(Washington, DC)  --  Police chiefs around the country say the economic downturn is causing certain types of crime to rise.

   What could make it worse is the fact more than 60 percent of the police departments surveyed have plans to cut their funding in the next fiscal year.

   Those budget cuts may mean extra patrols and special police units won't be available.

   In recent weeks, the Police Executive Research Forum surveyed about 230 police departments in the U.S.

   About 44 percent of the respondents said crimes like robberies and burglaries are going up because of the economic crisis.
   Some sociologists point out crime rates have increased during every recession since the late 1950s.


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