Brighter Side of Economic Doom

Tony Pugh of McClatchey News Service filed this report early yesterday about the quickly escalating crime rates that always accompany hard times. Ironically, as bad times drive crime rates up, local governments are pressured to cut back on police protection, street lighting, etc.

The fewer cops on the beat and the darker your neighborhood, the more you are likely to be burgled. It's a vicious cycle.

Not to be missed, however, is the brighter side of economic doom. The more people lose their jobs, the more they tend to hole up at home. This leads California sociology professor Lawrence E. Cohen to observe:

"The more that people stay in their homes, the less likely they are to experience break-ins, since most thieves prefer to attack unoccupied dwellings."

Most thieves "prefer" unoccupied homes? That must be what passes for good news, these days.