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Results for crime statistics

343 results found

Author: Huhn, Sebastian

Title: The Culture of Fear and Control in Costa Rica (I): Crime Statistics and Law Enforcement

Summary: The Costa Rican talk of crime is fundamentally based on the assumption that crime rates have increased significantly in recent years and that there is today a vast and alarming amount of crime. On the basis of this assumption, fear of crime, the call for the "iron fist," and drastic law enforcement actions are continually increasing. While crime statistics are the logical basis for the hypothesis on the far-reaching extent of delinquency, they are used in a problematic way in the talk of crime. In this paper, the author discusses Costa Rican crime statistics, their development, and their utilization in the talk of crime against the background of criminological theory. The theses of the paper are that a) the informative value of crime statistics regarding Costa Rican reality is far more questionable than the common utilization of them implies and b) when they are used as argumentation, these crime statistics do not provide evidence of the oft-proclaimed rising crime wave.

Details: Hamburg, Germany: GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies, 2009

Source: GIGA Research Programme: Violence, Power and Security; GIGA Working Papers No. 104

Year: 2009

Country: Costa Rica

URL:

Shelf Number: 115816

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Violent Crime

Author: Wallace, Marnie

Title: Measuring Crime in Canada: Introducing the Crime Severity Index and Improvements to the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey

Summary: This report introduces the Crime Severity Index, a new tool for measuring police-reported crime in Canada that for the first time tracks changes in the severity of crime, not just volume. The report also examines how crime in measured in Canada, as well as recent improvements to statistics on crime that are gathered from police. The Crime Severity Index is the first major change to the reporting of police-reported crime statistics since the collection of these data began in the early 1960s. It is designed to measure change in the overall seriousness of crime from one year to the next, as well as relative differences in the seriousness of crime across the country. The Index is an additional tool which can be used to further enhance our ability to understand the evolving nature of crime in Canada.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2009

Source:

Year: 2009

Country: Canada

URL:

Shelf Number: 114834

Keywords:
Crime Statistics

Author: Minnesota Department of Public Safety. Office of Justice Programs

Title: Juvenile Justice System Decision Points Study: Strategies to Improve Minnesota's Juvenile Justice Data

Summary: The Minnesota Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) completed a legislative mandate to study the Minnesota juvenile justice system's current data collection and suggest improvements for reporting summary data related to the decisions that affect a child's status within the justice system. This report provides a detailed overview of Minnesota's juvenile justice system, prioritizes decision points for data collection, dicusses disproportionate minority contact within the justice system and the impact it has on the community and provides a series of goals for improving data collection and reporting.

Details: St. Paul, MN: 2010. 124p.

Source:

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 118090

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Justice Systems (Minnesota)
Race Discrimination

Author: Alemika, Etannibi EO

Title: Criminal Victimization and Fear of Crime in Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria

Summary: Criminal victimization has serious consequences for the citizens and society. Individual and societal aspirations for democracy, development, human rights, high standard of living are undermined by high level of criminal victimization. Nigeria has witnessed high rates of crime and victimization that have defied the measures, introduced by successive regimes, for its management during the past two decades. The problem of crime is most widespread and endemic in Lagos. This is most likely due to its being the most economically active and densely populated city in Nigeria. In spite of the crime problem in the country, there are no reliable statistics on the trend and pattern of crime and victimization. In order to bridge the data-gap, this study surveys the extent and pattern of victimization, fear of crime, perceptions of crime and the police among residents of Lagos Metropolis, Nigeria. Lagos was the capital of Nigeria from 19141 to 1991 when the capital of the Federation was moved to Abuja in the central area of the nation. The survey conducted in August 2004, covered Lagos metropolis. Data were obtained through multi-stage sampling design. The target population from which the sample was drawn were people who were 16 years or older in 14 Local Government Areas. Fieldwork was carried out by the staff of the Federal Office of Lagos with supervision by staff of CLEEN Foundation also based in Lagos, during the month of August 2004. In all, 2091 respondents were interviewed, with the following aims: to find out whether or not they were victims of crime during the past five years; to discover the extent and types of criminal victimization in Lagos metropolis; to find out the level of subjective feeling of safety as well as attitudes to crime and the police among the residents of Lagos. The findings of the study are summarized below. Extent of criminal victimization A substantial proportion of the respondents were victims of corruption and cheating in 2003. More than two-fifths of the respondents said they were victims of corruption, particularly demand for bribe by public officials. Also, 30% said they were cheated by various persons, groups and businesses during the year. Over a period of five years covered by the survey, theft and assault were the commonest form of victimization experienced by the respondents. The levels of victimization reported by the respondent for the past five years were as follow: - 1% of the households reported the murder of a member; - 6%; 5% and 23% of households with vehicle owners respectively reported robbery of automobile; theft of vehicle and theft of property from an automobile belonging to their members; - 15% of households with motorcycle and bicycle owners reported theft of cycles; - 9% and 6% of the households were victims of burglary and attempted burglary respectively; - 9% of the respondents reported being victims of robbery; - 25% were victims of theft; - 12% said they were assaulted; - 9% of the female respondents were victims of sexual violence. Spatial pattern of criminal victimization Criminal victimization varied across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Lagos metropolis, with the following pattern discernible from the analysis of the survey: - Murder was higher in Lagos Island, Mushin and Kosofe; - Automobile theft was highest in Lagos Island and Mainland; - Theft of property from car was widespread in all the LGAs but highest in Apapa and Mushin; - Incidence of burglary was highest in Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Lagos Island, Ifako-Ijaye and Shomolu; - Robbery was more prevalent in Lagos Island, Ajeromi-Ifelodun, Ojo, Agege, Apapa and Mushin; - Respondents in Oshodi-Isolo, Ajeromi-Ifelodun and Apapa reported higher levels of assault; - Female respondents in Ojo, Mushin, Oshodi-Isolo and Ajeromi-Ifelodun reported higher levels of sexual victimization; - In 2003, incidence of corruption, particularly extortion, was more prevalent in Lagos Island, Oshodi-Isolo, Mushin and Apapa. Perceptions of Crime and Safety in Community Robbery and murder were the crimes perceived as most prevalent in nearly all the LGAs. The two crimes were followed in respect of prevalence by theft, burglary. Majority of the respondents in all the LGAs, with the exception of Alimosho, reported decrease in crime level in their communities. However, while more than 70% of the respondents felt that crime decreased in their communities, majority of the respondents perceived increased level of crime in society. This apparent contradiction may be explained by the concentration of electronic and print media of mass communication with extensive coverage of criminal incidents in the state. More than 80% of respondents from all the LGAs (except AjeromiIfelodun with 56%) said that they felt safe walking in their neigbourhood after dark. Greater percentage of respondents felt safe at home after dark. However, nearly 70% were fearful of being a victim of any crime. Perception of Police Majority of the respondents had positive impression or perception of the police. More specifically: - 58% of the respondents said the police in their communities were doing a good job; - 53% agreed with the view that the police were helpful; - Positive perception or impression of the police was highest among respondents in Agege, Mainland, Mushin, Ikeja and lowest among respondents in Alimosho, Apapa, Kosofe, Surulere and Ajeromi-Ifelodun; Notwithstanding the generally positive perception of the police by the respondents, majority of them felt that police performance has declined over the past five years. Reactions to Crime Faced with high incidence and fear of crime, many communities and individuals took several measures to reduce their feeling of vulnerability and minimize risk of victimization. - 81% of the respondents said that vigilante existed in their communities, while 77% reported that the vigilantes were paid for their services; - Individuals introduced target hardening devices (fence, metal doors, locks, electronic devices) and employed security guards in order to minimize their risk of victimization. Police Community Relations Committee The provision for the establishment of Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC) in police divisions was aimed at developing public-police partnership. About a third (34%) of the respondents said PCRC existed in their area, while 77% reported that they are aware of the role of PCRC.

Details: Lagos, Nigeria: CLEEN Foundation, 2005. 35p.

Source: CLEEN Foundation Monograph Series, No. 1: Accessed April 14, 2018 at: http://new.cleen.org/LAGOS%20CRIME%20SURVEY.pdf

Year: 2005

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://new.cleen.org/LAGOS%20CRIME%20SURVEY.pdf

Shelf Number: 117355

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Fear of Crime
Victimization
Victimization Surveys

Author: Rintels, Jonathan

Title: Confronting the New Faces of Hate: Hate Crimes in America

Summary: This report presents a picture of hate crime in America for recent years. It shows that hate crimes committed against Hispanics and those perceived to be immigrants has increased each of the past four years for which FBI data is avialable, and hate crimes committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation has increased to its highest level in five years. The report highlights the need for a coordinated response by every sector of society to eradicate this problem.

Details: Washington, DC: Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund, 2009. 50p.

Source:

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 116320

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes

Author: French, Brian

Title: Experience of Sexual Violence and Abuse: Findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey

Summary: This bulletin draws on findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey, a continuous, representative, personal interview survey of the experiences and perceptions of crime of 3,856 adults living in private households throughout Northern Ireland. The findings present estimates of the prevalence of sexual violence among women and men in Northern Ireland, from childhood to adulthood. It also provides insights into who has been victimized, who the perpetrators were, the context in which the abuse occurred, the impact of the abuse on the lives of those who had been victimized, and the patterns of disclosure of the abuse to others.

Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Office, Statistics and Research Branch, 2009. 36p.

Source: Research and Statistical Bulletin 9/2009

Year: 2009

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 117668

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Sex Offenders
Sex Offenses
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Violence
Victimization Surveys

Author: Kyckelhahn, Tracey

Title: Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2007-08

Summary: The Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS) was developed in 2007 to collect data on alleged human trafficking incidents from state and local law enforcement agencies. This report presents data as of September 30, 2008 on incidents, suspects, and victim characteristics from 38 human trafficking task forces. Incident data include the number of suspects and victims, number of agencies involved in the incident, confirmation of incident as human trafficking, and type of lead agency. Victim data include demographic characteristics such as age, race, gender, and citizenship status. In addition to demographic characteristics, suspect data include available arrest, adjudication, and sentencing information. The report covers incidents reported by task forces from January 1, 2007, to September 30, 2008.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2009. 16p.

Source: Special Report, January 2009

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 118351

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Human Trafficking
Prostitution
Victimization

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Title: Manual on Victimization Surveys

Summary: This manual is the first attempt to develop methodological guidelines at the international level for the design of victimization surveys. The manual provides a comprehensive source of information for developing national victimization surveys and will be particularly useful for those countries who may be embarking on a survey of this type for the first time. The ultimate goal of the manual is to improve the comparability of victimization survey results. The manual provides a minimum dataset of suggested key topics for inclusion in national crime victimization surveys that will further facilitate international comparability of crime survey results.

