When it comes to measur-ing public perceptions of crime, don't read the headlines—follow the locksmiths. Although crime statistics, particularly homicide totals, have plummeted in recent years, no one has yet reported a national trend toward removing deadbolts from doors or security grilles from bedroom windows. Reasonably or not, most Americans are terrified by the threat of crime, as they have been for 30 years. And those kinds of attitudes don't change quickly or easily, no matter how many felons are in prisons (an all-time record) or how well the police do their job (better, thanks).
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