NCJ Number
116214
Date Published
1985
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of a city-specific index of the prevalence of gun ownership and its relevance to inter-city robbery patterns for 49 cities and three time periods between 1969 and 1980.
Abstract
This study reports values for the Gun Prevalence Index for 49 cities in the three time periods of 1969-1972, 1973-1976, and 1977-1980 using research results from an earlier study. The data presented shows that the intercity structure of gun prevalence is stable although a regional component was identified in the cities of the Northeast and Pacific that are characterized by low Gun Prevalence Index values. Contrary to the previous study, evidence is presented here that shows that the Gun Prevalence Index is not a valid indicator of intertemporal variations in gun prevalence. It is recommended that the Gun Prevalence Index should not be used in statistical work involving intertemporal data, but that it can be utilized in statistical work involving cross-section data. 2 references, 6 tables.