Essay Sample on Crime in New York Between 1850 and 1950

Introduction

New York City realized a significant rise in crime at the end of the 19th century that extended to the mid-20th century. Various sociologists delved into the issue of rising crime rate in a bid to try to explain the causes of the rising crime rate in New York and America as a whole in the late 19th century and early 20th century. Scholars such as D. Mark Anderson, Benjamin Crost and Daniel I. Rees argue that there is some correlation between crime and alcoholism. Their research is parallel to that of Michael Conlin, Stacy Dickert-Conlin, and John Pepper who research the link between intoxication and moral behavior. While many studies have explored the issue of crime in the early 20th century, little research examines the crime rate in the late 1800s. The study on the crime rate in New York between 1850 and 1950 is essential for determining the factors that encourage crime and how to prevent the same from occurring in the future.

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The study has some limitations and some factors are beyond my control, and as a result, I cannot establish with a hundred percent accuracy the outcome of some findings. Due to the nature of studies on the topic of crime, the paper will have to rely on reviews that are inclusive of the rest of the country. Furthermore, the amount of information available for analysis decreases with time. There is little data about crime in the period that preceded the Civil War, and as a result, I made the delimitation to focus on the period after the Civil War. Another limitation is the methodology to use for research. Because of the nature of research, it would not have been plausible to use other methods such as questionnaires and experimentation within the time provided with absolute accuracy.

Literature Review

A study by Anderson D, Benjamin Crost and Daniel I. Rees tried to find the link between high rates of alcoholism and crime in the Kansas area. The researchers used county-level data in the period after the prohibition in 1933. The researchers found that "legalization of the sale of alcohol for on-sale consumption resulted into 10 to 25% increase in crime in the area surrounding the premise." More to that, the legalization of alcohol created some 10% rise in property crimes. It has been long established that the sale of alcohol is likely to bring about psychopharmacological violence more than marijuana because alcohol consumption increases the amount of pain that consumers are willing to inflict upon others while intoxicated.

The research by Anderson et al. is complementary to the study conducted by Michael Conlin, Stacy Dickert-Conlin, and John Pepper. According to Conlin et al., a link exists between alcohol consumption and immoral behavior that eventually leads to crime. The authors assert that alcohol prohibition or some level of regulation for the sale of the commodity could to a great measure control the crime rate of an area. Conlin et al. say that "allowing access to alcohol has the potential of increasing drug-related crime." While Conlin et al. acknowledge the direct consequences of government regulation of illegal products; they proceed to point out an obvious result of increasing limiting consumption of certain commodities.

Even though research by Conlin et al., is focused on the effects Texas area during the 2nd half of the 20th century, their insight could explain the prevalence of crime in New York between 1850 and 1950. Their co-relation between alcohol restrictions, increase in alcohol prices and consequent increase in crime could be necessary for purposes of this discussion. While the correlation between crime and alcoholism is strong, different groups of researchers present a new variable into the debate. William R. Corbin and Jessica M. Cronce research co-relation between alcoholism, gambling, and impulsivity. Gambling is the new variable that the authors try to understand how it affects impulsivity. In that case, it has an indirect effect on crime rather than a direct influence is the case with alcoholism. In most cases, impulse behavior is the main contributing factor to increased crime rates.

The discussion of the crime in New York between 1850 and 1950 can get a lot of insight from the research by Anderson et al., Conlin et al., and William R. Corbin and Jessica Cronce. For one, New York City realized a significant increase in the rate of alcoholism in the late 1800s. According to The Real Truth, A Magazine for Restoring Plain Understanding, "Onlookers watched with despair as giant cases of beer were hauled from supply trucks and thrown into a curb in New York City." The rate of alcoholism in the country had gone beyond unprecedented proportions. Some reports indicate men with hammers and axes determined to get a share of the alcohol. With the situation described above, there is no doubt that New York had a population hooked to alcoholism.

