Breaking news coverage provides easily accessible news for the general public and depicts the most recent events happening in one’s community. Most people rely on their local news channels to keep up with info they need throughout the day, what neighborhoods to avoid, and the best options for a safe lifestyle. Whether it’s updates on COVID-19 statistics or a recent crime wave in your community,  the public remains severely limited on the amount of available information given about unexpected crime or dangerous activity in an area. 

The amount of unreported crime has increased (somewhat) steadily over the past few decades. Recently researchers have slowly started to investigate the reasoning behind this trend. NYU dispatch says, “The majority of crimes committed in the United States are never reported to the police. Worse still, the crimes that are reported are usually never solved. In 2016, a miserable 42 percent of violent crime and an even more miserable 36 percent of property crime were reported to US authorities.” This means that just over 1 of every 3 crimes taking place in America go unreported and no action ever takes place to further prevent these criminal acts.

Some researchers say the reasons for “underreporting” incline the victims’ timidness to address their situation to the authorities, along with the fear of getting into trouble themselves. The University of Surrey says “Common reasons for individuals not reporting crime include fear of not being believed, insecurity, and fear of getting into trouble.” This means victims of crime will continue to keep their stories to themselves, and never truly get the justice they deserve. 

One way to receive information about local events can be to visit websites or apps specifically designed to accurately deliver the community info you need, which your local news networks may have passed up. Examples of software you can use include Patch.com or Nextdoor, which gives you the option to enter a zip code inorder to see any local news you may not have heard through news broadcastings. Allowing you to truly stay up to date with any activity happening in your community.

Having the awareness needed to stay up to date in your community can prove vital to one’s safety and protection. Relying on local news to receive all crucial info about your environment creates a risky scenario to put yourself in. Therefore, having knowledge of the significant events taking place in your community can prove very effective in keeping you safe and up to date.