If you flood the area with cops with a low-tolerance brief, crime statistics will rise.
If you make a list of sound-bite headlines you'll come up with plenty. Look deeper.
No doubt there are criminals hiding amongst the legitimate protesters. But when you see these reports of "man arrested at OWS for ..." ask yourself, did the other protesters cooperate with the police in identifying and detaining? Or did they resist this? I'm yet to hear of a case where someone accused of a non-protest related crime was protected by the protesters.
Most of the people at Occupy movements are there with the aim of saving society, not preying upon it. The actions of a few, who may just be using the crowd for their own purposes, should not blind us to that.
Here's an analogy. Consider Merc's list of headlines. Now imagine a corresponding list of every bad headline about the US military, both the misdeeds actually committed and the unfair accusations. I'm talking anything from thrill killing in Afghanistan to a bar brawl in Okinawa. Should this list taint the reputation of all military people as a bunch of thugs who should be ignored? No. Absolutely not. Nor should the actions of the fringe at OWS taint the whole movement.
ETA: actually came here to say ... feel the love, man:
