U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Victims and Police in Belgrade

NCJ Number
178446
Journal
International Review of Victimology Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 1998 Pages: 49-62
Author(s)
Vesna Nikolic-Ristanovic
Date Published
1998
Length
14 pages
Annotation
This paper presents the findings of the first (pilot) victimization survey conducted during 1996 in Belgrade (Serbia) as part of the International Crime (Victim) Survey (ICS).
Abstract
For the purposes of this survey, standard ICS questionnaires and methodology, with some necessary corrections, were used. The random sample consisted of 1,094 respondents living in central Belgrade's communes. This study focuses on data that measured respondents' willingness to report crimes to the police, their reasons for not reporting crimes to the police, and their attitudes toward the police, i.e., their level of confidence in and their reasons for dissatisfaction with the police. Survey findings are analyzed in connection with various crimes, bearing in mind macro factors, such as war and economic crises, that have contributed to the decrease in both the crime reporting rate and the level of confidence in the police. The author concludes that the survey draws attention to the sensitive relationship between citizens and police in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, suggesting an urgent need for radical reforms in the organization, control, training, and education of the police regarding human rights in general and victims' rights in particular. 4 tables, 7 notes, and 14 references