Proof That iPods=Crime
Recently, we noticed that during the latest Williamsburg crime spree, Apple products getting stolen left and right. A tipster even told us that somebody stole her iPod and Apple computer, but declined to steal her roommate's Dell! Now we now that the "iCrime Wave" is real—because an academic journal says so!
In 2005, for the first time in 12 years, violent crime increased—a trend that continued in 2006. This followed a relatively long period of decline... At the same time that violent crime rates began to rise, America's streets filled with millions of people visibly wearing, and being distracted by, expensive electronic gear. Thus, there was a marked increase in both the supply of potential victims and opportunities for would-be offenders.
Past crime waves are thought to have occurred in a similar way—triggered by the introduction of a new high-status and expensive product. For instance, in the 1980s and 1990s, the proliferation of such valuable products as expensive basketball shoes or North Face jackets may have led to new crimes. However, in past instances where the supply of crime creating products increased, the consumer population purchasing these goods—and the would-be offenders coveting those products—made up a relatively small part of the U.S. population. By contrast, iPods are everywhere, and, unlike a jacket or a sneaker, one size fits all.
