Criminal Justice Chapter 2

Crime statistics

render a comprehensive picture of crime-powerful tool for social policy analysis

Crime

is a very complex and difficult to quantify

Public opinion about crime

is not always realistic nor is it based upon careful consideration of statistics

Crime dominates

our newspapers, our televised news reports and many of our entertainment products

Researchers who have studied the amount of space us newspapers devote to crime indicate that

25-30% of the total coverage of a sample of papers deals with crimes

Primary Sources of crime data

1.Uniform crime reports (UCR), 2.Self-report Surveys, 3.National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

Two major sources of crime statistics when collecting crime data

Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program, The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)

UCR

Statistical reporting program run by the FBI and publishes Crime in the United States annually

NCVS

Annual survey of selected American households Conducted by the bureau of Justice Statistics

The UCR/NIBRS Program

Approx. 18,0000 law enforcement agencies provide crime information to the program,Original UCR Program included a Crime Index which permitted comparisons over time

Crime Index part I offenses

murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson (added in 1979) (Part 1 offenses), crime index was discontinued in 2004

Part II Offenses

Generally less serious. Includes a number of social order and victimless crimes, Ex: forgery, other assaults, receiving stolen property, etc...

3 methods to express crime data

Number of crimes reported and arrests made, Crime Rate, Changes in the number and rate of crime over time

Crime Rate

calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by the number of people in the county, Expressed as a rate per 100,000

Clearance rate

number of crimes solved expressed as a percentage of the total number of crimes reported to police, Traditionally slightly more than 20% of all reported index crimes are cleared by arrest each year, Higher for violent crimes than property offenses (highes

The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)

Development initiated in 1988, A significant redesign of the original UCR Program, Incident driven, not summary based, Gathers many details about each criminal incident

What details are gathered when talking about NIBRS

Place of occurrence, weapon used, type and value of property damaged or stolen, personal characteristics of the offender and victim

NIBRS Includes

22 general offenses

FBI began accepting crime data in NIBRS format

in January 1989, The NIBRS format has not been fully adopted

NIBRS

Attempting to enhance the quantity, quality, and timeliness of crime-data collection by law enforcement agencies

Historical Trends

3 major shifts in crime rates since the beginning of the UCR program

first shift occurred

in early 1940's, A decrease in crime due to the large number of young men who entered military service during WWII,

The 2nd shift was

between 1960 and the early 1990's with an increase in crime, Post war baby boomers reaching crime prone age , Modified reporting requirements made it less stressful for victims to file police reports, Growing professionalization of some police departments

The third major shift

reported a decline in crime rates between 1991 and 2009, National effort to combat crime, Stronger, better-prepared criminal justice agencies, Strong victims; movement, Sentencing reform, Growth in the use of incarceration, "war on drugs", advances in for

fourth shift

in crime trends seems to be starting now, PERF reports, Third Way report titled The Impending Crime Wave, "The reentry explosion", "The lengthening shadow of illegal immigration", "The sprawling parentless neighborhood of the Internet", "The surging youth

Reasons for Crime Trends

Age, Economy, Social malaise, Abortion, Guns, Gangs, Drug use, Media, Medical technology, Justice policy, Crime opportunities

Part I Offenses

Murder, Date Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Assault, Burglary, Larceny-Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft, Arson

Murder

The unlawful killing of a human being, Smallest numerical category in Part I offenses, Rates peak in the warmest months, Most common in the southern states, Firearms are the weapons most often used, The offender is usually at least an acquaintance, Spree

Forcible Rape

The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will

Sexual battery

The intentional and wrongful physical contact with a person, without consent

Date Rape

Forced sexual intercourse that occurs within the context of a dating relationship, Most rapes are committed by acquaintances

Robbery

The unlawful taking or attempted taking of property that is in the immediate possession of another by force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear, Individuals most common target of robbers, UCR/NIBRS Program scores a robbery as one robbery, eve

Aggravated Assault

Inflicting serious injury upon the person of another, Most frequent in the summer months, Most aggravated assaults are committed with blunt objects or objects near at hand, Often know their victims

Assault

Inflicting injury upon the person of another

Burglary

The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft, Clearance rate for burglary is law, Burglars usually do not know their victims

Larceny-Theft

The unlawful taking or attempted taking of property from the possession of another, The most common of the eight major offenses

