Maybe by next Christmas we will know how bad things were.

This whole year I've been shocked at how the news media crows about how low crime rates have been through the recession. It just didn't match up with what I've been seeing - everywhere.

I estimated that murder has increased 40% over the past year. Most cities are experiencing a "spike" in homicide. They call it an anomaly. I hope that is true.

San Jose claims 28 murders so far this year. Last year they had 20. Oakland enjoys 101 murders. They had 70 last year.

None of these increases in violent crime has ever been noticed by the crime stats or the media.

Well - now I know why. Apparently by the time they release the data - it is a full year stale.

2010 California Homicide Rate Drops To 44-Year Low
December 5, 2011 1:12 PM

"SAN FRANCISCO (CBS/AP) – A new report by the California Department of Justice shows that the homicide rate last year dropped to its lowest level in more than four decades.

According to updated 2010 figures, there were 4.7 reported homicides for every 100,000 people. That’s a 7.8 percent drop from 2009."

I don't at all see why people were buying guns en mass for black Friday. I can't imagine I am the only one who feels this disconnect. They see crime everywhere, yet no one will confirm what we already know.

I don't know how the trendy murder/suicide tracks into this - but 16 people have jumped in front of a train this year in California. 16.

Hell, in the past 6 months - 2 people have jumped off freeway overpasses in my city, and the next over. I certainly would be interested in suicide stats, because they are almost an every day occurrence.