The Coronavirus is having a major impact on lives across the globe.
It made me wonder about its’ possible effects on crime. Here are a couple of items I quickly dug up –
- Where major segments of the population have been forced to stay home, crimes like burglaries have fallen.
- Hate crimes against Asians are being reported around the world as people seek someone to blame.
- Enterprising thieves in France have been posing as the police and health authorities. They are demanding fines be paid by Asians visitors wearing masks. The payment of 150 Euros is for what they say is the violation of a no face mask law. France enacted a law in 2010 prohibited the covering of one’s face in public but the law does not cover face masks worn for health reasons.
- On the lighter side, the police department in Kenosha, Wisconsin cancelled crime in response to the virus.