In short, longer sentences do not result in a drop in crime. (For those who will immediately cite the recent drop in crime, I should add that during the past decade the rise in imprisonment has paralleled an almost equally high increase in the rate of those granted probation and other alternative sentencing. The greatest contributor to the rise in prison sentences has - you guessed it - been for drug offenses.)

Fact: It always seems to be the younger generation that receives the brunt of blame for society's ills. The fact is that for all times the bulk of the most serious crimes have been committed by adults. Think for a moment about all the serial killers, including the crimes of Timothy McVeigh and others, plus the Holocaust and similar forms of genocide, then think of all the horrible corporate and white collar crimes. By comparison, kids are relatively crime-free. In fact, during the 1990s the fastest growing crime rates have been among adults, not kids.

Data supporting these and other myths can be found in any standard criminal justice or criminology textbook at most libraries. But our elected officials, including criminal justice officials, don=t want you to know the facts. It might reduce their already bloated bureaucracies.

An excellent source that discusses these and other myths is V. E. Kappeler, M. Blumberg and G. W. Potter. 1996. The Mythology of Crime and Criminal Justice (2^nd ed.). Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland Press.