Motor Vehicle Theft

Self-propelled vehicles that run on the ground and not on rails, Most insurance companies require police reports before they will reimburse car owners for their losses

Arson

Any willful or malicious burning, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling, public building, motor vehicle, and so on

National Crime Victimization Survey

Based on interviews with persons in approximately 80,000 households, 150,000 people age 12 and older, People report victimization experiences, Includes questions about victim's perceptions of d/a abuse, protective actions taken by victim, police response,

The National Crime Victimization Survey designed

to estimate the occurrence of all crimes, whether reported or not

Dark figure of crime

Crimes that are not reported to the police

Measures six crimes

Rape, Household burglary, Robbery, Personal/household larceny, Assault , Motor vehicle theft, Murder not included in NCVS

Problems with the UCR/NIBRS

Not all people report when they are victimized, Certain kinds of crimes are reported rarely, if at all, Victims' reports may not be entirely accurate, Inaccuracies may enter the data as it is filtered through a number of levels

Issues with the NCVS

Respondents relate events which may or may not have been crimes, Some victims are afraid to report crimes even to non police interviewers, Details about the crimes come directly from the victim with no attempt to validate the information against police re

Self-Report Surveys

Another way to measure crime is to survey people about their own criminal activity, Disclosed that much criminal activity is not reported to officials, Most focus on juvenile delinquency, youth crime, prison inmates and drug users, Administer to groups of

Special Categories of Crime

Crime typology, crime against women, stalking, elderly crime, hate crime, crimes motivated by gender, bias crime, corporate crime, white collar crime, organized crime, gun crime, drug crime, computer crime, terrorism

Crime Typology

A classification of crimes along a particular dimension

Crime against women

Overall U.S. rate of violent victimization is about 25 per 1,000 males and 18 per 1,000 females

When women become victims of violent crime

they are more likely than men to be injured

Stalking

Repeated harassing and threatening behavior which may be planned or carried out in secret

Crime Against Women findings

Findings from National Violence against Women Survey (NVAWS), Physical assault is widespread among American women, Eighteen percent of women experienced a completed or attempted rape at some time in their lives

Violence against women is primarily

partner violence, Eight percent of surveyed women and two percent of surveyed men said they have been stalked at some time in their lives, Violence against Women Act (VAWA) 1994, Educate police, prosecutors, judges about the special needs of female victim

WOmen's crime perks

Encourage pro-arrest policies in cases of domestic abuse, Provide specialized services for female victims, Fund battered women's shelters, Support rape education, Cyberstalking

Crime Against the Elderly

Criminal victimization seems to decline with age

In general

elderly crime victims are more likely than younger victims to, Be victims of property crime, Face offenders who are armed with guns, Be victimized by strangers, Be victimized in or near their homes during daylight hours, Report their victimization to the

Hate Crime

A criminal offense committed against a person that is motivated by the offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin, Most hate crimes consist of intimidation, Vandalism, simple assault, aggravated

Identification doctrine

Corporations treated as separate legal entities, Can be convicted of violations of criminal law

Corporate crime

A violation of criminal statute by a corporate entity or by its executives, employees, or agents for the benefit of the corporation

White-Collar Crime

Violations of criminal law committed by persons of respectability in the course of their occupation

Organized Crime

The unlawful activities of the members of a highly organized, disciplined association engaged in supplying illegal goods or services

Transnational Organized Crime

Unlawful activity undertaken and supported by organized criminal groups operating across national boundaries

Gun Crime

Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1994), Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban (1996), Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act (2005), District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)

Drug Crime

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimates annual illicit drug sales in the United States of around $65 billion, Drug law violations continue to increase

Malware

Malicious computer programs such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses

Computer Crime

Any crime perpetuated through the use of computer technology, Theft of services, Communications in furtherance of criminal conspiracies, Information piracy and forgery

High-Technology and Computer Crime

Dissemination of offensive materials, Electronic money laundering, Electronic vandalism and terrorism, Telemarketing fraud, Illegal interception of telecommunications, Electronic funds transfer fraud

Computer Virus

Computer program designed to secretly invade systems and may effectively vandalize computers of all types and sizes

Spam

Unsolicited commercial bulk e-mail whose primary purpose is the advertisement or promotion of a commercial product or service

Terrorism

A violent act or an act dangerous to human life in violation of the criminal laws of the U. S. or of any state, committed to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objective

Types of Terrorism

Domestic Terrorism, International Terrorism, Cyberterrorism