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Growth Fact #7 of 10: Less Crime, Safer Communities

The editors of the 4% Growth Project asked Bush Growth Fellow Ike Brannon to look into 10 things that would happen if the U.S. economy...

The editors of the 4% Growth Project asked Bush Growth Fellow Ike Brannon to look into 10 things that would happen if the U.S. economy grew at 4% each year in real terms for 10 years. We will unveil one growth fact each week. To read all previous growth facts, click here. Growth Fact #7 of 10: If the economy grew at 4% per year, there would be about 20,000 fewer robberies and 250,000 fewer instances of larceny during the next decade,[i] resulting in safer communities and a better environment in which business can flourish.



[i] For example, savings from decreased auto theft alone would amount to about $150 million per year. (According to the FBI, auto theft amounts to 20 percent of all larceny. We have estimated an average car price of $30,000). Economic growth increases opportunities to succeed in legitimate business and makes crime less attractive. Additionally, a lower crime rate reduces the amount of resources that need to be devoted towards incarceration, allowing such funds to be directed to more productive uses.