Using the argument that Anderson D, Benjamin Crost and Daniel I. Rees have presented, it would seem imminent that New York was just a cup away from exploding with a crime. The presence of alcohol caused the people to participate in the various crimes. That was especially true for the small fights such as bar fights and street brawls. Soon these crimes spilled over to major crimes such as robberies. It might seem easy to conclude that the drunkards were the ones fueling the crime by acting while under the influence of alcohol. A report by Hustmyre and Dixit indicates that drunk people are among the people that make easy targets for criminals looking to make quick cash without the need to become very violent. Drunk individuals are less likely to fight back, and they were also less likely to report. Hustmyre and Dixity say," Drunken people not only appear more vulnerable, but they're also especially likely to place themselves in dangerous situations."

Lobbyists for prohibition such as the women movements had been pushing for the ban for a long time. It was more than just a women issue because the men themselves wanted for the prohibition to be implemented. According to them, they thought that if they don't have access to alcohol, they would stop drinking and become responsible descent citizens. Based on the research by Conlin, Michael, Stacy Dickert-Conlin, and John Pepper, alcohol prohibition managed to reduce crime. However, that was only true for small crimes such as bar fights and street brawls. The petty thieves also lost an avenue to conduct their activities because the people could not drink in the open. Despite the advances in reducing petty crimes, people could not stop drinking. Instead, the prohibition acted to the favor of organized crime as alcohol trade went into the black market and underground trade activities. Additionally, it increased the demand for alcohol. Using the principles of supply and demand, when the demand increases so do the price of commodities. Organized crime groups were making millions of untaxable revenue from bootlegging alcohol.

The early 1900s caused an increase in corruption in the New York Police Department which had police officers in the payroll of famous crime groups such as the mafia. Famous crime figures such as Al Capone rose to prominence because of trading in alcohol. Crime in New York had taken a U-turn, and this time it was bigger than ever. As the police and other authorities concentrated on stopping the organized crime, the small-time criminals were left to roam free. New York Police department was overwhelmed by the surge in criminal activities.

The gambling that forms the support pillars for research by Corbin, William R., and Jessica M. Cronce became the drinking dens. These gambling houses that were run by organized criminal groups further contributed to the rise in crime in New York during the early 1900s. The majority of the criminal organizations operated on a territorial basis, and that set precedence for turf wars. The body count in the streets of New York increased significantly, as criminal groups fought to gain control of the various areas of New York. These factors led the New York government along with the federal government to consider legalizing alcohol.

After cleaning up the New York Police Department, Roosevelt quickly rose to become the president of the United States. He legalized alcohol in 1933, and that worked towards the favor of local authorities by damaging one of the sources of revenue for the organized crime. The crime rate started declining towards the mid-20th century as big companies entered the alcohol business and produced quality alcohol at a better price.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there is a strong link between alcoholism and criminal activity in New York in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The rise of alcoholism fueled criminal behavior because it caused people to act impulsively. However, the prohibition of alcohol quickly worked against the New York local authorities as organized crime groups took over the alcohol production. The government had to find a way of controlling alcohol consumption without prohibiting it altogether.

Anderson, D., Benjamin Crost, and Daniel Rees. "Wet laws, drinking establishments, and violent crime." (2014).

Conlin, Michael, Stacy Dickert-Conlin, and John Pepper. "The effect of alcohol prohibition on illicit-drug-related crimes." The Journal of Law and Economics 48, no. 1 (2005): 215-23

Corbin, William R., and Jessica M. Cronce. "Effects of alcohol, initial gambling outcomes, impulsivity, and gambling cognitions on gambling behavior using a video poker task." Experimental and clinical psychopharmacology 25, no. 3(2017): 175.

Hustmyre, Chuck, and Jay Dixit. 2016. Marked for Mayhem. June 9. Accessed December 1, 2018. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/articles/200901/marked-mayhem.

The Real Truth. 2018. The Tragic Curse of Alcohol Abuse. Accessed December 1, 2018. https://rcg.org/realtruth/articles/130422-004.html.