Even if the voting public accepts the fact that crime rates have decreased, there is a tendency to view such declines as a result of increased public spending on law enforcement. Often, the drive for increased spending on crime prevention is related to political leaders, who have ties to larger spending programs in the criminal justice system. Below are some structural features that cause crime rates to fluctuate which have nothing to do with the criminal justice system. One component is demographic change associated with changes in the age structure of the population. The baby boomers have long passed from being young.
Baby boomers are now over thirty years old.
Since young people commit the most crimes, it is logical to expect that crime rates will drop as the population ages. There are other components that cause variation in crime rates. Rapidly growing cities have trouble keeping their police forces large enough to cope with the expanding population. There are also links to economic performance. As the economy fluctuates, so does the crime rate.