Though there haven’t been media reports of attacks on 2010 Census employees for a couple of months now, so let’s hope that this recent incident in Kentucky is an isolated one:
http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/101074709.html
Interesting article from TPM Muckraker:
There were 409 threats or assaults on Census workers making home visits between May and last Friday, 24 of which were animal attacks and 13 of which involved shots fired, according to data given to TPMmuckraker by the Census Bureau.
The Washington Post had a good story Sunday looking at the hazards of Census work. The paper noted that this year has seen more than double the 181 incidents reported last time around, in 2000.
Census Spokeswoman Shelly Lowe tells us in an email that the jump “is due in part to an increase in households and a more rigorous tracking system.”
Here’s the breakdown of the 409 incidents so far:
- In 10 cases the Census worker was robbed, carjacked, or held against his or her will.
- In 13 cases shots were fired.
- There were 24 animal attacks or threats.
- There were 101 verbal assaults or threats.
- In 132 cases a weapon was pulled or use of a weapon was threatened.
There were 88 physical assaults.
From Marion Ohio: Bond is $100,000 for a man being held on a felonious assault charge after allegedly hitting a United States Census worker with a baseball bat.
