Introduction
The rising rate of crime is a very serious issue that cannot be overlooked by any country. The rising rate of crime goes to show that the values instilled in children by their parents have been long forgotten. Every day there are numerous instances of crime taking place across the globe, No country is free from crime, it does matter where a person is, he/she is ought to witness a criminal activity be it on a small scale or for that matter on a large scale basis. Small scale crimes include petty crimes like robbery etc on the other hand large scale crimes include murders etc. This paper will throw light upon the financial cost of crime to society and it will also focus upon the implications that the criminal faces after committing the crime.
“According to a United Nations report posted by MSNBC, the United States is the leading country in financial loss due to violent crimes; the cost estimated around 45 billion dollars. During a time of recession, this information sheds more light on the impact crime has on our society. Combined with the very real struggle law enforcement agencies face to retain employees and maintain budgets, the report signals a very serious factor degrading our communities.” (US Crime Affects Economy, 15 October 2008).
The US leads in terms of the financial loss incurred by a country because of criminal activities. There are so many gangs in the US that operate depending on the area which they are in; many a time gang wars take place to satisfy the egos of the members of various gangs.
When a gang war or for that matter a crime takes place, it directly affects the economy of the country, this can be understood by an example, if a gang member attempts to kill a person in the US, it will surely damage some property of either public or the private sector resulting in property damage, in addition to this the medical attention given towards the affected person will also be viewed as a financial loss to the economy because it was due to a senseless act, had it been because of a natural disaster then the case would have been different altogether but since it is because of a crime, it will also contribute towards the financial loss incurred by the economy of a country.
Affect of Crime on the Salaries of Professionals
From the above information, it is very clear that the US suffers the most from the criminal activities within the country. This also affects the salaries of professionals involved in dealing with criminals. When the crime rate is high in a country, the government will be forced to train and recruit more policemen to deal with the situation and in this case, again the country would suffer financial losses because of training and recruiting more policemen than required.
The whole process of training and recruitment will cost millions of $ and hence the economy of the country will suffer. On the other hand, if the crime rate is low in a country, the government need not spend so much on the salaries of policemen and the same money can be utilized to make sure that the economy of the country develops, in other words, it can be spent on the welfare of the people. The same is the case with the salaries drawn by judges and other top officials who deal with criminals, the higher the rate of crime in a country, the more financial losses the country will face.
Effects of Crime on the person Harmed
A criminal activity changes the life of a person who has been affected by it forever. He/she gets into serious trouble, for instance, if the crime committed is an attempt to murder, it may require immediate medical attention which would surely cost a hefty amount of money to the harmed person. So the first aspect is the financial aspect, the harmed person loses a lot of money for no mistake of his/her. The medical attention alone will cost so much that it becomes too much to afford for some people and in addition to it the cost of the medicines required for recovery will also cost the harmed person very dearly.
The next important point is the mental balance of the harmed person, after being a victim of a crime as an attempt to murder; the mental balance of the harmed person will change forever. He/she will never be the same person again. Drastic changes in thinking and actions will take place, for instance, the harmed person will never be able to eat as peacefully as he/she used to before the crime. Another thing is that the person will never be able to get peaceful sleep at night, something or the other will surely disturb the sleep of the harmed person. Because of improper eating habits and lack of sleep the person may fall ill, so the health of the harmed person gets seriously affected after the crime.
The recreational activities of the person will stop for a long time. This can be understood with the help of an example, before the crime the harmed person used to go to the theatre to catch up with the new movies, but all changes after the crime, the harmed person will never go to the theatre again fearing the consequences of the same. So another thing which can be made out is that it restricts the free movement of the harmed person.
Another big change that usually takes place after a crime is that the harmed person will have to take time off his schedule to meet doctors, counselors, lawyers, etc. So this also affects the mindset of that particular individual. The family members of the harmed person also get adversely affected by the same, the mother or the father of the harmed person usually suffer from insomnia which is lack of sleep at night, the same will also have an inevitable effect on their health and they may fall seriously ill. So it can be made out that the life of the harmed person changes once and for all after the crime and in addition to this, it also adversely affects the family members of the harmed person.
Conclusion
After reading the financial cost of crime to society and the mental trauma that crime gives to the harmed person and his/her family, it is highly recommended to stay miles apart from committing a criminal activity. The life of the criminal and the life of the harmed person change forever and the changes are for the worse. The criminal suffers the consequences and bears the brunt of the law. Severe punishments are handed out to those who indulge in serious offenses like murders, rapes, etc.
As far as the life of the harmed person is concerned, the crime changes the whole mindset of the harmed person and restricts him/her from so many things which would not have been restricted had the crime not taken place. So it is highly unadvisable to involve oneself in any criminal activity, staying away from criminal activity will ensure prosperity and happiness. Now it is for the people to decide what they want, regret or prosperity.
References
US Crime Affects Economy. In Crime. Suite 101. Web.