Details: Geneva: United Nations, 2010. 219p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: International

URL:

Shelf Number: 118688

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys
Victimization Surveys

Author: Cunningham, Chris

Title: Analysis of the Maori Experience: Findings from the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2006

Summary: The 2006 New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey is the first to enable a detailed analysis of the Maori experience of crime victimization. This analysis allows us to understand victimization differences both between Maori and other New Zealanders and within the Maori population in 2005. The survey presents the following findings: Maori were more likely to be victims of crime than other New Zealanders, and Maori were more likely to be multiply victimized.

Details: Wellington, NZ: Ministry of Justice, 2009. 116p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2009

Country: New Zealand

URL:

Shelf Number: 118732

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Peoples
Victimization
Victimization Surveys (New Zealand)

Author: Lauritsen, Janel L.

Title: Gender and Violent Victimization, 1973-2005

Summary: This study examined long-term trends in violent victimization by gender and various socio-demographic data, using relevant data from the National Crime Survey and its successor, the National Crime Victimization Survey for the period 1973-2005.

Details: Unpublished report submitted to the U.S. Department of Justice, 2009. 86p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 119159

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Female Victims
Victimization Surveys
Violent Crime
Violent Victimization

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Title: Victimization Survey in Tanzania: Executive Summary

Summary: This survey gathered information about crime and the perceptions of safety from a range of cities and municipalties in the country, namely the cities of Tanga, Mbeya and Mwanza and the municipalities of Moshi and Dodoma.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2009. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2009

Country: Tanzania

URL:

Shelf Number: 119148

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization
Victimization Surveys (Tanzania)

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Title: Victimization Survey in Ghana: Executive Summary

Summary: This report presents the summary of the major findings of the crime victimization survey carried out in four metropolitan areas in Ghana in 2009. The areas are Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly, Accra Metropolitan Area, Kumasi Metropolitan Area and Tamale Metropolitan Area.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2010. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2010

Country: Ghana

URL:

Shelf Number: 119237

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Vcitimization Surveys (Ghana)

Author: Kifer, Misty M.

Title: Idaho's Juvenile Crime, 2002-2007

Summary: Using data from Idaho's repository for the National Incident-Based Reporting System, this report describes juvenile crime in Idaho between 2002 and 2007. The report provides and in-depth look at juvenile crime in Idaho, provides a description of juvenile offenders and arrestees, examines the victims of juvenile crime and the types of crime juveniles commit, and provides details of the offense and arrest to give a better understanding of juvenile crime in Idaho.

Details: Meridian, ID: Idaho State Police, Planning, Grants and Research Bureau, Statistical Analysis Center, 2008. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2008

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 119261

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Crime
Juvenile Offenders (Idaho)

Author: New Zealand Families Commission

Title: Family Violence: Statistics Report

Summary: This report brings together New Zealand's family violence statistics to establish a baseline against which future trends can be measured.

Details: Wellington, NZ: Family Commission, 2009. 288p.

Source: Internet Resource; Research Report No. 4/09

Year: 2009

Country: New Zealand

URL:

Shelf Number: 119211

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Family Violence (New Zealand)
Intimate Partner Violence

Author: Quigley, D.

Title: Perceptions of Crime: Findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey

Summary: "This bulletin is based on findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey (NICS), a representative, continuous personal interview survey of the experiences and perceptions of crime of 3,856 adults living in private households throughout Northern Ireland. Previously conducted on an ad hoc basis in 1994/95, 1998, 2001 and 2003/04, the NICS began operating on a continuous basis in January 2005. In addition to describing respondents’ perceptions of causes of crime, recent changes in crime levels and the extent of problems of anti-social behaviour in the local area, the bulletin illustrates three commonly used measures of concern about crime: 1. worry about crime and personal safety; 2. perceptions of the risk of victimisation; and 3. perceptions of the effect of ‘fear of crime’ on quality of life. The bulletin also contains a section on public confidence in policing, community engagement and the criminal justice system, measured as part of the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) 2007 Public Service Agreement (PSA)."

Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Office, Statistics and Research Branch, 2010. 59p.

Source: Internet Resource; Research and Statistical Bulletin 1/2010

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 118702

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crimes

Author: Toner, S.

Title: Experience of Crime: Findings from the 2008/09 Northern Ireland Crime Survey

Summary: This report presents the findings from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey focusing on crime victimisation and prevalence rates in both Northern Ireland and England & Wales. Results from the survey indicate that 13.4% of all households and their adult occupants were victims of crime during the 12 months prior to interview, which is the lowest figure for victimisation since the survey began. While not statistically different from the figure for NICS 2007/08 (13.8%) or 2006/07 (14.2%), it is lower than the rates recorded through NICS 1998 (23.0%), 2001 (19.7%), 2003/04 (21.4%) and 2005 (17.3%).

Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Office, Statistics and Research Branch, 2009. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource; Research and Statistical Bulletin 7/2009

Year: 2009

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 119334

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime

Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice

Title: Conviction Histories of Offenders Between the Ages of 10 and 52: England and Wales

Summary: "This statistical bulletin provides estimates of the proportion of the population in England and Wales who have had a conviction. It covers convictions received between 1963 and 2006."

Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2010. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource; Ministry of Justice Statistics Bulletin

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 119377

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Offenders

Author: Reilly, James

Title: Understanding Victimisation Risk: Findings from the New Zealand Crime & Safety Survey 2006 in an International Context

Summary: This report presents further results from the 2006 New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey (NZCASS). It looks at what best explains why some social groups face higher victimisation risk than others. One of the purposes of the survey is to understand this better. The survey offers the most recent nationally representative data of its kind to do this. This report looks at which factors emerged as most important in relation to risk of burglary, vehicle crime (thefts of and from vehicles and vehicle interference), and confrontational (violent) crime. Confrontational crime was broken down into offences by: partners; people well known to the victim; and other offenders (strangers or those known casually or by sight).

Details: Wellington, NZ: New Zealand Ministry of Justice, 2009. 100p.

Source: Internet Resource

Year: 2009

Country: New Zealand

URL:

Shelf Number: 119453

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Pharoah, Robyn

Title: National Victims of Crime Survey: Overview of Key Findings

Summary: In 2007 the Institute for Security Studies conducted a national crime and victimisation survey. The survey followed on from two earlier victim surveys conducted by the ISS and Statistics South Africa in 1998 and 2003 respectively. Together, these three surveys provide an unprecedented snapshot of both changing victimisation levels and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system over the last decade. This paper, the first of several on the research results, provides an overview of the central findings of the 2007 survey, key victimisation and reporting trends since 1998, as well as changes in the public's perception of crime, responses to crime and the performance of the criminal justice system.

Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource; ISS Paper No. 175

Year: 2008

Country: South Africa

URL:

Shelf Number: 115830

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime

Author: Pharoah, Robyn

Title: The Dynamics of Crime: Comparing the Results from the 1998, 2003 and 2007 National Crime and Victimisation Surveys

Summary: In 2007 the Institute for Security Studies conducted a national crime and victimisation survey. The survey followed on from two earlier victim surveys conducted by the ISS and Statistics South Africa in 1998 and 2003 respectively. Together, these three surveys provide an unprecedented snapshot of both changing victimisation levels and perceptions of crime and the criminal justice system over the last decade. This paper discusses the dynamics surrounding the six most common crimes identified in the 2007 study. It compares the data from the 1998, 2003 and 2007 surveys to provide a picture of provincial victimisation trends, the sites and characteristics of the crimes, weapon use, victims’ familiarity with the perpetrators and arrest and conviction trends.

Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2008. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource; ISS Paper 177

Year: 2008

Country: South Africa

URL:

Shelf Number: 115830

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime

Author: Pharoah, Robyn

Title: Who Is Most At Risk? Victimisation Trends in the 2007 National Crime and Victimisation Survey

Summary: This paper explores whether there are factors that may place some people at greater risk of experiencing crime in South African than others. The paper is one of a series of papers presenting the findings of the National Crime and Victimisation Survey conducted by the Institute for Security Studies in 2007. This paper analyses the victimisation trends emerging from the data. It attempts to go beyond a basic reading of results to identify statistically what characteristics influence victimisation; the relative importance of different factors; and, whether they increase or decrease the likelihood of experiencing different types of crime. It does this using regression modelling of variables identified both in the preliminary analysis of the 2007 findings and in a range of similar studies.

Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2009. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource; ISS Paper 182

Year: 2009

Country: South Africa

URL:

Shelf Number: 115830

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime

Author: Mahony, Tina Hotton

Title: Police-Reported Dating Violence in Canada, 2008

Summary: Illustrating the importance of exploring violence in all types of intimate relationships, this report examines the prevalence and characteristics of incidents of police-reported dating violence in Canada.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2010. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 21, 2010 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010002/article/11242-eng.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010002/article/11242-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 119654

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Dating Violence (Canada)
Intimate Partner Violence

Author: Markman, Joshua A.

Title: Homicides in the District of Columbia by Police District, 2001-2009

Summary: This DCPI brief examines trends in homicides across District of Columbia police districts since 2001. Overall, most police districts follow the general citywide decline in homicides. There is, however, interesting variation within each district, which is explored further in this brief.

Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Brief No. 1: Accessed September 2, 2010 at: http://www.dccrimepolicy.org/Briefs/images/DCPI-Fact-Sheet-1-Homicides_3.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.dccrimepolicy.org/Briefs/images/DCPI-Fact-Sheet-1-Homicides_3.pdf

Shelf Number: 119728

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides (District of Columbia)

Author: Langton, Lynn

Title: Identity Theft Reported by Households, 2007 - Statistical Tables

Summary: This report presents data on identity theft victimization reported by households from the National Crime Victimization Survey. The statistical tables provide 2007 data on rates and types of identity theft, as well as demographic characteristics of victimized households and their monetary losses. The number of households with at least one member who experienced one or more types of identity theft increased 23% from 2005 to 2007. From 2005 to 2007, the number of households that experienced credit card theft increased by 31% and the number that experienced multiple types during the same episode increased by 37%. During the 6-month period in 2008 for which identity theft victimization data was collected, 3.3% of households discovered that at least one member had been a victim of one or more types of identity theft.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 3, 2010 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/itrh07st.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/itrh07st.pdf

Shelf Number: 119742

Keywords:
Credit Card Fraud
Crime Statistics
Identity Theft
Victimization Surveys

Author: Dauvergne, Mia

Title: Police-Reported Robbery in Canada, 2008

Summary: This Juristat article examines the nature and extent of robbery in Canada using data from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) survey. The UCR survey provides information on the characteristics of robbery incidents that have been reported to, and substantiated by, police services. The report shows that in 2008, police services reported about 32,000 robberies in Canada, representing 7% of all violent crimes and 1% of all Criminal Code offences. About one-quarter of robberies also involved an additional violation, most commonly a weapon offence (such as possession of a prohibited weapon), assault or uttering threats. The past 10 years show two distinct trends in the rate of police-reported robbery. The first is between 1999 and 2002, when the rate declined 11%. Since then, the robbery rate has remained relatively stable, despite annual fluctuations.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2010. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat Article, Vol. 30, no. 1: Accessed September 7, 2010: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010001/article/11115-eng.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010001/article/11115-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 119751

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Robbery Statistics

Author: Vaillancourt, Roxan

Title: Gender Differences in Police-reported Violent Crime in Canada, 2008

Summary: Police-reported data show that the risk of violent victimization among adult males (aged 18 years of age and over) is comparable to that of adult females. Adult females accounted for 51% or about 152,000 of the 298,000 victims of violent incidents reported to the police in 2008, while some 146,000 victims were male. There are many consequences associated with being a victim of a violent crime including injuries, increased stress levels and disruption to day-to-day activities. According to the 2004 General Social Survey (GSS) on Victimization, 24% of victims who sustained injuries due to a violent victimization sought medical attention and 20% required bed rest. In addition, 81% of victims experienced some form of emotional reaction such as anger, confusion or being fearful, and one-third reported having problems sleeping. This profile examines the nature and extent of gender differences in police-reported violent victimization between male and female adults aged 18 years and over. It analyses gender differences in victimization based on the prevalence across the provinces and territories, the type of violent offence, the location of the incident, the presence and type of weapon used, the level of injury to the victim, the victim’s relationship to the perpetrator, and the age of the victim.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2010. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics Profile Series: Accessed September 7, 2010 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85f0033m/85f0033m2010024-eng.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85f0033m/85f0033m2010024-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 119753

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Female Victims
Gender
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Dauvergne, Mia

Title: Knives and Violent Crime in Canada, 2008

Summary: This article examines Canadian trends in police-reported violent crime committed with knives, with a particular focus on the period from 1999 to 2008. Data are drawn from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Survey and the Homicide Survey which collect information on crimes that have been reported to, and substantiated by, police services from across the country. In Canada, most crimes reported by police do not involve violence. Furthermore, among those crimes that are classified as violent, most are committed with physical force or threats (76%) rather than with a weapon (18%). When a weapon is used, however, a knife is the most common type. In 2008, a knife was used against 6% of all victims of a violent crime. Included in this category are other cutting instruments such as broken bottles, screwdrivers or scissors. In comparison, 3% of violent crimes were committed with a club or blunt instrument and 2% with a firearm. In 2008, police reported almost 23,500 victims of a violent crime with a knife. Homicides and attempted murders had the highest proportion of incidents involving knives, at about one-third.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2010. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat Article, Vol. 30, no. 1: Accessed September 7, 2010 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010001/article/11146-eng.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2010001/article/11146-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 119754

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Knives and Crime
Violent Crime
Weapons

Author: Statistics New Zealand

Title: Patterns in Police Apprehensions in New Zealand 2005/06 to 2008/09

Summary: Patterns in Police Apprehensions in New Zealand 2005/06 to 2008/09 uses official New Zealand police apprehension statistics between the 2005/06 and 2008/09 police fiscal years to explore three aspects of police apprehensions. Within the criminal justice system, the New Zealand Police provide the crucial first response to crime, after which offenders are filtered through the courts and, ultimately, the prison system. The initial police phase of the criminal justice system impacts upon the lives of many New Zealanders. It is important to have a clear understanding of this area, both in terms of the people affected and the resources expended. The first aspect of police apprehensions describes the offences that make up the apprehensions environment, looking at offence composition and trends. The second aspect of this report looks at the differences in resolution type, such as prosecution or warning/caution, between each type of offence, and investigates the relationship between offence seriousness and resolution type. Finally, the third aspect of this report looks at the demographic variables of age and gender in relation to the type of offence. As well as using raw volumes, the report also incorporates the Ministry of Justice seriousness scale to shed new light on the intensity of offences being committed, who is committing them, and how they are being dealt with.

Details: Wellington: Statistics New Zealand, 2010. 98p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2010 at: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/crime_and_justice/patterns-in-police-apprehensions-in-nz.aspx

Year: 2010

Country: New Zealand

URL: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/crime_and_justice/patterns-in-police-apprehensions-in-nz.aspx

Shelf Number: 119263

Keywords:
Arrest and Apprehension
Crime Statistics
Policing

Author: Charron, Mathieu

Title: Police-reported Crime in Inuit Nunangat

Summary: Recent history has brought Inuit communities face to face with particular challenges in terms of health, education, employment, income, and demography. As is the case for many other Aboriginal peoples around the world, many studies suggests that Inuit communities also face high crime rates. Inuit are one of three Aboriginal groups, defined in the Constitution Act of 1982, the other two being First Nations and Métis. Inuit are distinct from these two other groups, with their own unique history, language and culture. Inuit have lived in the northern region of what is now called Canada for more than 5,000 years. Until relatively recently, they lived a nomadic lifestyle of hunting and fishing. Over the past few generations, Inuit life and culture have seen an accelerated transition from a traditional economy into permanent settlements. Although Inuit have largely shifted to Western social structures, such as an economy based on wages and formal education, some Inuit alive today were born on the land and lived a traditional nomadic lifestyle for the first part of their lives. According to the 2006 Census, 50,485 Inuit live in Canada. Of these, 39,475, or 78%, live in one of the four settled Inuit land-claims regions, known collectively as Inuit Nunangat, or “the place where Inuit live.” The Inuit population is young, with a median age of 22 years, compared with 40 years for the non-Aboriginal population. More than half of Inuit (56%) were aged 24 or under in 2006; among the non-Aboriginal population, less than one-third (31%) were 24 or younger. A number of studies have shown that criminal incidents are not distributed evenly across Canada, but are more prevalent in certain provinces, territories, metropolitan areas, regions and neighbourhoods. This is an exploratory study seeking to determine whether it is possible to measure police-reported crime for Inuit Nunangat, in the absence of Inuit-specific crime data. Since there is no reliable and complete information on the Aboriginal identity of the victims or perpetrators of crime, the current study is based on a geographical approach as a proxy for Inuit-specific information. In addition, we compare crime rates for communities based on alcohol restrictions. We look at some socio-economic indicators, but we do not fully explore the relationships between these indicators and crime patterns in the present study. The study focuses on communities where the Inuit live, rather than on individual Inuit. That is, it focuses on communities where more than 33% of the population self-identified as Inuit in the 2006 Census. All of these communities are part of the Inuit Nunangat, a vast territory that extends from Labrador to the Northwest Territories. The data in this report are from the Incident-based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey. These data are reported by police. Many criminal incidents do not come to the attention of the police, thus, the UCR data provide only a partial picture of total crime. In addition, Inuit are less likely than other Canadians to report incidents of victimization to the police because they fear their community’s reaction and because they lack confidence in the justice system. Other information comes from the 2006 Census of Population and the Homicide Survey. Finally, some Inuit Nunangat communities are excluded from parts of the analysis because data are unavailable. In particular, Inuit-inhabited communities of Nunavik are excluded from the analysis of the police-reported data.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2010. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Crime and Justice Research Paper Series: Accessed September 8, 2010 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-561-m/85-561-m2010020-eng.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-561-m/85-561-m2010020-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 119770

Keywords:
Aboriginals
Crime Statistics
Crime Victimization

Author: Smith, Patten

Title: Business Crime Scoping Execise: Methodological Work to Consider the Scope and Feasibility of a New Survey to Measure Commercial Victimisation

Summary: This scoping study examined the feasibility of developing a new survey to measure business crime. The work reviewed Home Office and external stakeholder requirements and presented a set of recommendations for the design and implementation of a new survey of business crime. There were three main components to the work: a literature review of business crime surveys; a series of consultations with Home Office and external stakeholders to identify key survey requirements; and development of survey design options. The key findings are as follows: Previous CVS surveys conducted by the Home Office and the Scottish Government (previously the Scottish Executive) are among the most rigorous of their kind to date. The existing CVS methodology should be retained to provide good quality data at a reasonable cost and to enable comparisons with previous rounds of the CVS. Key stakeholders require up-to-date information on crime experienced by businesses, costs of crime and perceptions of the police response to crime. A telephone survey of business premises of all sizes should be conducted. A supplementary survey of head offices should also be considered. The survey questionnaire should be based largely on that used in the 2002 CVS, with modifications to reflect changes in crime patterns and policy priorities. A new CVS will fill an important gap in data on the nature and extent of crime against businesses, as well as valuable feedback on how retailers view the service they get from the police. This will inform the formulation of sound policy to reduce these crimes.

Details: London: Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate, 2010. 27p.

Source: Internet Resource: Home Office Research Report 33: Accessed September 10, 2010 at: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/horr33c.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/horr33c.pdf

Shelf Number: 117628

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys
Crimes Against Business
Retail Crime

Author: Perreault, Samuel

Title: Neighbourhood Characteristics and the Distribution of Crime on the Island of Montreal: Additional Analysis on Youth Crime

Summary: This study explores the geographic distribution of youth crime on the Island of Montréal. The analysis is based on police-reported crime data from the Incident- based Uniform Crime Reporting Survey, 2001 Census data, land-use data from the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal and 2002-2003 school attendance data from the ministère de l’Éducation, du Loisir et du Sport du Québec. A previous study on the geographic distribution of crime on the Island of Montréal (Savoie, Bédard, Collins; 2006) found that crime was not evenly distributed on the island, but somewhat concentrated in a limited number of hot spots. The results of this analysis show that, when youth crime is considered separately, crime is distributed over many small hot spots across the entire island. The multivariate analysis showed that neighbourhood socio-economic characteristics alone could predict only a small proportion of youth crime in Montréal. However, factors such as the presence of a secondary school, commercial zoning and education have a minor impact on both violent crime and property crime. These findings are consistent with those of other studies on youth crime (Jacob, 2006; LaGrange, 1999). Some recent studies (Dupéré et al., 2007; Hay et al., 2006; Simons et al., 2005) suggest that for young people, the influence of some neighbourhood characteristics have an influence primarily through their interaction with family or individual factors. In a survey of self-reported youth delinquency in Toronto, Savoie (2007) noted that some individual and family characteristics were significant risk factors for delinquency among young people. Collecting data on victimization and self-reported delinquency at the neighbourhood-level might be particularly useful for the analysis of youth crime.

