D
The violent crime rate (number of violent crimes per 1, 000 residents) in Meadowbrook is 60 percent higher now than it was four years ago. The corresponding increase for Parkdale is only 10 percent. These figures support the conclusion that residents of Meadowbrook are more likely to become victims of violent crime than are residents of Parkdale. The argument above is flawed because it fails to take into account
A: the ratio of violent to nonviolent crimes committed during the past four years in Meadowbrook and Parkdale
B: changes in the population density of both Parkdale and Meadowbrook over the past four years
C: how Meadowbrook's expenditures for crime prevention over the past four years compare to Parkdale's expenditures
D: the violent crime rates in Meadowbrook and Parkdale four years ago