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18 May 2005
Crime
time
Summer is when travelers become victims
By Terry Riley
Memorial Day weekend marks the traditional kick-off for yet another season of… you
guessed it… crime. Oh, you didn't guess it? Well crime, like many other human
pursuits is seasonal, and historically Memorial Day weekend is the opening of the season
for crime in the United States.
No one really knows for sure why this is the case. It could be that in the winter,
fewer victims venture out. It could be that winter weather conditions make the successful
execution of a crime more difficult.
On the other hand, it could be that when it warms up, more victims are available on
the streets for longer periods of times—especially at night. It could be that more windows are left open. It could be that
more people are on vacation and not paying attention to their security while at play. It
could be that those same vacationers left their vacant houses vulnerable to burglars.
It could be a lot of things.
Whatever the reason, FBI reports show that the rate of crime bottoms out in
January and February. In March it begins to increase and by June the crime
rate rises above the national monthly average. It then continues to rise,
peaking in August. In September the crime rate begins to slow, then repeats
the cycle.
This cycle almost perfectly matches the traveling pattern of U.S. vacationers who, to
no one's surprise, tend to travel most heavily in the summer months. According the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics, over a third of
all vacation travel takes place in the quarter of the year that includes the months of
July, August, and September. Are the yearly cycles of crime and vacation traveling
coincidental? It seems unlikely.
And with over 100 million Americans vacationing in the United States, plus millions
more coming from overseas this summer on holiday, this should turn out to be another good season for
American criminals.
If you are a typical American vacationer, your risk of becoming a crime victim
increases starting now. Have a nice trip.
© 2005 Applied Psychology
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