Details: Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada, 2008. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2010 at: http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/Statcan/85-561-MIE/85-561-MIE2006007.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: Canada

URL: http://dsp-psd.pwgsc.gc.ca/Collection/Statcan/85-561-MIE/85-561-MIE2006007.pdf

Shelf Number: 119799

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency (Montreal)
Juvenile Offenders
Neighborhoods

Author: Welsh Enterprise Institute (University of Glamorgan, Business School)

Title: Putting the Economy Back on Track: Crimes Against Business

Summary: The stark reality is that 64% of businesses fell victim to crime over a twelve-month period, and crime costs each business an average of £13,354 a year. The uncertainty in the financial markets is a concern for many small businesses, and an effective response to tackle crimes that are eating away at our local communities and national economy is now more important than ever. The survey results show that crimes targeted against small business are on the rise. Crime affects a business’ ability to meet customer deadlines and attract customers and adversely affects its profitability, ultimately resulting in businesses closing down and jobs and local economies being put at risk. Valuable time and resources are spent dealing with the aftermath of a crime and businesses are feeling the squeeze of narrowing profit margins and rising insurance premiums. Businesses, and their staff in the local community, are victims of repeat crime in the form of vandalism, vehicle damage and threatening behaviour. Crimes against business make up a significant 20%, or the ‘Forgotten Fifth’, of all recorded crime in the UK. An effective response at a national, regional and local level is necessary for the sustainability of our local communities and the national economy. Neighbourhood Policing Units (NPUs) are hailed as the answer to local crime problems. Businesses themselves have some faith in NPUs as an effective response to crime at a local level. However, far fewer businesses have had any direct contact with their local unit. This needs to change, especially when it is claimed that businesses are a ‘strategic partner’. NPUs should be engaging directly with the business community and making it a priority to factor their views and interests into local strategies to tackle crime against business.

Details: London: Federation of Small Businesses, 2008. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2010 at: http://www.fsb.org.uk/policy/Publications

Year: 2008

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.fsb.org.uk/policy/Publications

Shelf Number: 119833

Keywords:
Commercial Crimes
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Neighborhood Policing
Retail Crime
Vandalism

Author: Carter, Sara

Title: Crime and the Small Business

Summary: In April 2004, the Federation of Small Businesses published “Lifting the Barriers to Growth in UK Small Businesses”, a summary of the results of the third biennial survey of the FSB membership. This new report provides a more detailed analysis of the data collected in the 2004 survey on the effect of crime in the small business sector. Here, we investigate the extent to which small businesses are affected by crime, the cost of crime to the small business sector and the crime prevention measures that they adopt to combat crime.

Details: London: Federation of Small Businesses, 2005. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2010 at: http://www.fsb.org.uk/documentstore/filedetails.asp?id=229

Year: 2005

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.fsb.org.uk/documentstore/filedetails.asp?id=229

Shelf Number: 119834

Keywords:
Commercial Crimes
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Retail Crime

Author: Killias, Martin

Title: Self-Reported Juvenile Delinquency in Switzerland in 2006: Overview and Explanations

Summary: This paper presents the results of the second national self-reported juvenile delinquency survey conducted in Switzerland. The survey was carried out using the standardized questionnaire developed for the ISRD2, to which a few questions were added. This assures comparability with the other participating countries. At the same time, the analysis of crime trends will also be possible because Switzerland participated in the first International Self- Reported Delinquency study (ISRD1) that took place in 1992. It must be mentioned that in the meantime no national surveys were conducted, but some cantonal or city surveys took place (e.g. in the cantons of Zurich and Vaud). The first part of this paper includes a brief sociodemographic and economic description of the country, while the rest of the paper is dedicated to the presentation of the methodology applied in Switzerland and the main results of the survey.

Details: Unpublished report to the Swiss National Science Foundation, 2007. 63p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 22, 2010 at: http://www.rwi.uzh.ch/lehreforschung/alphabetisch/killias/forschung/exprojekte/ISRD2.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Switzerland

URL: http://www.rwi.uzh.ch/lehreforschung/alphabetisch/killias/forschung/exprojekte/ISRD2.pdf

Shelf Number: 113580

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Offenders
Self-Report Studies

Author: Great Britain. Home Office

Title: Drug-Misusing Offenders: Results from the 2008 Cohort for England and Wales

Summary: This report presents statistics on the proven offending by individuals identified as Class A drug-misusing offenders. Both drug use amongst offenders, and their levels of offending can be difficult to measure with confidence. The data presented in this report are intended to provide a proxy measure which indicates the level of proven offending2 by known (Class A) drug-misusing individuals who have been identified through their contact with the criminal justice system. Local agencies work to reduce the offending of individuals who are identified as drug users through a partnership approach involving local authorities, criminal justice integrated teams (CJITs), drug action teams (DATs), treatment services, police, probation, prisons and other partners and agencies. A wide range of interventions and partners are involved. Results from the analysis of two different datasets are presented in this report: a national measure for the whole of England and Wales, and a local measure for individual partnership areas. More information is given on both of these datasets below and in the explanatory notes at the end of the report. It is important to note that neither of these datasets constitute a measure of offending by all drug-misusing individuals; they only cover those offenders that were identified by contact with the criminal justice system in a given time period.

Details: London: Home Office, 2010. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2010 at: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/misc0210.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/misc0210.pdf

Shelf Number: 119844

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Drug Abuse and Crime
Drug Offenders
Drug Offenses

Author: Truman, Jennifer L.

Title: Criminal Victimization, 2009

Summary: This bulletin presents the annual estimates of rates and levels of violent crime (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault), property crime (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft), and personal theft (pocket picking and purse snatching) in the US. The report describes the year-to-year change from 2008 and trends for the 10-year period from 2000 through 2009. The National Criminal Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. During 2009, 38,728 households and 68,665 individuals were interviewed twice for the NCVS. This report also includes data on the characteristics of victims of crime; estimates of intimate partner violence; and use of firearms and other weapons during the crime. Highlights include the following: An estimated 4.3 million violent crimes, 15.6 million property crimes, and 133,000 personal thefts were committed against U.S. residents age 12 or older in 2009; Violence against males, blacks, and persons age 24 or younger occurred at higher or somewhat higher rates than the rates of violence against females, whites, and persons age 25 or older in 2009; About half (49%) of all violent crimes and about 40% of all property crimes were reported to the police in 2009; and Violent crimes against females (53%) were more likely to be reported than violent crimes against males (45%).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2010. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin, October 2010: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv09.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv09.pdf

Shelf Number: 119995

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Property Crime
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crimes
Violent Crime

Author: Cahill, Meagan

Title: Robbery in the District of Columbia: Patterns and Trends, 2000-2009

Summary: This brief examines robbery in the District of Columbia over the period 2000-2009, both citywide and by police district. Over the 2000-2009 period, robbery levels were historically low and remained relatively stable throughout the period. A comparison of robbery rates and counts revealed that the two different types of measures followed similar trends over the study period. Following seasonal crime trends, robberies rose in the summer months and dropped in the winter months. Geographic patterns of robbery across the study period remained stable over time with a persistent hotspot in the Third Police District.

Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Brief, No. 2: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001452-robbery-fact-sheet.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001452-robbery-fact-sheet.pdf

Shelf Number: 119997

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Hot Spots
Robbery

Author: Cahill, Meagan

Title: Aggravated Assault in the District of Columbia: Patterns and Trends, 2000-2009

Summary: Over the past decade, aggravated assaults in the District of Columbia have steadily declined to levels last reached in the late 1960s. That decline mirrors that of serious violent crime — such as homicide — with a small peak in the early 1970s and a larger peak in the early 1990s. The analysis found that the Seventh Police District (7D) had the most assaults of all districts but also one of the largest declines between 2000 and 2009. In 7D, hot spots of crime were located in both commercial and residential areas, but dissipated over the course of the decade studied.

Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Brief, No. 3: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001451-dcpi-assault-brief.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001451-dcpi-assault-brief.pdf

Shelf Number: 119998

Keywords:
Assaults
Crime Statistics
Hot Spots
Violent Crime

Author: Cahill, Meagan

Title: Sex Abuse in the District of Columbia: Patterns and Trends, 2000-2009

Summary: While the use official statistics to understand sexual offenses presents a number of challenges, an analysis of data from the last decade (2000—2009) in Washington, D.C. reveals some interesting patterns. A long-term downward trend in reports of forcible rape since 1960 stabilized in recent years. More recently (2000—2009), the number of sex abuse reports was volatile with no clear pattern of increase or decline. Police districts 6D and 7D accounted for a disproportionate share of the city’s sex abuse reports, a pattern that may have begun to change at the very end of the series, at least in 7D.

Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 3p.

Source: Internet Resource: Brief, No. 4: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001453-dcpi-sexual-abuse-brief.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/1001453-dcpi-sexual-abuse-brief.pdf

Shelf Number: 119999

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Rape
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Assault

Author: Cahill, Meagan

Title: Burglary in the District of Columbia: Patterns and Trends, 2000-2009

Summary: This brief describes the steady decline in burglary in Washington, D.C., to levels below the national average. Washington, D.C.’s burglary rates were more volatile than the nationwide pattern, declining in the mid-1990s and stabilizing in the mid-2000s. Analyses by police district found that while most mirrored the citywide pattern of a decline across the period, burglaries in 7D increased significantly. Hot spots maps reveal the dissipation of one anomalous hotspot in the Second Police District as well as the increasing burglary rates in the Seventh Police District, highlighting the need for micro-level responses to local crime trends.

Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Brief, No. 5: Accessed October 18, 2010 at: http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/1001458-Burglary-DC.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/uploadedpdf/1001458-Burglary-DC.pdf

Shelf Number: 120000

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics
Hot Spots

Author: Cahill, Meagan

Title: Motor Vehicle Theft in the District of Columbia: Patterns and Trends, 2000-2009

Summary: Over the past 50 years, nationwide rates of motor vehicle thefts rose slowly and steadily to a peak in 1990 and then declined to a low in 2009. Rates in Washington, D.C. were higher and more volatile, averaging three to four times the national rate for two decades. Recently, however, rates in D.C. dropped to their lowest level in 25 years. While the Sixth Police District (6D) had the highest rates and counts of motor vehicle theft over the study period, the Seventh Police District (7D) had the largest percentage increase. Hot spots in 6D were located along major thoroughfares.

