The usual way murder statistics are presented -- the current rate is about 5 homicides for every 100,000 people -- significantly understates the threat to personal and public safety that homicide represents. In some communities, the lifetime odds of becoming a homicide victim actually are as high as 1-in-25.
The premise of the TED Talk is that Americans can mobilize to support law enforcement and community involvement through enlightened self interest. The public should be aware of the inverse relationship between homicide clearance and murder occurrence, that the rates of homicides frequently rise in cities that suffer a decline in the rate at which killers are caught.
MAP's mantras -- as a matter of public policy -- are that "It Doesn't Have to Be This Way!" and that "Solving Murders Saves Lives."
