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Summertime is not just a time to eat cold watermelon, jump in the pool, barbeque with family/friends, and enjoy not having to attend school. It is a season where crime occurs at an accelerated rate due to many adolescents with working parents finding themselves unsupervised and unengaged. This is a prime opportunity for gang members and human traffickers to begin recruitment. The hot temperatures not only make people uncomfortable and irritable; they limit patience, cause tempers to flare, and create a surge of violent crimes.(Maxfield & Babbie, 2016)
I agree that the statement is vague. It does not tell me when the highest surge of crime can reasonably be expected, what crimes might be committed, or who might commit these crimes. Perhaps an example of a better statement would be “During the months of June through August when temperatures consistently exceed 90 degrees, there will be a higher number of aggressive crimes, especially domestic violence and non-aggravated assaults - attacks involving no weapon and no serious injury committed by persons aged 16 to 45.” It might not be exactly correct information, but it would provide a warning to the community to be mindful of what time of day they go out, ensure that during these months especially they walkaway before a situation escalates, and to generally be on the lookout for suspicious behavior(or suspected victimization) especially between the months of June and August. (Dahl, 2012) I think awareness regarding causes, diseases, and disorders is a direct result of scientific study and that spreading information such as this is meaningful.
Dahl, J. (2012, July 06). Hot and bothered: Experts say violent crime rises with the heat. Retrieved May 26, 2019, from-violent-crime-rises-with-the-heat/
Maxfield, M. G., & Babbie, E. R. (2016). Basics of research methods for criminal justice and criminology (4th ed.). Belmont, CA: Cengage Learning.
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