Is There an iCrime Wave?
Source: Urban Institute
From press release:

Crime statistics released Monday by the FBI showed violent crime increased in 2005 and 2006, and a new Urban Institute analysis offers evidence that the concurrent explosion in iPod use may have triggered the spike.

The gadgets are not just entertaining and convenient; their high value, visibility, and versatility make them “criminogenic”—or “crime-creating,” in the vocabulary of criminologists. And their power to distract users can give thieves an advantage. Researchers John Roman and Aaron Chalfin suggest in the report “Is There an iCrime Wave?” that iPods’ popularity with consumers and appeal to criminals may have translated into rising violent crime rates.
…
n the first three months of 2005, major felonies rose 18 percent on New York City’s subways; but if iPod and cell phone thefts are excluded, felonies actually declined by 3 percent. Thus, the Metropolitan Transit Authority now warns riders that “Earphones are a giveaway. Protect your device.” Similar signs appear on BART trains in San Francisco. In Washington, DC, in the first four months of 2007, robberies of iPods on the subway alone accounted for 4 percent of all robberies citywide, compared with well under 1 percent in 2005.

+ Full Report (PDF; 51 KB)

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