Selected Richmond, VA

Select a city you have visited or resided in (or the nearest major metropolitan area).

Research background information on your city of choice, including demographics, the economic and job outlook, cost of living, and any other information you think may be relevant to crime.

Research two index crimes—one against persons and the other against property—using one of the following websites, then answer the questions below.

• Bureau of Justice Statistics
• The FBI
• The National Criminal Justice Reference Service

1. What are the crime patterns in the city?  How do your two crimes figure into this pattern?

2. How have crime patterns changed in the city over time?

2. What efforts are being made to combat these crimes?

4. In what ways do these patterns or changes in patterns map to any major social, political, or economic changes in the city or in society at large?