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