NCJ Number
168585
Date Published
1996
Length
4 pages
Annotation
An 18-month study supported by the National Institute of Justice has been initiated to understand how homicide has changed since 1980 in three U.S. cities; to determine neighborhood-level correlates of homicide victimization and offending, with special emphasis on explanations of changes in homicide types; and to provide preliminary assessments of the impact of policing, welfare, educational, and recreational policies on homicide levels and types in the three cities.
Abstract
Data are being collected on all homicide cases for the 1980- 1994 period from police departments in Philadelphia and St. Louis, and data collection is proposed for Phoenix. These cities have been selected for their geographic diversity and variation in the level of homicide victimization. Data collection will record information on victim and offender characteristics, assault methods, and drug-alcohol use. The project will incorporate spatial models for the three cities using mapping software to reference economic and social characteristics of neighborhoods. Information gained from interviews with selected city personnel and from analyses of resource allocation in each policy area will be used to address whether differences in programming and allocation bear any relation to changes in the amount or type of homicide experienced in the three cities. 9 references and 3 figures