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DELINQUENCY IN THE WARSAW AREA - ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

NCJ Number
68625
Journal
Archiwum Kryminologii Volume: 7 Dated: (1976) Pages: 141-263
Author(s)
A KOSSOWSKA
Date Published
1976
Length
123 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF THE ECOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF WARSAW, POLAND'S LARGEST CITY, SHOW THAT MOST OFFENSES ARE COMMITTED IN THE CENTRAL AND INDUSTRIAL DISTRICTS.
Abstract
THE STUDY COVERED 82.4 PERCENT (20,257) OF ALL THE OFFENSES COMMITTED AND REPORTED TO THE WARSAW POLICE IN THE YEARS 1965, 1968, AND 1971. ALTHOUGH THE NUMBER OF OFFENSES FOR WARSAW WAS HIGHER THAN THE AVERAGE FOR POLAND, IT WAS NOT THE HIGHEST OF ALL THE CITIES. THE EXISTING DIVISION OF WARSAW INTO SEVEN ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS (FIVE DISTRICTS ON THE LEFT BANK OF THE VISTULA RIVER, AND TWO ON THE RIGHT BANK) SERVED AS THE BASIS OF THE STUDY. THE NUMBER OF OFFENSES WAS HIGHEST IN THE MIDTOWN DISTRICT, SITUATED ON THE LEFT BANK, AND IN PRAGA NORTH, WHICH SERVES AS THE CENTER FOR THE CITY AND SUBURBS ON THE RIGHT BANK. PRAGA NORTH IS ALSO ONE OF THE DISTRICTS WITH THE BIGGEST CONCENTRATION OF INDUSTRY, WITH THE LARGEST NUMBER OF INDUSTRIALLY EMPLOYED RESIDENTS. THE AVERAGE COEFFICIENT OF OFFENSES PER 10,000 INHABITANTS OVER 3 YEARS WAS 377.3 FOR MIDTOWN AND 325.4 FOR PRAGA NORTH. IN THE REMAINING FIVE DISTRICTS THE AVERAGE COEFFICIENT RANGED FROM 159.0 TO 218.4. THE ANALYSIS OF THE DATA ON THE ADULT OFFENDERS SHOWED THAT THE MIDTOWN AND PRAGA NORTH DISTRICTS HAD THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF OFFENSES COMMITTED OUTSIDE THE PLACE OF RESIDENCE. THE FACT THAT THE MAJORITY OF OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED IN THE COMMERCIAL AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS OF THE CITY IS EXPLAINED BY THE GREATER INFLUX OF PEOPLE AND THE ANONYMITY OF THE HUMAN CROWD. HOWEVER, IT WAS NOT CLEAR WHY THE DATA ON JUVENILE OFFENDERS SHOWED MIDTOWN AS THE PLACE OF RESIDENCE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE JUVENILE OFFENDERS. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED.