History of Crime
Did you know that crime is an illegal act that could result in punishment? Did you know that crime rates in poverty-stricken areas are typically higher, for example, some people may resort to crime because they dont have the financial resources to survive? Some people commit criminal activity because of revenge, they sometimes just like the thrill of committing a crime. Lets describe some of the crimes that had been committed around the world such as cybercrime and hate crime thats being committed in the United States and around the world and come up with a resolution to stop criminal activities.
Cybercrime
The internet has given criminals a whole new way to exploit businesses and individuals for their own personal gain. Cybercrime can be defined as criminal activities performed via a computer and the internet. A 2019 report by the Herjavec Group found that cybercrime could cost the global economy upwards of $6 trillion annually by 2021 — one-third of the U.S. gross domestic product. The report calls cybercrime the greatest threat to every company in the world,” pointing to the data breaches suffered by Marriott, Yahoo, and Equifax, which exposed more than a billion peoples data to scammers and hackers.
There are four types of cybercrime: Identity theft, computer hacking, fraud and online predation. Each cybercrime are equally destructive and have caused harm to many. Identity theft involves stealing important information related to a person, such as ones credit card information, Social Security card, or drivers license. The stolen information is misused to open credit card accounts. Computer hacking: Stealing important information related to a person, such as ones credit card information, Social Security card, or drivers license. Fraud: Any form of financial criminal activity performed through deceit. Online predation: Deceiving children and others into unsolicited and illegal sexual encounters.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the main federal agency for dealing with online threats such as hacking, terrorism, identity theft, harassment, and similar crimes perpetrated on a large scale or affecting large groups of people. Cybercrime is harder to litigate because the hackers could be your next door neighbor or in another part of the world. It is very important to shred important documents, close inactive accounts, do not open spam mail, be careful with whom you give your personal information too, place security notifications on your bank
accounts, and secure personal documents in a fireproof safe. These are some other things we can do to keep ourselves safe from cybercrime
Hate crimes
I believe that the history of hate crimes in America dates back to when our ancestors were brought to America as slaves. We were subjected to abuse as enslaved people at the hands of slave owners and their overseers. The passage of The 13th Amendment, ratified in 1865, says: Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction”(history.com Editors, 2010) But with the passage of the 13 th Amendment , the Southern States instituted the Black Codes. The Black codes were restrictive laws designed to limit the freedom of African Americans and ensure their availability as a cheap labor force after slavery was abolished during the Civil War (Little, 2018). Under black codes, many states required Black people to sign yearly labor contracts; if they refused, they risked being arrested, fined and forced into unpaid labor (history.com Editors, 2010).Jim Crow laws were a collection of state and local statutes that legalized racial segregation. Named after a Black minstrel show character, the laws—which existed for about 100 years, from the post-Civil War era until 1968—were meant to marginalize African Americans by denying them the right to vote, hold jobs, get an education or other opportunities (Little, 2018). African Americans who attempted to defy the Jim Crow laws were often faced with arrest, fines, jail sentences, violence and death (Little, 2018).The Jim Crow laws would be the inspiration of the Civil Right Movement.
According to the FBI a hate crime is defined as a criminal offense against a person or property motivated in whole or in part by an offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender or gender identity (FBI,2016). The highest priority of the FBI Civil Rights Program is to investigate hate crimes. The FBI has been investigating hate crimes since World War 1. But their role increased following the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Mississippi Burning, the killings of Civil Rights workers James Chaney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner would help gain passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Hernandez, 2021).
Hate crimes are recorded by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR). UCR is a national database where hate crime is voluntary collected and submitted by law enforcement.
According to the Hate Crimes Statistics for 2020, there were 7,7594 single bias and 10,528 victims, see figures A and B (Department of Justice, 2021). This information will allow state agencies to not only track hate crimes but also to use resources to proactively prevent hate crimes. Police officers and security officers should stationed near churches, synagogues and mosques, can provide a safety net for congregants and a deterrent for anyone who would want to attack those places of worship. Community leaders, city and state legislators need to engage with their communities and address their concerns of hate crimes. They would need to develop a prevention plan so people will feel safe to walk freely without fear
Bibliography
Hate Crime Statistics.” The United States Department of Justice, 3 Sept. 2021, www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics.
Hate Crimes.” FBI, FBI, 3 May 2016, www.fbi.gov/investigate/civil-rights/hate-crimes.
Hernandez, Joe. Hate Crimes Reach the Highest Level in More than a Decade.” NPR, NPR, 1 Sept. 2021, www.npr.org/2021/08/31/1032932257/hate-crimes-reach-the-highest-level-in-more-than-a-decade.
Little, Becky. Does an Exception Clause in the 13th Amendment Still PERMIT SLAVERY?” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2 Oct. 2018, www.history.com/news/13th-amendment-slavery-loophole-jim-crow-prisons.
History.com Editors. Black Codes.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 1 June 2010, www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-codes.
Last Name, F. M. (Year). Article Title. Journal Title, Pages From - To.
Last Name, F. M. (Year). Book Title. City Name:
Figures A & B:
Victims of Hate Crime Incidents
• 7,554 single-bias incidents involved 10,528 victims
• In 205 incidents, a total of 333 victims were targeted because of more than one bias
Bias Motivation Categories for Victims of Single-bias Incidents in 2020