Details: Washington, DC: District of Columbia Crime Policy Institute, 2010. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Brief, No. 6: Accessed October 28, 2010 at:

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL:

Shelf Number: 120001

Keywords:
Automobile Theft
Crime Statistics
Hot Spots
Motor Vehicle Theft

Author: Keaton, Sandy

Title: San Diego Violent Crime Victims and Suspects in 2009

Summary: This SANDAG CJ bulletin, one of three in a series presenting 2009 annual crime information, includes crime and arrest report data from local law enforcement agencies regarding characteristics of violent crime victims and suspects. Analyses are presented regarding which population subgroups were more likely to report being victimized in 2009, as well as how victims and suspects differed by crime type in terms of their ethnicity, age, and gender.

Details: San Diego: SANDAG, 2010. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1503_11722.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1503_11722.pdf

Shelf Number: 120077

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victims of Violent Crime
Violent Crime

Author: New Zealand. Statistics New Zealand

Title: Crime Victimisation Patterns in New Zealand: New Zealand General Social Survey 2008 and New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2006 Compared

Summary: Crime Victimisation Patterns in New Zealand compares victimisation statistics produced from the New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey 2006 (NZCASS) and the New Zealand General Social Survey 2008 (GSS) to see if the socio-demographic characteristics of victims in the surveys are similar. The report looks at victimisation prevalence and repeat victimisation in relation to the total population, and to certain population groups, such as age, sex, ethnicity, household tenure, and the New Zealand index of deprivation 2001 groups. Users of crime victimisation data will see how the GSS module on safety and security compares with New Zealand’s primary victimisation survey, the NZCSS. The GSS is a two-yearly, multi-topic survey of individual well-being. The GSS allows the interrelationships between crime victimisation and other areas of society (such as knowledge and skills, paid work, economic standard of living, physical environment, and social connectedness) to be looked at. The NZCASS is designed to collect crime and safety information from individuals in selected households. This enables investigation across crime topics, populations, regions, and time.

Details: Wellington, NZ: Statistics New Zealand, 2010. 47p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2010 at: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/crime_and_justice/crime-victimisation-patterns-nz.aspx

Year: 2010

Country: New Zealand

URL: http://www.stats.govt.nz/browse_for_stats/people_and_communities/crime_and_justice/crime-victimisation-patterns-nz.aspx

Shelf Number: 120081

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime

Author: Ogrodnik, Lucie

Title: Towards the Development of a National Data Collection Framework to Measure Trafficking in Persons

Summary: While trafficking in persons has become a worldwide concern, current data collection activities reveal that data are limited in scope, incomparable and insufficient to ascertain the true extent of the problem in Canada. This study was conducted by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics and funded by Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada to examine the feasibility of developing a national data collection framework to measure trafficking in persons in Canada. Consultations were undertaken with key stakeholders from provincial and federal government departments, the police community, non-government organizations and academics. This report identifies a number of data collection and research strategies that could contribute to a better understanding of the nature and scope of human trafficking in Canada.

Details: Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Statistics Canada, 2010. 61p.

Source: Internet Resource: Crime and Justice Research Paper Series: Accessed October 26, 2010 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-561-m/85-561-m2010021-eng.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-561-m/85-561-m2010021-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 120087

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Human Trafficking

Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice

Title: Compendium of Reoffending Statistics and Analysis

Summary: The Compendium of reoffending statistics and analysis is a new publication designed to answer an array of statistical questions that are not covered in existing statistical publications on reoffending. The focus of the Compendium is to address commonly asked questions by the media and practitioners; it shows the relative effectiveness of different disposals given prior to or in court, reoffending figures by individual prisons, detailed breakdowns of published material, long-term time series on reoffending, and international comparisons. It also presents, for the first time, analysis of reconviction of prisoners from the Surveying Prisoner Crime Reduction. This survey allows detailed analysis of an offenders’ reconviction behaviour according to their early life experiences, pre-prison accommodation, education and employment, substance use and mental health needs. The key findings from this Compendium are outlined in the following seven sections: long-term trends in reconviction rates; effectiveness of different disposals and interventions; reoffending rates not previously reported; reconviction and prisoners’ lives and needs; adult and juvenile comparisons; international comparisons; and other reoffending analyses.

Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2010. 158p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 5, 2010 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/compendium-of-reoffending-statistics-and-analysis.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/compendium-of-reoffending-statistics-and-analysis.pdf

Shelf Number: 120195

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Offenders
Recidivism (England and Wales)
Reoffending

Author: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra)

Title: The Swedish Crime Survey 2009: Victimization, Fear of Crime and Public Confidence in the Criminal Justice System

Summary: Crime and the fear of crime are social issues that are attracting an increasing amount of attention, and the demands being made on society’s capacity to prevent these problems are increasing. There is also a growing need to monitor and analyze crime and the fear of crime. In 2005, the Swedish Government commissioned the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) and other criminal justice agencies to plan and implement an annual survey of exposure to crime and levels of public safety (the Swedish Crime Survey) in Sweden. The first wave of data collection took place in 2006 and the principal findings were presented in a report in 2007. This publication is a summary of the fourth report of principal findings, based on the fourth wave of data collection, which was conducted in 2009. The Swedish Crime Survey covers a very broad range of issues, and this report presents the overall results relating to victimization, fear of crime and public confidence in the criminal justice system. The report contains few detailed analyses or explanations of the findings presented. In depth studies of this sort are instead presented separately in the form of special studies. Recent examples include studies on domestic violence against men and women, young people’s confidence in the criminal justice system and crime victims’ experiences of their contacts with the criminal justice system. Knowledge of victimization, fear of crime and public confidence provides an important basis for developing and improving the criminal justice system and other agencies, and may help to reduce crime and increase perceptions of safety.

Details: Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 2010. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: English Summary of Bra Report 2010:2: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://www.bra.se/extra/measurepoint/?module_instance=4&name=English_summary_NTU_2009.pdf&url=/dynamaster/file_archive/100401/9fa7c85c7b1d955bfa50c4b41c27bda1/English%255fsummary%255fNTU%255f2009.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Sweden

URL: http://www.bra.se/extra/measurepoint/?module_instance=4&name=English_summary_NTU_2009.pdf&url=/dynamaster/file_archive/100401/9fa7c85c7b1d955bfa50c4b41c27bda1/English%255fsummary%255fNTU%255f2009.pdf

Shelf Number: 120359

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Fear of Crime
Victimization Surveys (Sweden)
Victims of Crime

Author: Scribbins, Matthew (Ed.)

Title: Public Perceptions of Policing, Engagement with the Police and Victimisation: Findings from the 2009-210 British Crime Survey

Summary: This bulletin is the first in a series of supplementary volumes that accompany the main annual Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 'Crime in England and Wales 2009/10. These supplementary volumes report on additional analysis not included in the main annual publication. Figures included in this bulletin are from the British Crime Survey (BCS), a large, nationally representative victimisation survey of approximately 46,000 adults resident in households in England and Wales. Since 2001/02 the BCS has run continuously with interviewing being carried out throughout the year. Adults aged 16 and over are asked about their experiences of crime-related incidents in the 12 months prior to interview. BCS respondents are also asked about their attitudes towards different crime-related issues such as the police, criminal justice system, perceptions of crime and anti-social behaviour. This bulletin presents findings from additional analyses on public perceptions of policing, people's engagement with the police and their perceptions of the likelihood of becoming a victim of crime, based on the 2009/10 BCS.

Details: London: Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics Office, 2010. 61p.

Source: Internet Resource: Home Office Statistical Bulletin, 19/10: Accessed December 2, 2010 at: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1910.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://rds.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs10/hosb1910.pdf

Shelf Number: 120363

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Police-Community Relations
Victimization Surveys (U.K.)
Victims of Crime

Author: Willis, Matthew

Title: Non-disclosure of Violence in Australian Indigenous Communities

Summary: Violent crime statistics drawn from police data do not show the large amount of violent crime and victimisation that is never disclosed to police. Within this ‘dark figure of crime’ are human experiences that can leave victims without help and support, perpetrators not coming to justice and cycles of violence continuing unbroken. This paper explores some of the reasons for the high rates of non-disclosure of violence in Indigenous communities. It begins by examining reasons for nondisclosure in the broader Australian community before discussing how factors specific to Indigenous Australians influence individual decisions to disclose violence. As well as using Australian and international literature to build an understanding of why people choose not to disclose, the paper uses scenarios developed by the Australian Crime Commission from their work with Indigenous communities to illustrate the circumstances in which these choices are made. The paper concludes by considering ways of encouraging disclosure through services, training and education and community responses. It emphasises the need to locate these within broader efforts to address the cycles of intergenerational violence that can so heavily impact the lives of Indigenous Australians.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2011. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, No. 405: Accessed February 2, 2011 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/9/1/2/%7B912F0370-E989-4041-8867-A18BB33A4089%7Dtandi405.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/documents/9/1/2/%7B912F0370-E989-4041-8867-A18BB33A4089%7Dtandi405.pdf

Shelf Number: 120668

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Peoples (Australia)
Violent Crime

Author: Loughlin, Jennifer

Title: Child Luring Through the Internet

Summary: The Internet is a virtual world filled with an abundance of information and endless sources of entertainment. While an extraordinary tool, the Internet comes with risks. For children these risks include the dangers of sexual exploitation, such as luring through the Internet. In 2002, the Canadian Criminal Code was amended to include new offences that would help combat the luring of individuals under the age of 18, by making it "illegal to communicate with children over the Internet for the purpose of committing a sexual offence". Accordingly, police services across Canada began collecting and reporting child luring incidents that come to their attention under this new legislative amendment. Presently, there is little data available on child luring. The information that does exist represents only those incidents that have been reported to the police. Therefore, it is difficult to quantify the full extent and nature of child luring offences in Canada. Nonetheless, using the first available police-reported data on child luring, this article presents a snapshot of the characteristics of this relatively new criminal offence and the people accused of committing it, as well as an examination of court cases and decisions for child luring offences.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2009. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat, vol. 19, no. 1: Accessed April 1, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2009001/article/10783-eng.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2009001/article/10783-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 121217

Keywords:
Child Sexual Abuse
Computer Crimes
Crime Statistics
Internet Crimes
Sex Crimes (Canada)
Sex Offenders

Author: Han, Lu

Title: Understanding the Determinants of Property and Violent Crime in England and Wales: A Panel Data Analysis

Summary: We examine various determinants of property and violent crimes by using police force area level (PFA) data on England and Wales over the period 1992-2008. Our list of potential determinants includes two law enforcement variables namely crime-specific detection rate and prison population, and various socio-economic variables such as unemployment rate, real earnings, proportion of young people and Gini Coefficient. By adopting a fixed effect dynamic GMM estimation methodology we attempt to address the potential bias that arises from the presence of time-invariant unobserved characteristics of a PFA and the endogeneity of several regressors. There is a significant positive effect of own-lagged crime rate. The own-lagged effect is stronger for property crime, on an average, than violent crime. We find that, on an average, higher detection rate and prison population leads to lower property and violent crimes. This is robust to various specifications. However, socio-economic variables with the exception of real earnings play a limited role in explaining different crime types.

