Crime and Delinquency Lecture D: Measuring Crime

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Crime and DelinquencyLecture D Measuring Crime

• Gene H. Starbuck, Ph.D.
• Mesa State College

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Major Sources of Crime Information

• Official (government) Statistics
• FBI Uniform Crime Report
• Bureau of Justice Statistics National Crime
  Victimization survey
• Other commissioned studies
• Unofficial surveys and studies

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Official Statistics

• Sir Josiah Stamp (1940) The government are
  very keen on amassing statistics. They collect
  them, raise them to the nth power, take the cube
  root, and prepare wonderful diagrams. But you
  must never forget that every one of these figures
  comes in the first instance from the village
  watchman, who just puts down what he damn
  pleases.
• Numbers of Offenses vs. Crime Rates (per 100,000)

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FBI Uniform Crime Report

• Began in 1929. Now covers jurisdictions
  representing 96 of U.S. population.
• Publishes the Crime Index of violent crimes,
  crimes against property, and total offenses.
• See http//www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucrquest.htm

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Offenses per 100,000 Persons, 1977-1999Figure by
Gene H. Starbuck from various FBI Uniform Crime
Report
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The Crime Index

• Violent Crimes
• 1) Murder
• Murder, non-negligent manslaughter, manslaughter
  by negligence
• 2) Rape
• rape by force attempts to commit forcible rape
• counts only female victims
• 3) Robbery
• 4) Aggravated Assault

• Property Crimes
• 5) Burglary
• 6) Larceny-theft (any value)
• 7) Motor-vehicle theft
• 8) Arson

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Counting Crime

• The next seven slides illustrate the actual
  process of counting crime at the local level.

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What Counts in the Crime Index?

• Crimes known to Police
• Not a measure of charges filed, arrests made, or
  convictions.

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The Hierarchy Rule

• In a multiple-offense situation. . . Score only
  the highest ranking offense, and ignore all
  others. (UCR Handbook P. 33)
• Example During the commission of an armed bank
  robbery, the offender strikes a teller with the
  butt of a handgun, runs from the bank, and steals
  an automobile.
• Robbery, aggravated assault, motor vehicle theft
• Score one robbery, ignore the rest.

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Persons versus Property

• For crimes against persons (homicide, rape and
  assault) score one offense for each victim.
• For crimes against property (robbery, burglary,
  larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson)
  score one offense for each distinct operation.

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Example (from UCR Reporting Handbook)

• A lone male with a gun appeared in a tavern and
  ordered 10 patrons and the owner to hand over
  their cash and jewelry. After obtaining the
  loot, the subject left.
• Score one robbery only.

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Example (from UCR Reporting Handbook)

• Three girls were attacked, assaulted, and raped
  by four boys. Each boy raped each of the girls.
  
• Score three forcible rapes.

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Example (from UCR Reporting Handbook)

• A burglar uses a key to enter four apartments in
  a condominium. He steals something from each
  apartment. Each apartment is considered a
  residence.
• Score four burglaries.

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Example the last (from UCR Reporting Handbook)

• A thief enters a hotel, forcibly enters seven
  rooms, and steals articles from each. The rooms
  are occupied by guests.
• Score one burglary (the hotel rule burglary
  likely reported by a single manager. If a
  robbery occurred in each room, would count as
  seven robberies.)

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Conclusions Re. UCR

• Complicated counting system, can fluctuate with
  different counters.
• Can be subject to political influences.
• Still one of the best comparative measures of
  crime available.

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The National Crime Victimization Survey

• Began in 1973 Major revision in 1993
• Information about rape, sexual assault, personal
  robbery, aggravated and simple assault, household
  burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft (not
  murder)
• Asks whether crime reported or not,
  victim-offender relationship, age, sex,
  ethnicity, SES, marital status, etc.

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NCVS Method

• Nationally representative sample of about 49,000
  households (101,000 persons)
• Personal interview every 6 months of all
  household members over 12 years of age.
• Households rotate out of survey after three years.

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NCVS FindingsGo to http//www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/c
vict.htmncvs
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NCVS From 1998-1999, Violent crime declined 10,
lowest level in NCVS history.
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NCVS Property crime down 10, continuing 20 year
decline
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More BJS Findings Violent Crimes by Gender
(Homicide, rape, robbery, and assault), 1973-1999
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Ethnicity Relative rates at
which Hispanic and non-Hispanic persons were
victimized depends on the year and crime of
interest. During 1999--Hispanics and
non-Hispanics were victims of overall violent
crime and rape or sexual assault at similar
rates. Non-Hispanic persons were slightly more
likely to become a victim of a simple assault
than was a Hispanic person (17 Hispanics and 21
non-Hispanics per1,000). Hispanics were more
likely to become a victim of a robbery and an
aggravated assault than was a non-Hispanic.
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More UCR Findings
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More BJS Crime Info From the Social Stats.
Briefing Room http//www.whitehouse.gov/fsbr/ssbr.
html
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Question

• Do crime rates, as Erikson suggests, remain
  fairly stable over time?

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End 330LECTD