Southern Crime

Estimated  murder rate *  

Year	Georgia	Louisiana	Mississippi
1980	13.8	15.7	14.5
1981	17.2	15.6	12.6
1982	12.6	16.0	14.0
1983	8.4	14.2	11.2
1984	9.4	12.9	9.7
1985	10.4	10.9	10.6

TOTAL                           71.8                               85.3                                72.6 

Criminal homicide—a.) Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter: the willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another. Deaths caused by negligence, attempts to kill, assaults to kill, suicides, and accidental deaths are excluded. The program classifies justifiable homicides separately and limits the definition to: (1) the killing of a felon by a law enforcement officer in the line of duty; or (2) the killing of a felon, during the commission of a felony, by a private citizen. b.) Manslaughter by negligence: the killing of another person through gross negligence. Deaths of persons due to their own negligence, accidental deaths not resulting from gross negligence, and traffic fatalities are not included in the category Manslaughter by Negligence. 

Estimated  aggravated assault rate *  

Year	Georgia	Louisiana	Mississippi
1980	299.7	407.8	221.7
1981	292.1	379.2	184.6
1982	271.2	400.6	181.1
1983	268.8	396.8	181.6
1984	284.7	432.8	184.3
1985	289.4	453.3	171.1

TOTAL                          1,705.9                           2,470.5                          1,124.4 

Aggravated assault—An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Simple assaults are excluded. 

Which state had the highest numbers of crimes you selected?  

-Louisiana 

In which state did crime increase the most over the 5-year period?  

-Neither* 

Did your chosen crimes decrease in any state? 

-Not really* 

*Can’t really determine because crime fluctuates from year to year, need to do a separate study over many more than five years to really determine if crime is going down or up in any state.  

What do these data meant for each crime in each state over time?  

-This data reflects the amount of crime reported to the FBI, not everything gets reported to the police or even from police to the UCR. So really this information only gives us a little peak at crime in these states.  

Story 

As winter approaches and the snow falls, so do thoughts of warmth, sun, and vacation. If you're looking for a getaway, going down south seems like a good idea, and it is! When I think of a good spot to go, the first thing to look for is what to do there. Is there stuff for kids? An amusement park? An ocean? If you travel to Mississippi, there are amazing and beautiful beaches with few tourists. In Georgia you have museums, peaches, and many urban cities. In Louisiana you have New Orleans, spectacular bayous, and a vast variety of different cultures. Not to mention the mouthwatering cuisine that every state has to offer. But when planning a trip, when do you look at the crime rates? Though New Orleans and all of Louisiana is a must and a cultural hot spot, is that worth the risks of being a victim? The aggravated assault and murder rates are higher in Louisiana then in Georgia and Mississippi. With the aggravated assaults being in the mid 2000’s and murder rates in the mid 80’s, while Georgia and Mississippi have rates in the 1000’s and the low 70’s. With no indication of the crime rates dropping in Georgia, Mississippi, or Louisiana, do you go to the safest state? The state with the most to do? Go to the Louisiana even though it’s the most dangerous? Stay home? When making a decision it’s important to look at all factors you usually do, as well as crime. Doing this shouldn't make you scared, it should prepare you. Don’t let fear make you miss out on amazing experiences. By looking at the crime rates, you can be prepared and make sure that you can still have a fun vacation without missing out as well as staying safe.