Details: Unpublished Paper, 2011. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2011 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1773913

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1773913

Shelf Number: 121220

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Property Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions
Violent Crime (U.K.)

Author: Amin, Mohammad

Title: Crime, Security, and Firms in Latin America

Summary: Existing studies show that crime is more rampant in the larger cities and that wealthier individuals are more often targeted. Using Enterprise Surveys data for 14 Latin American countries, we find that one- third of the firms surveyed suffer from one or more incident of crime annually, which is roughly similar to the percentage of households affected. Crime-related losses average 2.7 percent of annual sales for all firms in the sample, which is more than the reported amount of bribery, losses due to power outages, and firms’ expenditure on research and development. We also find that the relatively well-off large firms are more likely to be victims of crime than the small firms, but losses due to crime as a percentage of annual sales are bigger for small firms. In short, crime in the region is regressive. Last, larger cities are more prone to crime than the smaller cities. However, we find that what matters for crime is the relative size of a city within a country; its absolute size is irrelevant.

Details: Washington, DC: World Bank, 2009. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Enterprise Note Series No. 2: Accessed April 6, 2011 at: http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/Documents/EnterpriseNotes/Note2.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: South America

URL: http://www.enterprisesurveys.org/Documents/EnterpriseNotes/Note2.pdf

Shelf Number: 121253

Keywords:
Commercial Crimes
Crime Statistics
Urban Crime (Latin America)
Victimization (Businesses)

Author: Pelser, Eric

Title: Learning to be Lost: Youth Crime in South Africa

Summary: This document is a discussion paper debating policy that is relevant to youth crime in South Africa. The paper argues that youth crime, indeed, crime in South Africa, is a function of the development and replication, over the past 30 years of a “culture of violence“, a “normalisation of crime and violence” amongst an “underclass” of negatively socialised and socially excluded youth who constitute a significant proportion of South Africa’s population. The youth revolt of 1976 and the rebellion of the 1980s critically wounded the key institutions of informal authority – South Africa’s families and schools - and these have not been adequately healed. To put it bluntly, the children of yesterday’s “lost generation” have not, as yet, been found and given relief – rather, they are now learning to be lost. This, it is argued, can be attributed in part to a strategic misconception of the nature of crime in the country and, related to this, poor strategy options post 1994. The paper is presented as a discussion document and is intended to stimulate debate on the policy choices that need to be made to address the issues. The paper therefore provides a brief overview of the scope and nature of youth crime and victimisation, a look at the critical factors driving this, the current policy environment and then, some suggestions on what is likely to be effective in the future and the appropriate institutional arrangements for this.

Details: Cape Town, South Africa: Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2008. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 8, 2011 at: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-2774.phtml

Year: 2008

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.hsrc.ac.za/Document-2774.phtml

Shelf Number: 121280

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Offenders (South Africa)
Victimization

Author: Harrell, Erika

Title: Workplace Violence, 1993-2009

Summary: Presents information on violence in the workplace against employed persons based on the Bureau of Justice Statistics' National Crime Victimization Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries. This report includes both nonfatal and fatal forms of violence. Comparisons are made with violence against unemployed persons and violence against employed persons outside of the workplace. Information on type of workplace violence is included. Also discussed is violence by occupation as well as information on victim and crime characteristics such as gender and race distribution, offender weapon use, police notification, and victim injury. Highlights include the following: From 2002 to 2009, the rate of nonfatal workplace violence has declined by 35%, following a 62% decline in the rate from 1993 to 2002; and Between 2005 and 2009, law enforcement officers, security guards, and bartenders had the highest rates of nonfatal workplace violence; Among workplace homicides that occurred between 2005 and 2009, about 28% involved victims in sales and related occupations and about 17% involved victims in protective service occupations.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Special Report: Accessed April 8, 2011 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/wv09.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/wv09.pdf

Shelf Number: 121289

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization
Victimization Surveys
Violent Crime
Workplace Crime
Worplace Violence

Author: Canada. Statistics Canada

Title: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile

Summary: This is the thirteenth annual Family Violence in Canada report produced by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics under the Federal Family Violence Initiative. This report provides the most current data on the nature and extent of family violence in Canada, as well as trends over time, as part of the ongoing initiative to inform policy makers and the public about family violence issues. Each year the report has a different focus. This year, the focus of the report is on self-reported incidents of spousal victimization from the 2009 General Social Survey on Victimization. In addition, using police-reported data, the report also presents information on family violence against children and youth, family violence against seniors (aged 65 years and older), and family-related homicides.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2011. 53p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-224-x/85-224-x2010000-eng.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-224-x/85-224-x2010000-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 121301

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Elder Abuse
Family Violence
Homicides
Intimate Partner Violence
Spouse Abuse
Victimization

Author: Perreault, Samuel

Title: Violent Victimization of Aboriginal People in the Canadian Provinces, 2009

Summary: This report examines the violent victimization of Aboriginal people in the Canadian provinces for calendar year 2009. Highlights include the following: • In 2009, Aboriginal people were more likely than non-Aboriginal people to report being victimized. Overall, 37% of Aboriginal people self-reported being the victim of a crime compared to 26% of non-Aboriginal people. • Sexual assaults accounted for more than one-third of violent incidents with an Aboriginal victim. Aboriginal people reported sexual assault incidents at a rate of 70 incidents per 1,000 people, compared to 23 per 1,000 non-Aboriginal people. • Those aged 15 to 24 years were the victims in nearly half (47%) of incidents reported by Aboriginal people, whereas they represented 22% of the Aboriginal population aged 15 and over. • Aboriginal women were almost three times more likely than non-Aboriginal women to report that they had been a victim of spousal violence in the past five years. Aboriginal victims of spousal violence were also more likely to report that they have feared for their life or that they had been injured as a result of the violence. • Violent crimes with an Aboriginal victim were less likely than those with a non-Aboriginal victim to involve a weapon. • Violent crimes involving an Aboriginal victim (67%) were more likely than incidents with a non-Aboriginal victim (52%) to be related to the alcohol or illegal drug use of the perpetrator. • Among both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people, about 1 in 3 violent incidents was reported to police. However, incidents of spousal violence involving an Aboriginal victim were more likely to be reported than those involving a non-Aboriginal victim. • Similar to non-Aboriginal people, the vast majority of Aboriginal people said they were satisfied with their overall personal safety from crime.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2011. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11415-eng.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11415-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 121303

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Peoples
Victimization (Canada)
Violent Crime

Author: Nigeria Watch

Title: Annual Report on Public Violence

Summary: The main causes of death due to public violence are, in order of importance, accidents, crime, economic issues, political clashes, and ethno-religious fighting. -Nigerian security forces still contribute substantially to violence. The more they intervene, the bloodier the fighting. Yet violence is decreasing, a trend that obviously impacts on the number of killings by the security forces. Our findings challenge the common assumption according to which criminal and political violence is on the rise.

Details: Paris: CEPED (Centre Population & Développement), 2008. 2 vols.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 18, 2011 at: http://www.nigeriawatch.org/index.php?html=7

Year: 2008

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://www.nigeriawatch.org/index.php?html=7

Shelf Number: 121383

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Violence (Nigeria)
Violent Crime

Author: U.S. National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics

Title: A Dialogue Between the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Key Criminal Justice Data Users

Summary: In 2008 the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) convened a multidisciplinary workshop for professionals who use justice statistics. BJS asked participants — representatives from academia, court systems, victim advocacy, and law enforcement communities — to provide feedback about how they use BJS statistical information and to recommend ways that BJS could optimize the value of the data it collects and publishes. Four senior level researchers presented papers at the workshop, including: Current Issues in Victimization Research and the NCVS’s Ability to Study Them, by Lynn A. Addington; The Need for a National Civil Justice Survey of Incidence and Claiming Behavior, by Theodore Eisenberg and Henry Allen Mark; Improving Police Effectiveness and Transparency National Information Needs on Law Enforcement, by Brian Forst; and Understanding Violence Against Women Using the NCVS: What We Know and Where We Need to Go, by Karen Heimer.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008. 156p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 28, 2008 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/duw.cfm

Year: 2008

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/duw.cfm

Shelf Number: 121542

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Courts
Criminal Justice Statistics
Police Performance
Victimization Surveys
Violence Against Women

Author: Banks, Duren

Title: Characteristics of Suspected Human Trafficking Incidents, 2008-2010

Summary: The report describes the characteristics of human trafficking investigations, suspects, and victims in cases opened by federally funded task forces between January 2008 and June 2010. This report provides information about investigations, persons involved in suspected and confirmed incidents of human trafficking, and case outcomes. Data are from the Human Trafficking Reporting System (HTRS), which was created in response to a congressional mandate in the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005 for biennial reporting on the scope and characteristics of human trafficking. HTRS is currently the only system that captures information on human trafficking investigations conducted by state and local law enforcement agencies in the United States. The report also describes HTRS data collection procedures and data quality issues. Highlights include the following: Federally funded task forces opened 2,515 suspected incidents of human trafficking for investigation between January 2008 and June 2010; About 8 in 10 of the suspected incidents of human trafficking were classified as sex trafficking, and about 1 in 10 incidents were classified as labor trafficking; The confirmed human trafficking incidents open for at least a year led to 144 known arrests.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2011 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cshti0810.pdf

Shelf Number: 121581

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Forced Labor
Human Trafficking
Sex Trafficking

Author: Leonardson, Gary R.

