Not So Fast…

Power Line has an article comparing the rate of burglaries of occupied residences in Great Britain and the United States. Almost 60% of burglaries, in Great Britain are directed against occupied  residences. U.S, incidents are much lower. However, Power Line notes that American statistics are dated and tough to come by. They attribute the disparity to the fact that Americans are armed and will shoot. The English do not have the same availability of guns  and self defense is not as robust. There could be more to the story.

Americans are better armed than their English counterparts. They are also more willing to use firearms to defend themselves. The old saw, “Figures lie and liars figure” is at play here. Any comparison between England and the United States is like comparing apples to oranges. Consider the following:

  • Great Britain has, what is in effect, a national police force. Reporting requirements are uniform across the country.
  • The United States has individual police jurisdictions. Crime reporting, in the guise of the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) is voluntary. Many agencies do not forward data, via the UCR, at either the State or National level.
  • The basis for American law may have been English jurisprudence, but the law is not the same in both countries.
  • Burglary is a crime directed against property. Robbery is a crime against people. The act of breaking into a residence may start as a burglary. When the people within are victimized it becomes robbery. This means a home invasion may be classified as a burglary (with intent to commit a felony) or a robbery, rape, or murder, as the case may be. The classification choice rests with the reporting agency. In England, the reporting standards may be more uniform. In the United States, not so much.
  • In England, the law regarding self defense is consistent nationwide. A burglar injured in England by a homeowner probably qualifies for workman’s comp, for a workplace injury. The homeowner is liable to be prosecuted and or sued.
  • Self defense, in the United States is subject to state law. Roughly thirty states share some commonality regarding self defense. Even when they agree, each state maintains local quirks, so application is not uniform. 

The point is, that statistics do not tell the whole story.