How Much Does Crime Cost?
(Excerpted from GAO-17-732)
Other challenges Even just knowing how much crime occurs is difficult. For example, information collected on white-collar crime (e.g., embezzlement) and cyber-related crime (e.g., online identify theft) is much less complete than information on physical violence or property crimes. Additionally, methods that researchers use to estimate costs may require many complex steps, which can lead to greater uncertainty in the total estimate. For example, one study estimated that premature deaths from methamphetamine use cost about $4.9 billion, but actual costs could be higher or lower.(Excerpted from GAO-17-732)
Cost of crime estimates and policy Crime cost estimates can help inform criminal justice policies. For example, the state of Washington uses these estimates to help identify juvenile crime prevention programs that are most effective at reducing crime and its costs to society.(Excerpted from GAO-17-732)
To learn more about the costs of crime in the United States, check out our full report.- Questions on the content of this post? Contact Diana Maurer at maurerd@gao.gov.
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