Overview of "Crime is down. Why don't people feel safe?" (It's Been a Minute — NPR)
Host Brittany Luce talks with Nicole Lewis (Engagement Editor, The Marshall Project) and writer/editor Lex McVenamin about the gap between falling crime rates and persistent feelings of unsafety. The conversation covers how fear gets generated and weaponized (by media, politicians, tech), the difference between feeling unsafe and being under actual threat, who is most likely to be victimized, and practical/community-level ways to rebuild a baseline sense of safety.
Key takeaways
- Crime trends: U.S. crime rates are historically lower than in past decades, yet many Americans still report feeling unsafe.
- Perception vs. reality: Media coverage and political rhetoric amplify rare but dramatic crimes, skewing public perception (murder/terrorism get outsized coverage).
- Threat vs. risk: Threat = a direct, tangible, immediate danger; risk = the likelihood that a threat will cause harm. Distinguishing them helps calibrate fear and response.
- Weaponization of fear: Fear is used politically and socially to justify harsh policies, policing, or vigilantism; marginalized groups (Black people, trans people, immigrants) are often framed as threats despite evidence to the contrary.
- Vulnerability patterns: Most violent crime is between people who know each other (intimate partners pose a significant risk to women, particularly pregnant women). Trans people are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators; immigrants commit crime at lower rates than native-born citizens.
- Tech and false security: Surveillance tools and apps (e.g., Ring doorbell footage going viral, the hacked "T-app") can give a false sense of safety or create new risks through insecure data.
- Social and mental health links: People who feel safer tend to be more extroverted, open, and confident; those who fear crime more are likelier to be socially withdrawn, less emotionally stable, and show depressive symptoms.
- Practical safety requires community practice and policy change, not just individual fear management.
Topics discussed
Perception, media and politics
- Media focuses heavily on murder/terror despite those causes representing a small fraction of deaths.
- Political narratives after 2020 (e.g., backlash to police reform calls) have amplified public feelings of unsafety.
- High-profile cases and sensational headlines (and social media clips) distort risk perception.
Threat vs. risk (emotional framing)
- Nicole and Lex emphasize training emotional intelligence: ask whether fear is from a current external threat or past trauma.
- Example: a friend saying "I'll knock you out" is a threat; judging the risk depends on context (relationship, likelihood).
Who is actually at risk
- Marginalized groups often face real danger (trans people, immigrants, Black communities) but rhetoric sometimes portrays them as sources of threat rather than targets.
- Most violent crimes occur among people who know each other—“dangerous stranger” is a misleading media myth.
Weaponization and consequences
- Fear justifies excessive force and extrajudicial actions (e.g., cases like Trayvon Martin, Ahmaud Arbery, Jordan Neely).
- False narratives about trans people and migrants are used politically to stoke fear and consolidate power.
Technology, surveillance, and false solutions
- Ring cameras and viral clips can create panic, incentivize sensationalism.
- Apps promising community safety (e.g., the T-app) may be insecure and can exacerbate harm if hacked.
Community practices & policy implications
- Building skills (situational awareness, mutual support, accompaniment) and low-cost public programs can improve real safety.
- Structural policies matter: decoupling healthcare from employment, strengthening public services and supports reduces baseline insecurity.
- Individuals and communities should hold conversations to assess tangible risks and avoid amplifying unfounded fears.
Notable quotes and lines
- "We have to build a practice that baseline helps us feel not like cuckoo banana pants every day." — framing the need for practical, sustainable safety practices.
- "Fear is weaponized." — succinctly captures political/social use of fear.
- "Most violent crime is between people that already know each other." — challenges the dangerous-stranger myth.
Actionable recommendations (for listeners)
- Limit sensational media consumption about crime; contextualize stories (frequency vs. coverage).
- When someone expresses fear, ask for concrete examples: "What threat are you seeing in your life?" Then assess likelihood and proximity.
- Build community safety practices: walk groups, check-ins, shared knowledge of safe spaces and routes.
- Learn and teach situational-risk assessment skills (how to evaluate behavior, proximity, patterns).
- Advocate for policy that addresses structural insecurity (healthcare access, social services) rather than only punitive approaches.
- Treat tech tools skeptically: weigh privacy/security risks of apps and devices that promise quick fixes.
Important stats & sources cited in the episode
- Gallup: ~49% of Americans say crime in the U.S. is "extremely" or "very" serious and think crime is worse than a year ago.
- Crime rates: overall in the U.S. are much lower historically than in past decades (context discussed in episode).
- Media coverage bias: Our World in Data comparison showing disproportionate coverage of murder/terrorism vs. their share of deaths.
- Trans & victimization: cited point that trans people are statistically much more likely to be victims than perpetrators (rates vary by study; episode stresses the disproportionality).
Credits
- Host: Brittany Luce (It's Been a Minute, NPR)
- Guests: Nicole Lewis (Engagement Editor, The Marshall Project); Lex McVenamin (writer/editor)
- Produced/edited by the It's Been a Minute team (production credits listed at end of episode).
If you want the core actionable tip in one line: when fear arises, ask "Is this a present threat, or am I assessing risk?" — then act collectively (community practices + structural advocacy) rather than only reacting individually.