Are There Really Criminals EVERYWHERE?

College Park is under attack. People are robbing banks and mugging residents, the cops are ramping up patrols and people aren't really sure what to do.

If you don't believe me, check out The Diamondback. Or talk to residents. Or click around Patch -- the news section is full of stories about muggings and robberies and all-around shady characters. Crime is on the collective brain, and the media is covering the crap out of it. But it's a chicken or the egg question: is crime in the news because people are worried, or are people worried because crime is in the news? How do you think the media affects both resident attitudes and the public perception of crime in College Park and Prince George's County? What goes overlooked? What gets too many looks?

It's easy to say that crime gets covered because it's "important." It's stupid, for example, to write 3,000 words about the Moose Lodge's picnic, because no one really cares. Sorry, Moose Lodge. You guys are great. But people care about what affects them, and what affects them is the bad stuff. "Yesterday Was Actually Kind Of Nice, There Were Hot Dogs" won't get any attention; "Man On Run After Butt-Pinching Spree" will — because nobody wants to get their butt pinched. It matters. Raising $45 dollars for charity? Nope. Because it doesn't affect me. At all.

But is that how it should be?