NCJ Number
48235
Date Published
1976
Length
8 pages
Annotation
RECENT CRIME TRENDS IN THE KASHIMA AREA, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AND SOCIAL DEFENSE ORGANIZATIONS, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME, AND A FUTURE PERSPECTIVE ARE THE SUBJECTS CONSIDERED.
Abstract
CONCLUSIONS FROM RESEARCH PROJECTS CONDUCTED THUS FAR IN THE KASHIMA AREA AND REPORTED IN PREVIOUS ISSUES OF THE BULLETIN OF THE CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH DEPARTMENT ARE SUMMARIZED. IN EXAMINING RECENT TRENDS OF CRIME IN THE KASHIMA AREA, IT IS NOTED THAT CRIME BEGAN INCREASING IN 1964, ABOUT A YEAR AFTER CONSTRUCTION BEGAN ON THE KASHIMA DEVELOPMENT PROJECT WHICH IS A LARGE SEASHORE INDUSTRIAL ZONE SURROUNDED BY A RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT. CRIME DECREASED IN 1972 AFTER THE INITIAL STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT HAD BEEN COMPLETED. LARCENY AND GROSS NEGLIGENCE CAUSING DEATH OR INJURY, WHICH INCREASED SHARPLY DURING THE PEAK PERIOD OF CONSTRUCTION, DECREASED; HOWEVER, THIS DECLINE HAS BEEN OFFSET SOMEWHAT BY AN INCREASE IN FRAUD AND EMBEZZLEMENT. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT CRIME IS CHANGING FROM A RURAL TO AN URBAN ORIENTATION. THE STRUCTURE AND ACTIVITIES OF PUBLIC AND SEMIPUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS DEVOTED TO SOCIAL DEFENSE ARE DISCUSSED. THE ACTIVITIES OF THE KASHIMA POLICE STATION IN CRIME PREVENTION AND JUVENILE DELINQUENCY HAVE BEEN REASONABLY SUCCESSFUL, ALTHOUGH IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES BE CONSIDERED IN ADVANCE AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL SO THAT PLANS MAY BE IMPLEMENTED TO MEET THE PROGRESS OF DEVELOPMENT AND CHANGE. MANY SEMIPUBLIC ORGANIZATIONS HAVE BEEN FORMED IN RESPONSE TO THE SOCIAL CHANGES ACCOMPANYING THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE SOCIOPATHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA ARISING FROM SUCH CHANGE. ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONSEQUENCES OF CRIME ARE EXAMINED IN TERMS OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EXPENDITURES FOR CRIME PREVENTION AND LOSSES INCURRED BY VICTIMS OF CRIME. PUBLIC EXPENDITURES HAVE BEEN ALLOCATED PRIMARILY FOR TRAFFIC CONTROL AND GUIDANCE SERVICES, THEN SECURITY SERVICES, FOLLOWED BY EXPENDITURES FOR CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION AND CONTROL. PRIVATE EXPENDITURES FOR CRIME PREVENTION HAVE BEEN QUITE LARGE. IN EXAMINING LOSSES BY VICTIMS OF CRIME, INCIDENTS OF LARCENY IN THE KASHIMA AREA WERE CONSIDERED ABOVE AVERAGE. IT IS URGED THAT A WELL-DEFINED SOCIAL DEFENSE PLAN BE READY FOR IMPLEMENTATION AT EACH STAGE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. (RCB)