FINDINGS ABOUT CHANGING PATTERNS IN THE USE OF WEAPONS IN THE COMMISSION OF CERTAIN VIOLENT PERSONAL CRIMES AND IN IN THE REPORTING OF THE MEASURED OFFENSES TO THE POLICE ALSO ARE INCLUDED. THE STUDY CONTAINS A SEPARATE SECTION FOR EACH CITY, TOGETHER WITH INTRODUCTORY, SUMMARY, AND TECHNICAL INFORMATION. INCLUDED FOR EACH CITY ARE 20 TABLES PROVIDING SELECTED DATA DERIVED FROM THE SURVEYS. ALL ANALYSIS IN THE REPORT IS BASED ON INFORMATION IN THESE TABLES. VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN THE MAJOR CITIES HAVE MEASURED THE EXTENT TO WHICH RESIDENTS AGE 12 AND OVER, HOUSEHOLDS, AND PLACES OF BUSINESS WERE VICTIMIZED BY SELECTED CRIMES, WHETHER COMPLETED OR ATTEMPTED, THAT ARE OF MAJOR CONCERN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. FOR CRIMES COMMITTED AGAINST PERSONS, THE OFFENSES WERE RAPE, ROBBERY, ASSAULT, AND PERSONAL LARCENY; FOR HOUSEHOLDS, THEY WERE BURGLARY, LARCENY AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT; AND FOR COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS, THEY WERE ROBBERY AND BURGLARY. A DESCRIPTION OF THE CRIMES AND OF CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURES, AS WELL AS A DISCUSSION OF REASONS WHY OTHER TYPES OF CRIMINAL ACTS WERE NOT COUNTED BY THE SURVEYS, ARE ALSO INCLUDED. CARRIED OUT DURING JULY THROUGH NOVEMBER 1972, THE INITIAL SURVEYS IN THE EIGHT CITIES COVERED CRIMES THAT TOOK PLACE DURING THE 12 MONTHS PRECEDING THE MONTH OF INTERVIEW. THE SECOND ROUND OF SURVEYS WAS CONDUCTED DURING THE FIRST QUARTER OF 1975 AND COVERED CRIME THAT OCCURRED IN A 12-MONTH TIME FRAME NEARLY COMPARABLE WITH CALENDAR YEAR 1974. APPENDED MATERIALS INCLUDE SAMPLE SURVEY INSTRUMENTS AND DISCUSSIONS ON THE RELIABILITY OF ESTIMATES AND SOURCES OF ERROR FOR THE HOUSEHOLD AND COMMERCIAL SURVEYS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED) (SNI ABSTRACT)