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PATTERNS OF URBAN CRIME (FROM SAMPLE SURVEYS OF THE VICTIMS OF CRIME, 1976, BY WESLEY G SKOGAN - SEE NCJ-38967)

NCJ Number
46904
Author(s)
B BOLAND
Date Published
1976
Length
15 pages
Annotation
NEW AND PAST DATA ARE UTILIZED TO REVIEW WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT HOW CRIME AFFECTS THE RESIDENTS OF LARGE CITIES AND WHAT FACTORS SEEM TO ACCOUNT FOR OBSERVED DIFFERENCES IN CRIME RATES AMONG CITIES.
Abstract
DATA COLLECTED BY THE CENSUS BUREAU THROUGH INTERVIEWS IN 26 OF THE LARGEST CITIES OF THE U.S. IN 1972 IS EXAMINED IN COMPARISON TO PAST STUDIES. CRIME RATES WERE COMPUTED FOR EACH CITY BASED ON POPULATION; CONSISTENT WITH PAST OBSERVATIONS BASED ON INDEX CRIME DATA, THE RATE OF PROPERTY CRIME (BURGLARY, AUTO THEFT, AND LARCENY) IS FOUR TO SIX TIMES A GREAT AS THE RATE OF VIOLENT PERSONAL CRIME (RAPE, ROBBERY, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT). IN EACH CITY, THE LEAST FREQUENT CRIME WAS RAPE, WITH RATES RANGING FROM 1 TO 4 RAPES OR ATTEMPTED RAPES PER 1,000 RESIDENTS. THE MOST FREQUENT CRIME IN ALL BUT 3 CITIES WAS HOUSEHOLD LARCENY, WHICH RANGED FROM A HIGH OF 230 LARCENIES PER 1,000 POPULATION IN SAN DIEGO, CALIF., TO A LOW OF 60 PER 1,000 POPULATION IN NEW YORK. IN NEW YORK, NEWARK, N.J., AND OAKLAND, CALIF., THE MOST FREQUENT CRIME WAS BURGLARY. ON THE AVERAGE, THE RESIDENTS OF THE 26 CITIES REPORTED BEING THE VICTIM OF 250 INDEX CRIME PER 1,000 RESIDENTS DURING THE YEAR PRECEDING THE SURVEY. RESIDENTS OF DENVER (COLO.) AND MINNEAPOLIS (MINN.) REPORTED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF INDEX CRIMES -- ABOUT 380 PER 1,000 RESIDENTS -- AND RESIDENTS OF MIAMI (FLA.) AND WASHINGTON (D.C.) THE LOWEST -- ABOUT 180 PER 1,000 RESIDENTS. FOCUSING SPECIFICALLY ON ROBBERY PRESENTS A RELIABLE PICUTRE OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A SAFE OR UNSAFE CITY. THOSE WITH ROBBERY RATES ABOVE A MEAN LEVEL OF 25 PER 1,000 RESIDENTS ARE GENERALLY CHARACTERIZED AS UNSAFE AND INCLUDE PREDOMINATELY OLDER NORTHEASTERN OR NORTHCENTRAL CITIES -- NEW YORK, BOSTON (MASS.), DETROIT (MICH.), AND NEWARK (N.J.). SOUTHERN AND WESTERN CITIES, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SAN FRANCISCO AND OAKLAND, TYPICALLY ENJOY ROBBERY RATES WHICH ARE BELOW THE SAMPLE AVERAGE. THE DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIMS AND OFFENDERS ARE EXAMINED, AND CRIME PATTERNS ARE DISCUSSED. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT PATTERNS OF CRIME IN GENERAL SUGGEST THAT A VARIETY OF CAUSAL PHENOMENA MUST BE CONSIDERED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE LEVEL AND PATTERN OF CRIME FOR A PARTICULAR AREA. FROM THE POINT OF VIEW OF CRIME CONTROL, IT IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER THE FINDINGS OF AN ANALYTIC APPROACH TO CRIME STATISTIC THAT FOCUSES ON THE ROLE OF CONDITIONS OR CIRCUMSTANCES THAT CAN BE ALTERED BY GOVERNMENT OR PRIVATE ACTION. TABULAR BREAKDOWNS OF THE CENSUS BUREAU SURVEY DATA ARE PROVIDED, AS ARE REFERENCE NOTES . (KBL)

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