MetroTrend week in review

Next week is Crime Week on MetroTrends. According to a recent Gallup poll, crime ranks as the 33^rd most important issue facing America today. Yet, majorities of Americans report being fearful of criminal victimization. One barrier to the crime problem, addressed Monday, is that much of what the public has been told about crime in the popular media is not true. Tuesday we address a related problem: ‘expert’ analysis that misleads. Wednesday we talk about Stand Your Ground laws and show that more rigorous analysis can uncover bad policies. Thursday and Friday we discuss innovative new ways crime could be reduced. Saturday we tackle the biggest problem (and offer a solution) —that there is no coherent national strategy to combat crime.

While you’re waiting don’t miss four excellent blogs from this week:

• Akiva Liberman discusses his time on a scientific panel charged with determining whether gun laws are effective – read what he concludes
• Julia Isaacs tells us that the share of the federal budget devoted to kids fell for the first in 30 years – what might this mean?
• Nortan Francis examines state and local government spending cuts – it’s these that are dampening national economic growth, he says
• Rolf Pendall writes about a recent British study arguing that reducing urban sprawl may not be worth the cost; read why he disagrees.