Indicator: Crime
Crime adds to the cost of conducting business and to the tax burden for prosecution and incarceration of criminals.
- Crime
- Domestic Violence
Why This is Important
Crime adds to the cost of conducting business and to the tax burden for prosecution and incarceration of criminals. In addition, lower crime rates mean Maine offers individuals and businesses a safe environment in which to live, raise children and do business.
Where We Stand
In 2005, there were 26.48 incidents of crime in Maine per 1,000 people, a marginal increase since 2004, but still well below the national average. The national continued to decline for the past 10 years, and declined 2% since 2005.
Crime rates in both Maine and the United States dropped during much of the 1990’s, with Maine’s rate consistently below the nation’s. Experts point out that young males are declining as a percent of our overall population, and this changing demographic contributes to the lowering of the crime rate. In Maine, an aging population also contributes to the state’s declining crime rate.
Data Source and Context
Crime data is generated by local law enforcement agencies as part of the National Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. This program is administered by the State Police in Maine, and all the state’s UCR crime data is published annually in Crime in Maine (available on-line at http://www.state.me.us/dps/cim/crime_in_maine/cim.htm). U.S. crime data is available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation at http://www.fbi.gov/publications.htm.
Why This is Important
Families are not safe when there exists the threat or presence of any form of domestic violence. Domestic violence is an insidious problem that tears apart families and exists among the silence of enabling friends, family members and communities. Domestic violence includes a wide range of behaviors where one individual controls another through verbal, physical, sexual, emotional, or psychological maltreatment.
Where We Stand
Law enforcement data shows that domestic violence assaults continue to be a significant problem in Maine. The total number of reported incidents dropped irregularly from 1995 to 1998, before rising again in following years. In 2006, there were more than 15 instances of such violence in households each day (one domestic assault every 1 hour and 34 minutes, on average). These figures likely understate the amount of domestic violence in the state, since they are based only on reports made to the police; some victims are reluctant to report such incidents. Domestic assault made up almost half (47.5%) of all assaults in Maine in 2006.
Male assault on females continues to be the most common form of domestic violence in Maine, though its percentage of all domestic assault offenses dropped from 68% in 1995 to 59% in 2005. Female assault on males represented 16% of all assaults in 2005.
Data Source and Context
The domestic assault data is generated as part of the National Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. This program is administered by the State Police in Maine, and all crime data from the UCR is published annually in Crime in Maine. The data is available on-line at http://www.state.me.us/dps/cim/crime_in_maine/cim.htm.
Why This is Important
Childhood vaccinations can prevent the diseases that killed or permanently impaired many children in past decades. Studies have shown that over $13 is saved for every dollar invested in measles/mumps/rubella vaccination. Vaccination is particularly important before children enter preschool to prevent the spread of diseases.
Where We Stand
During the 1990s, Maine's childhood vaccination rates increased dramatically, to the highest in the nation. No records exist of a Maine child dying of a vaccine-preventable disease during the 1990s. As of 2006, 85% of Maine’s 19-35 month old children were age-appropriately immunized, which is a smaller percentage than the previous two years. However, this was better than the national percentage of 83%.
Data Source and Context
Data comes from the National Immunization Survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The survey uses a phone survey to estimate vaccination coverage levels for children age 19 to 35 months. Results for the year 1999 through 2005 surveys can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/stats-surv/imz-coverage.htm Children are considered to be “age-appropriately immunized” if they have “4:3:1 Series Coverage,” that is, 4 doses of DPT (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis) vaccine, 3 doses of Poliovirus vaccine, and 1 dose of MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) vaccine. For a child to receive these immunizations, a minimum of 4 well child visits to a health care professional is necessary.