Summertime is crime time
Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional kick-off for yet another season
of… you guessed it… crime. Oh, you didn’t guess it? Well crime, like many
other human pursuits is seasonal, and historically Memorial Day weekend is
the opening of the season for crime in the United States.
No one really knows for sure why this is the case. It could be that in the
winter, fewer victims venture out. It could be that winter weather
conditions make the successful execution of a crime more difficult.
On the other hand, it could be that when it warms up, more victims are
available on the streets for longer periods of times — especially at night. It
could be that more windows are left open. It could be that more people are
on vacation and not paying attention to their security while at play. It
could be that those same vacationers left their vacant houses vulnerable to
burglars. It could be a lot of things.
Whatever the reason, FBI reports show that the rate of crime bottoms out in
January and February. In March it begins to increase and by June the crime
rate rises above the national monthly average. It then continues to rise,
peaking in August. In September the crime rate begins to slow, then repeats
the cycle.
This cycle almost perfectly matches the traveling pattern of U.S.
vacationers who, to no one’s surprise, tend to travel most heavily in the
summer months. According the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over
a third of all vacation travel takes place in the quarter of the year that
includes the months of July, August, and September. Are the yearly cycles of
crime and vacation traveling coincidental? It seems unlikely.
And with over 100 million Americans vacationing in the United States, plus
millions more coming from overseas this summer on holiday, this should turn
out to be another good season for American criminals.
If you are a typical American vacationer, your risk of becoming a crime
victim increases. Starting now.
Have a nice trip.