Del Tachi
Republican95
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« on: November 18, 2021, 04:01:51 PM » |
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As has been said, the "serial killer" era of the 1960s-1990s existed in a kind of goldilocks zone sandwiched between television giving increased attention to violent crime and advanced forensic technology (i.e., DNA profiling) becoming mainstream. Things like cult hysteria and child abduction panicking cannot be teased out as either causes or effects of this broader social phenomenon, though.
Other social factors not yet mentioned in the rise of the mid-20th century American serial killer are community policing and car culture. Policing underwent a pretty noticeable transformation from beat patrols to community-oriented approaches in the 1960s, which generally resulted in more information-sharing between police departments to help identify serial offenders. The personal automobile and Interstate Highway System also gave violent criminals increased opportunity and mobility while creating a sense of anonymity.
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