Weekly Highlights: Declining Crime Rates in America, Along with Additional Developments

In the United States, 2024 marked a remarkable year for public safety as property crime saw the largest year-on-year decline on record, and overall violent crime decreased by 4.4%, reaching levels not seen since the 1960s. The US murder rate also experienced a sharp decline, dropping by 14.9%. [Property crime, violent crime, murder rate]

Meanwhile, across the pond, conservation efforts have yielded remarkable results. The recovery of 150 on-the-brink species in England has been hailed as a conservation success story. Notable successes include the first wild-hatched red-billed chough (pictured) chick in Kent for more than 200 years, the reintroduction of black grouse to the North Yorkshire Moors, and the return of the large marsh grasshopper to the Norfolk Broads after an 85-year absence. [Conservation successes]

The UK government's £13m species recovery project, which funded habitat restoration and species reintroduction across England, has turned the tide for some of its most imperilled plants and animals. The project, launched in 2023 and running until 2025, was initiated and funded by Natural England to conserve over 150 threatened animal and plant species through habitat restoration, breeding, and translocation projects. [UK species recovery project]

The Kielder Forest in Northumberland is a potential location for the reintroduction of the lynx, a species that was hunted to extinction in the UK around 1300 years ago. The reintroduction of the lynx has been controversial due to concerns about its potential impact on livestock, but a year-long consultation found that 72% of people around the Kielder Forest support the move. As part of its work, the project took local farmers to Europe to visit lynx projects and meet farmers who already live alongside the cats. [Lynx reintroduction]

In other positive news, Lauren Harrison, a sheep farmer from Hadrian's Wall, expressed optimism about living alongside lynx with minimal risks to livestock and many benefits, including tourism and a more balanced ecosystem. [Lynx and farming]

On a global scale, figures showing a collapse in global fur production have been described as "perhaps the biggest animal welfare campaign success story of the 21st century." In 2014, more than 140m minx, foxes, chinchillas, and raccoon dogs were killed for their fur. As of last year, that figure had dropped to 20m. [Global fur production decline]

Looking ahead, Jeff Asher, who analyzes crime data for the Real-Time Crime Index, stated that 2025 is on-track to be safer still. [Crime trend for 2025]

Lastly, China is preparing to launch a new prototype of the levitating electromagnetic train capable of traveling at 370mph. Currently, China only operates one maglev train. [China's maglev train]

These developments underscore a year of significant achievements across various fields, from public safety to conservation and technology. As we move forward, it's clear that progress continues to be made in these areas, offering hope for a safer, more balanced, and more compassionate world. [Conclusion]