Heat medically connected to crime increase
As the temperatures increase, it’s almost a given that so do the crime rates.
The Callaway County Sheriff’s Office shared the number of calls they responded to each month in 2015. February was their lowest month with 1,430 calls. July was their highest month with 1,886 calls. October (1,813), May (1,805), August (1,782), and September (1,781) rounded out the top five.
Lt. Clay Chism with the Callaway County Sheriff’s Office estimates a crime increase of about 5 to 10 percent from March through October.
“Not any certain type of crime,” Chism said, “just crime throughout the county. And that’s just because more people are out and about, more people are drinking.”
But the heat actually has a psychological effect on people. According to medical experts, the heat can make normally calm people become overly irritated and make impulse decisions.
According to Dr. Chadd Kraus with the University of Missouri Health System, the heat can raise your heart rate and blood pressure.
“So when things happen like someone pulls in front of us on the highway, we may just be at a heightened feeling of anxiety and aggression compared to what we normally would be when the temperature is normal,” Dr. Kraus said.
Dr. Kraus says dehydration can amplify these effects, so drinking enough water is key. He says iced coffee or soda, while they give the feeling of cooling off, contribute to dehydration.
“Water is still the best option.”
Lt. Chism also recommends using common sense and letting your emotions calm down before making decisions.
“When people make decisions in the heat of the moment, when emotions are high, sometimes they aren’t the best decision and sometimes those decisions end up being a criminal manner.”
Law enforcement officials recommend letting aggressive drivers pass you and removing yourself from a situation with an aggressive driver. But if someone continues to follow you, they recommend going to a public place like a mall or shopping plaza. But possibly the best place to end up is the nearest police station, to let them handle the situation.
