Heat Crime Rate

@AidaLily (1450)
United States
May 8, 2012 1:19pm CST
Has anyone else noticed that crime rates seem to go up in the summer? Just this past week in my area which is usually quiet and peaceful with maybe one or two crimes happening on a huge scale -- there has been two girl shot at or may have been shot in a playground, three police cars at a house two streets down and what sounded like a lot of gunfire, and so on. I am wondering why there only seems to be crimes committed in the summer. I would say the heat, but if you are really ok with murdering someone why wait until summer when there are more people around and its easier to get caught? I am not condoning murder or agreeing with it, but I am trying to understand the minds of these criminals. Heat can make you irritated and angry but angry enough to kill someone?
3 responses
@megamatt (14292)
• United States
8 May 12
Well I do think that you are going to really have a point right about that fact. The crime rate does rather go up in the summer. It is just a lot easier to really just move around and really commit the crimes then trudging right through snow and ice to try and commit those crimes. Plus going right through the snow and the ice, is going to really be a huge problem. Of course, I think that the nice weather does mean that there will not be that many people at home or around the neighborhood. Or at least in most areas. Of course that is really not something that is completely assured right during these days, due to less people going out, because of the economy. I don't know if the heat has much to do with it, it is just the fact that it is actually easier to cover yourself when you aren't leaving tracks. Plus I doubt many criminals would want to go through the bitter cold either.
• Canada
8 May 12
I think anything is easier to do in the summer time, even crimes. In the winter time it would be hard to get away from the crime scene because of the snow on the ground and it would be hard to run really fast in winter gear. Crimes could happen in winter time too though. The heat really has nothing to do with it. Heat wouldn't really irritate anyone enough for them to go and kill someone. You could always turn on the air conditioning and eat some ice cream.
• United States
8 May 12
Crimes go up in the summer because of a couple of reasons. One is because the sun is up later so people are out later doing activities and more things happen. Also, people are more active when summer arrives..including criminals. Finally, when it is real hot, people get kind of crazy and will do anything to feel better. This leads to people sneaking into cool movie theaters, the pool, stealing ice cream...etc.