Amid this recession, even the burglars are out of work

Conventional wisdom has it that as the economy sours, crime picks up. Faced with job losses and few other opportunities, it might be expected that an increasing number of people would turn to illegal acts, such as burglary, to make a living. Except that it's not happening -- not in this recession, anyway.

Many U.S. cities, regardless of size, are seeing fewer burglaries in this period of economic woe. In Minneapolis, the number of burglaries reported during roughly the first nine months of the year fell more than 15% compared to the same span a year ago, The Associated Press reported. Compared to 2007, the decrease is even more dramatic -- down 25%.