Rising cost of living and rising crime? They’re connected

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Why would higher costs of living lead to increased crime? We can summarize this prediction in one word: desperation

The cost of living has soared since COVID, owing to supply line disruptions, the war in Ukraine and climate-related disasters. Many Canadians feel the pinch of. When living is expensive, there are more people who are at risk of not affording their rent, mortgage, groceries and other necessities. Some Canadians barely have enough money to make it to payday, or don’t have enough. And as the saying goes, desperate times call for desperate measures.

The same principle applies in other situations. Normally, crime doesn’t pay: To someone living comfortably, it’s rarely worth the risk of injury or jail time to steal, embezzle or commit fraud for a few more dollars. Some crimes might pay better when living costs are high, because more desperate people means more susceptible victims. For example, if you can’t afford a quality apartment, you might gamble on that cheap apartment that could be a fraud or a money pit. Or a cheap contractor who might abscond with your cash.

But this isn’t just about economic crimes such as fraud and theft. Desperation is linked to other crimes, too, including assault and homicide, which rise and fall in tandem with theft and robbery. These are risky forms of social competition, often resulting from status competition. Like economic crimes, they aren’t worthwhile for anyone financially stable enough to have something to lose.

 

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