NCJ Number
31022
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 54 Issue: 2 Dated: (DECEMBER 1975) Pages: 441-451
Date Published
1975
Length
11 pages
Annotation
TWO HYPOTHESES CONCERNING THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARREST RATES FOR MAJOR AND MINOR OFFENSES ARE TESTED USING 1971 AND 1972 ARREST DATA FROM FLORIDA MUNICIPALITIES.
Abstract
THE DISPLACEMENT HYPOTHESIS POSTULATES AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARRESTS FOR MINOR AND SERIOUS CRIMES WHICH RESULTS FROM SHIFTING DEPLOYMENT PATTERNS IN RESPONSE TO PERIODIC CHANGES IN THE VOLUME OF SERIOUS CRIME. THE DRAGNET HYPOTHESIS POSTULATES A DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE TWO ARREST RATES WHICH RESULTS FROM ACCOMMODATIVE ADJUSTMENTS BY THE POLICE TO THE LEGAL CONSTRAINTS OF A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, AND THE SITUATIONAL CONSTRAINTS OF PRACTICAL LAW ENFORCEMENT. THE RESULTS, GENERATED BY REGRESSION ANALYSIS, PROVED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH THE DRAGNET ARGUMENT AND CONTRARY TO THE DISPLACEMENT HYPOTHESIS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)