NCJ Number
126620
Journal
Journal of Quantitative Criminology Volume: 6 Issue: 2 Dated: (September 1990) Pages: 293-314
Date Published
1990
Length
22 pages
Annotation
This study addresses the problem of estimating the total number of offenders in two homogenous groups in Vancouver, British Columbia: migrating fugitives and street prostitutes. Capture-recapture analysis, used to estimate wildlife abundance, provides a way to estimate the unknown size of a closed population by determining the number of duplicate draws during the selection process.
Abstract
This paper uses mathematical equations to demonstrate how the capture-recapture analysis can be adapted to the estimation of the size of criminal populations. However, the importance of recognizing heterogenity is recognized as different types of violators defy the assumptions of the analysis in different ways. Behavioral responses to police contact, evidenced by lower than anticipated encounter rates, can be compensated for by using other sources of data. 5 tables, 6 figures, and 31 references (Author abstract modified)