Present Perfect vs Past Simple
I read this question on italki:

We are in 2018. If you mean crime rose/has risen from 2014 to 2017 , would you say "Crime rose over the past four years" or "Crime has risen over the four past years"?

People answered that the correct verb tense was "Crime has risen over the four past years".

However, I've learnt that you have to use the Past Simple tense when the action started in the past, finished in the past, and is not continuing now. So, as we are already in 2018 the correct sentence should be "Crime rose over the past four years" shouldn't it?.

Could you help me to understand it, please?

Question

Present Perfect vs Past Simple
I read this question on italki:

We are in 2018. If you mean crime rose/has risen from 2014 to 2017 , would you say "Crime rose over the past four years" or "Crime has risen over the four past years"?

People answered that the correct verb tense was "Crime has risen over the four past years".

However, I've learnt that you have to use the Past Simple tense when the action started in the past, finished in the past, and is not continuing now. So, as we are already in 2018 the correct sentence should be "Crime rose over the past four years" shouldn't it?.

Could you help me to understand it, please?

Answer

Hey. 
"Crime rose over the past four years” and “Crime has risen over the four past years"both refer to an action that was finished in the past. But there is one important difference:"Crime rose over the past four years" suggests that it increased at a specific time in the past.
 “Crime has risen over the four past years” suggests that it increased at an unknown time in the past.
Therefore you use the simple past to talk about a finished action that happened at a specific time. While present prefect to speak about a past action , however you don't know the specific time.

Answer

"Crime has risen over the past four years." -- the sentence does not mention the rise of crime as having finished (present perfect)

"Crime had risen from 2014 to 2017" -- crime began to rise in 2014 and stopped in 2017 (past perfect)

"Crime rose from 2014 to 2017" -- not as grammatically correct as the second one, but also acceptable (past)

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