The high unemployment rate and recession has claimed another victim. Those poor, poor burglars.

With a lot more unemployed people, a lot more people are staying home, and they see more in their neighborhood,” said Sgt. Thomas Lasater, who supervises the burglary unit of the police department in St. Louis County, Mo., where authorities recorded a whopping 35 percent drop in burglaries during the first six months of 2009. The trend is showing up in communities big and small.

I’ll tell you what industry is thriving though; shady motels. You can’t just head home for some afternoon delight or even to cheat on a spouse. People are all up underneath your window shades. You gotta visit the hotel on the corner and get a room by the hour.

Half hour.

Ten minutes if I think about baseball.

Recession’s good news: Cities see burglaries fall (MSNBC)