Title: Native American Crime in the Northwest: 2004-2009 – BIA Information from Alaska, Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington

Summary: According to the 2000 census, American Indians and Alaska Natives account for about 1.5 percent or 4.3 million people in the United States. Most (2.5 million) of these listed “American Indian” or “Alaska Native” as their only racial category, while some (1.8 million) indicated “ American Indian” or “Alaska Native” along with one or more additional race categories. It is estimated that nearly half (43.5%) of all American Indians/Alaska Natives reside on Federal reservations or in a tribal statistical area during the 2000 Census. The percents by state of American Indian or Alaska Native for the states covered in this report are: Alaska (15.3%), Washington, (1.7%), Idaho (1.4%), Oregon (1.4%), Montana (6.4%), and Wyoming (2.5%). The offense information for the report was provided by the Office of Law Enforcement and Security within District 5 of the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Billings, Montana. District 5 includes three regions (Mountain, Northwest, and Juneau) with 47 Tribes (or tribal-related law enforcement agencies, covering the states of Montana, Wyoming, Alaska, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. This report is segmented into three separate reports. The first Section presents the overall results, the second Section provides information by each of the six states, and the third Section presents information by tribal or special law enforcement agencies. Information for all three Sections is presented as general results, illustrating the information that was collected and sent. Little comparison and contrasts are made, because of the varying years the information was reported, along with possible different data collection procedures from year to year.

Details: Helena, MT: Montana Board of Crime Control, 2010. 222p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2011 at: http://www.mbcc.mt.gov/data/SAC/Tribal/NativeCrimeInNorthwest.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.mbcc.mt.gov/data/SAC/Tribal/NativeCrimeInNorthwest.pdf

Shelf Number: 121681

Keywords:
American Indians
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Peoples
Race and Crime

Author: Burke, Cynthia

Title: Thirty Years of Crime in the San Diego Region: 1981 through 2010

Summary: This report details crimes for all 18 cities and the unincorporated area of the county. It serves as a tool for local law enforcement agencies in gauging the success of enforcement strategies and crime prevention programs. There were 3.61 violent crimes per 1,000 residents in the county during 2009, a 10 percent decrease from the year before and a 30-year low. (Violent crimes include homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault.) Homicides in the region saw a solid decrease for the fifth year running, dropping from 75 in 2009 to 67 in 2010. (The number of homicides peaked at 278 in 1991.) With the seventh consecutive annual decrease, the property crime rate also hit its lowest point in the past 30 years, at 21.04 incidents per 1,000 residents despite speculation that it might increase with the downturn in economic conditions. Property crimes hit a 30-year high in 1988, with 67.26 incidents per 1,000 residents. (Property crimes include burglary, larceny theft, and motor vehicle theft.) Other interesting facts in this year’s report include: •The number of burglaries and larcenies were at 30-year lows. •Motor vehicle thefts decreased by 10 percent from 2009 to 2010, the greatest one-year decrease for property-related crime. •There were 133 hate crime events reported to local law enforcement in 2010, compared to 108 in 2009 – an increase of 23 percent. •The City of San Diego compared favorably to other large cities in the United States in 2009 (the most recent statistics available). Of the 32 cities (rather than counties or regions) with populations of 500,000, San Diego had the third lowest violent crime rate and the second lowest property crime rate.

Details: San Diego, CA: San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), 2011. 37p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2011 at: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1572_12834.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1572_12834.pdf

Shelf Number: 121694

Keywords:
Crime Rates (San Diego)
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends

Author: Kneebone, Elizabeth

Title: City and Suburban Crime Trends in Metropolitan America

Summary: The impact of crime on general well-being is profound. Those most directly impacted are the victims of crime. By one estimate, the combination of direct monetary losses and the costs of pain and suffering among crime victims in the U.S. amounts to nearly 6 percent of gross domestic product. Beyond these direct costs are substantial indirect costs associated with reducing the threat of crime. In 2006, federal, state, and local government criminal justice expenditures amounted to $214 billion. Many households pay significant premiums, either in terms of housing prices or commute costs, to live in neighborhoods with lower probabilities of victimization. Many also purchase security devices and insurance to minimize the likelihood and costs of being criminally victimized. Moreover, fear of crime often impacts the most mundane personal decisions, such as whether to walk down a given street or through a particular neighborhood, whether to let one’s children play outside, or whether to leave one’s home after dark. While all communities are affected by crime and the criminal justice system, residents in large urban areas are particularly impacted. Moreover, within large metropolitan areas, the residents of poor, largely minority neighborhoods suffer disproportionately. Crime rates are generally higher in more urbanized areas and the young, male, and minority residents of the nation’s central cities contribute disproportionately to the growing prison population. Yet, in recent decades, U.S. crime rates have fallen sharply. By 2008 the sexual assault rate stood at only 23 percent of its peak value in 1991, while robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault had fallen to 37, 33, and 42 percent of their 1991 levels, respectively. Similarly, homicide rates dropped from 10.5 per 100,000 in 1991 to 6.2 per 100,000 by 2006. Between 1991 and 2008 the number of burglaries per 1,000 households declined by 59 percent, while rates of theft and motor vehicle theft dropped by 62 and 70 percent, respectively. Though much has been written about the precipitous declines in crime since the 1990s, less is known about trends within the nation’s big cities and suburbs. Two-thirds of the nation’s population lives in the 100 largest metropolitan areas, but crime levels vary greatly across — and even within — these regions. To what extent have decreases in crime been shared across these communities? Moreover, crime fell over a period that coincided with considerable changes in the makeup and distribution of the country’s metropolitan population. Do those changes help explain the steep declines in community-level crime? In this paper, we explore these questions by analyzing crime data compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and data from the U.S. Census Bureau to provide a geographically-focused assessment of how crime rates have changed between 1990 and 2008. Specifically, we analyze data for the roughly 5,400 communities located within the 100 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. We estimate changes in metropolitan crime, as well as city and suburban trends within these regions. We then consider the relationship between community-level demographic characteristics and crime, and analyze how those relationships may have changed over time.

Details: Wsahington, DC: Brookings Institute, 2011. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Metropolitan Opportunity Series: Accessed July 12, 2011 at: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2011/0526_metropolitan_crime_kneebone_raphael/0526_metropolitan_crime_kneebone_raphael.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.brookings.edu/~/media/Files/rc/papers/2011/0526_metropolitan_crime_kneebone_raphael/0526_metropolitan_crime_kneebone_raphael.pdf

Shelf Number: 122028

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends (U.S.)
Neighborhoods and Crime
Suburban Crime
Urban Crime

Author: Harrell, Erika

Title: Workplace Violence, 1993-2009

Summary: In 2009, approximately 572,000 nonfatal violent crimes (rape/sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated and simple assault) occurred against persons age 16 or older while they were at work or on duty, based on findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). This accounted for about 24% of nonfatal violence against employed persons age 16 or older. Nonfatal violence in the workplace was about 15% of all nonfatal violent crime against persons age 16 or older. The rate of violent crime against employed persons has declined since 1993. In 2009, an estimated 4 violent crimes per 1,000 employed persons age 16 or older were committed while the victims were at work or on duty, compared to 6 violent crimes per 1,000 employed persons age 16 or older in 2002. In 1993, the rate of nonfatal violence was 16 violent crimes per 1,000 employed persons while at work, a rate 75% higher than in 2009. According to 2009 preliminary data, 521 persons age 16 or older were victims of homicide in the workplace. In about a third of workplace homicides from 2005-2009, the victim worked in a sales or office occupation. The data on homicides in this report are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 12, 2011 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/wv09.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/wv09.pdf

Shelf Number: 122037

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicide
Violence in the Workplace
Violent Crime
Workplace Crime
Workplace Violence (U.S.)

Author: Bandyopadhyay, Siddhartha

Title: An Analysis of the Factors Determining Crime in England and Wales: A Quantile Regression Approach

Summary: We examine how socio-economic and police enforcement variables affect property and violent crimes at different points of the crime distribution in England and Wales over the period 1992-2007. By using data from 43 police force areas, we examine how the effect of real earnings, unemployment, crime detection rate, income inequality and proportion of young people varies across high and low crime areas. Six crime categories are examined - burglary, theft and handling, fraud and forgery, violence against the person, robbery, and sexual assault. Using a quantile regression model, we find that there are statistically significant differences in the impact of explanatory variables on various crime rates for low and high crime areas. For example, not only does unemployment increase crime but it does so more in high crime areas. Higher detection rates reduce crime rates and the effect is stronger in low crime areas. There are also differences in distributional impact on crime rates for real earnings, income inequality and proportion of young people. Thus, our work points to the need to look beyond the usual mean effects of policing and socio-economic factors on crime and consider their impact on the entire distribution of crime rates. This will enable us to tailor policies that are particularly effective at different points in the crime distribution. Further, given the differential impact of earnings and unemployment across high and low crime areas this provides insight into why paradoxically recessions may have no impact on crime or even lower it.

Details: Birmingham, UK: University of Birmingham, Department of Economics, 2011. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Department of Economics Discussion Paper 11-12: Accessed July 18, 2011 at: ftp://ftp.bham.ac.uk/pub/RePEc/pdf/11-12.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL:

Shelf Number: 122083

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Economics
Poverty
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Unemployment

Author: Targonski, Joseph Robert

Title: A Comparison of Imputation Methodologies in the Offenses-Known Uniform Crime Reports

Summary: One of the most widely used and important sources of crime data for criminologists and criminal justice policy stakeholders is the Offenses-Known Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). However, it comes with many limitations, including missing data from non-compliant police agencies. The missing data are adjusted for by imputing data based on a cross-sectional methodology to maintain comparable trending analysis. The purpose of this study was to reexamine and recode missing data in the UCR for the years 1977-2000 for all police agencies in the United States. With the newly cleaned dataset, a clearer picture of the UCR error structure would emerge and patterns of missing data could more accurately be described. The study found that there are more missing data than identified by the FBI’s quality control. The next phase of the project was to create a dataset with only full reporting agencies for a 10 year period, which would be used to test the cross-sectional method against a longitudinal method. This was done by creating simulation data sets that “punched out” the real crime values, thus artificially creating missing data. Each imputation method could then be tested by comparing the imputed value to the actual value. The overall results showed that in most circumstances, the longitudinal method was more accurate at estimating the missing crime data points.

Details: Chicago: University of Illinois at Chicago, 2011. 148p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed July 27, 2011 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/235152.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/235152.pdf

Shelf Number: 122174

Keywords:
Crime Data
Crime Statistics
Uniform Crime Reports (U.S.)

Author: Idaho State Police. Statistical Analysis Center

Title: Idaho Crime Victimization Survey 2008

Summary: The 2008 Idaho Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) was conducted between March to May 2009. Survey participants were randomly selected from either a landline or a cell -phone sampling frame. Total participants included 2,664 landline and 565 cell-phone households. Participants were asked about any instances of property crime, violent crime, stalking, sexual assault, and domestic violence occurring in 2008. In addition, respondents were questioned regarding personal perceptions of neighborhood safety and satisfaction with police services. The 2008 ICVS survey enhances knowledge of crime and victimization in Idaho and assists in evaluating satisfaction with and effectiveness of criminal justice and health service programs. The report provides a summary of findings from the 2008 ICVS.

