Some Stats on Willingness to Commit a Crime

Some readers know that for several years, this mystery writer was disguised as a bank manager.  (Ha!  Do I look like one in this recent photo?)

Yes, I managed a branch in one of the biggest metropolitan areas (8 million) in the Western World.  This involved meeting a lot of interesting people who would not regularly come into your social circle - people like bank robbers and con artists.

And just as I was disguised as a bank manager, these criminals were disguised as average, everyday people.  Yes, I got pretty good at determining who might be less than honest in their business dealings.

Lots of stories there.  However, today I want to talk about something specific - that being the stats on how many of the population have the potential to join this minority population. (Note this research is approximately 20 years old. I fear it may be too optimistic for today.)

Here they are, as per my training and later teaching in college:

75% of people will be honest on a handshake.

20% of people may try to cheat you if they think they can get away with it.  (In banking terms, we say you need their signature to hold them to their word.) 

And 5% of people will try to cheat you, even if you have their signature.

I've always found this fascinating.  Like many people in that 75%, honour - integrity - is important to me, and I was taught that cheating is dishonorable.  (That's how I see it.  Others may see it differently.) I don't cheat, even when there is little to no chance of being caught. I would find it hard to live with myself.

This is the ultimate test, of course.  Do you cheat if you think there is little chance of being caught? 

The 5% of people - often sociopaths - are something I take for granted now, after years in banking.  They will do what they like if it is in their favour, without much care as to how it hurts other people.  They are perhaps the least interesting of the criminal class, from the point of view of this writer.  Our laws and prison penalties are necessary to manage their behaviour.  The stick as opposed to the carrot, so to speak.

What I find fascinating is the 20%.  On a mild level, I can use the example of people who will park in handicap spots when they aren't handicapped, because they think they can get away with it.  Also, people who might cheat on exams or essays.  I have heard someone who might fit into this category say, "I like to see if I can beat the system."   

It's this 20% that I find most interesting to write about.  People who would normally not take the risk of doing something against the law, but - occasionally if they think they could get away with it - might, if the gain is great.  Again - speaking as a mystery author - this category is where the most interesting murders take place.

I am fascinated by motivation.  What would convince someone to murder another person, when I wouldn't, given the same situation?  What would push them over the edge?

Now, there are always exceptions.  I expect a parent - even one basically honest and in the 75% - would be compelled to act against someone who threatened their children.  These situations could push most anyone over the edge.

But murder for monetary gain?  That is a very interesting motivation for a mystery writer, and I'm no exception.

Um...caveat here.  I murder people regularly in my books for monetary gain (thank you for that nice publisher advance!) But only in books.  Honest.

Melodie Campbell can honestly say she's never murdered anyone, except on paper.  After 22 books and 60 short stories, that's a lot of crime!  Pizza Wars is her latest madcap comedy, available on Amazon from Gemma Books (Boston.)