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Study of the Increased Rate of Unsolved Criminal Homicide in San Diego, California and Its Relationship to Police Investigative Effectiveness

NCJ Number
91835
Journal
American Journal of Police Volume: 2 Issue: 2 Dated: (Spring 1983) Pages: 149-166
Author(s)
J N Gilbert
Date Published
1983
Length
18 pages
Annotation
A study of criminal homicide was conducted for the period 1970-80, using San Diego, Calif., as the data collection site. Two main questions were studied.
Abstract
The first was why criminal homicide has increased at a rate which is disproportionate to the population growth, while the second was what methodology could the criminal justice system use to reduce the escalating trend. Specific types of data analyzed included an analysis of perpetrator and victim by race, sex, and relationship; motive and weapon used; clearance patterns; crime scene sites; sex of perpetrator and victim; and an overall focus upon cases involving a perpetrator who was a stranger of the victim. From 1970 to 1980, the population of San Diego increased 27 percent while its criminal homicide rate increased 170 percent. In 1970, the police cleared 93 percent of their criminal homicides, while in 1980 only 67 percent were cleared by arrest. The main reason for this decrease in clearance is the rapid growth of the stranger-to-stranger homicide. To increase their effectiveness in clearing stranger-to-stranger homicides, police administrators must seek nontraditional methods of case reduction, such as focusing patrol divisions on preventing more of these homicides and using experienced robbery and narcotics investigators via an interdepartmental task force. Tables, 7 notes, and 15 references are supplied.

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