Details: Meridian, ID: Idaho State Police, Statistical Analysis Center, 2011. 39p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 15, 2011 at: http://www.isp.idaho.gov/pgr/Research/documents/2008Reportd_000.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.isp.idaho.gov/pgr/Research/documents/2008Reportd_000.pdf

Shelf Number: 122395

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys (Idaho)
Victims of Crime

Author: Wing, Janeena

Title: Victims of Crime: Property, Violent Crime, Intimate Partner, Family Violence, and Sexual Assault

Summary: In 2009, violent crime affected 429.4 per 100,000 individuals within the United States dropping –5.2% from 2005 and –7.5% from 2000 (FBI, 2009). Idaho has also followed the national trend with fewer reported victims of crime year to year. This publication discusses the characteristics of victims of crime based on police reports compiled within the Idaho Incident Based Reporting System (IIBRS) between the years 2005 through 2009. Characteristics of victims of property crime, violent crime, domestic violence, family violence, and sexual assault will be presented. Because the IIBRS database does not include indentifying information, it is not known how many victims are repeat victims of crime. Therefore, this report will only provide a description of victims of crime broken down by demographics as well as average rates by county, but will not provide information based on number of crimes experienced by the same victim. Information in many instances is aggregated over the five year period as opposed to showing year to year trends to provide a snapshot of typical circumstances surrounding incidents of crime. Crime types sensitive to variances between years including crimes occurring infrequently and crimes occurring in rural areas are more reliably researched when combining years.

Details: Meridian, ID: Idaho State Police, Statistical Analysis Center, 2010? 38p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.isp.idaho.gov/pgr/Research/documents/ictims2009.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.isp.idaho.gov/pgr/Research/documents/ictims2009.pdf

Shelf Number: 122433

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime (Idaho)

Author: Langton, Lynn

Title: Use of Victim Service Agencies by Victims of Serious Violent Crime, 1993-2009

Summary: Presents data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) on trends in the percentage of serious violent crime victims who received help or advice from a victim service agency from 1993 to 2009. This special report examines the relationship between a victim receiving assistance and criminal justice system actions pertaining to the crime, such as reporting the crime to the police, the police making an arrest, or a judge or prosecutor contacting the victim. It also examines the percentage of serious violent crime victims who received assistance by the characteristics of the victim and the victimization, including the victim's age, gender, race, the type of crime, the extent of the victim's injury, and victim-offender relationships. Highlights include the following: About 9% of serious violent crime victims received direct assistance from a victim service agency from 1993 to 2009. From 2000 to 2009, 14% of violent crime victims who reported the crime to the police received direct assistance from a victim service agency, compared to 4% when the crime was not reported. Victims who received direct assistance from a victim service agency were more likely to see an arrest made in the case and have contact with a non-law enforcement criminal justice official, such as a judge or prosecutor, than victims who did not receive direct assistance.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/uvsavsvc9309.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/uvsavsvc9309.pdf

Shelf Number: 122552

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victims of Crime (U.S.)
Victims of Crime, Services for
Violent Crime

Author: New Zealand. Ministry of Justice

Title: Confrontational Crime in New Zealand: Findings from the 2009 New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey

Summary: This focus paper expands upon the findings of the 2009 New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey (NZCASS). The paper analyses people’s experiences of “confrontational crime”, where the offender was their partner or a person well-known to them. Confrontational crime includes assaults and threats to an individual or their personal property. It does not include psychological or economic abuse, such as insults or withholding household money. There was a decline in the percentage of females in relationships who were victims of a partner offence between 2005 and 2008 (down from 7% to 5%). Three percent of males in relationships were victims of a partner offence in 2008 (down from 6% in 2005). These prevalence rates include all forms of partner confrontational offences, from petty threats to serious assaults. It is estimated that 85% of serious partner offences were against female victims. This is in line with Police statistics, which show that 84% of those arrested for family violence are men. A quarter of females said they had experienced partner confrontational crime at some point in their life, compared to one in eight males. Four percent of both males and females experienced confrontational crime by a person well-known to them (excluding partners) in 2008. Males were most at risk from friends and parents, while females were most at risk from siblings, sons or daughters (including in-laws) and previous partners.

Details: Welllington, NZ: Ministry of Justice, 2011. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 6, 2011 at: http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/c/NZCASS-2009/publications/global-publications/c/NZCASS-2009/documents/NZCASS%20Confrontational%20crime.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: New Zealand

URL: http://www.justice.govt.nz/publications/global-publications/c/NZCASS-2009/publications/global-publications/c/NZCASS-2009/documents/NZCASS%20Confrontational%20crime.pdf

Shelf Number: 122658

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Family Violence
Interpersonal Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
Victimization Surveys (New Zealand

Author: Brennan, Shannon

Title: Violent Victimization of Aboriginal Women in the Canadian Provinces, 2009

Summary: In Canada, numerous programs and policies have been developed to address violence against women (Johnson and Dawson 2010; Status of Women Canada 2002). Despite these efforts, previous studies have shown that violence against women in Canada continues to be a persistent and ongoing problem, one that is compounded for Aboriginal women (Brzozowski 2006). Given these findings, it is important to differentiate between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women’s experiences of victimization, to better understand the extent of violence against Aboriginal women and the context in which it occurs. One source of information that can be used to measure violence against Aboriginal women in Canada is the General Social Survey (GSS) on Victimization. By asking respondents aged 15 years or older to recount their experiences of victimization, the GSS captures detailed information on criminal incidents that may or may not have been brought to the attention of police. Using GSS data from 2009, this article looks at the prevalence and nature of self-reported violence against Aboriginal women in the ten provinces. In addition, reporting of victimization to police, victims’ use of formal and informal support services, and the consequences of violent victimization are discussed. Finally, this report examines Aboriginal women’s perceptions of personal safety and their satisfaction with the criminal justice system.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2011. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat Article: Accessed September 20, 2011 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11439-eng.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2011001/article/11439-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 122794

Keywords:
Aboriginals
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Peoples
Victim Services
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime
Violence Against Women

Author: Wagner, Alex

Title: Analysis of Massachusetts Hate Crimes Data: An Overview of Reported Hate Crimes in Massachusetts Between 2000 and 2009

Summary: Reports of hate crime related incidents in the Commonwealth between 2000 and 2009 were analyzed utilizing data from the Massachusetts State Police Crime Reporting Unit (CRU). This report presents findings on the 3,6481 hate crime incidents in Massachusetts over the ten-year period. The CRU defines hate crimes as “any criminal act to which a bias motive is evident as a contributing factor. The Reporting Act covers bias on account of race, religion, ethnicity, handicap, gender, or sexual orientation. Hate crimes may be reported only by law enforcement agencies” (CRU,2006). The number of offenses, offenders, victims, and bias motivations may not coincide with the number of incidents or cases because each incident may consist of multiple offenses, bias motivations, victims, and offenders. Below are the key findings from our analyses.  A trend analysis indicated there was a pronounced ten-year decline in reported hate crime incidents. This trend occurred across all bias categories (i.e., race/ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and gender), as well as for all specific bias types within bias categories.  The year 2008 was an outlier in terms of the low number of overall reported hate crime incidents. Hate crime incidents rose between 2008 and 2009, however, the increase is not evident from 2007 to 2009.  The vast majority of reported hate crimes (92.2%) only reported one bias motivation, while less than 1.5% of all reported hate crimes reported more than two bias motivations.  The three most frequent bias motivation categories were based on race/ethnicity (58.3%), sexual orientation (21.5%), and religion (18.6%). Just these three bias motivation categories accounted for 98.3% of all hate crimes. This was generally consistent with research findings from other states and across the nation.  The three most frequent within-bias motivation types for hate crimes were Anti-Black (31.7%), Anti-Gay (male, 17.5%), and Anti-Semitic (13.5%), again generally consistent with other research findings.  White hate crime victims were more common than any other racial/ethnic background (52.3%), as opposed to victims from other race/ethnic groups: black (29.8%), Hispanic (7.1%), Asian (6.4%) or other (4.3%).  Between 2000 and 2009, a third of hate crime victims were between the ages 16 and 25 (29.4%), whereas victims over the age of 25 accounted for more than 40 percent of hate crime victims (20.5% of victims were 36 to 45 and 20.2 percent were 26 to 35). Victims aged 10 and younger comprised the smallest fraction of reported hate crimes (2.1%).

Details: Boston: Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, 2011. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2011 at: http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/programs/fjj/analysis_of_reported_hate_crimes_in_massachusetts_between_2000_and_2009.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/programs/fjj/analysis_of_reported_hate_crimes_in_massachusetts_between_2000_and_2009.pdf

Shelf Number: 122919

Keywords:
Bias Crimes
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes (Massachusetts)
Victims of Crime

Author: Ganpat, Soenita

Title: Homicide in Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden: A First Study on the European Homicide Monitor Data

Summary: In Finland and Sweden a large proportion of homicides take place between intoxicated, male acquaintances, while in the Netherlands, they take place in a criminal milieu to a greater extent. These are some results of a unique study comparing lethal violence in the three countries. – The results also show a pattern where Finland and the Netherlands show the largest differences, with Sweden most often placed in between regarding many homicide characteristics. One important exception is the homicide rate, where Sweden has the lowest homicide rate per 100,000 population and Finland has the highest, says Johanna Hagstedt, researcher at Brå. When it comes to homicide structure, there are important differences between the three countries. Generally however, the two Nordic countries are more similar to one another than they are to the Netherlands. Although all the identified homicide types exist in all three countries, homicides committed in Finland and Sweden are often characterized by acquainted men killing each other in situations where alcohol is an important factor. In the Netherlands a larger proportion of homicides are associated with a criminal milieu, resulting in slightly younger perpetrators, a higher proportion of homicides committed outdoors with firearms and a lower clearance rate. In other words, homicides in Finland and Sweden more often have expressive motives, while instrumental motives were the most common in the Netherlands. But there are also important similarities between the three countries. For example, most homicides take place during evenings or nights and weekends are more lethal than weekdays. Also, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators are alike. In all three countries the victims and perpetrators are largely characterized by being males born in the same country the crime took place in, a large proportion of these being between the ages of 25 and 64. The study is based on four years of homicide data collected in each country. The project is important because it has shown that building a homicide database on a European level is feasible.

Details: Stockholm: Brottsförebyggande rådet/The Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention, 2011. 149p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 259/Finland; Research Report 2011:15/Sweden: Accessed October 6, 2011 at: http://www.bra.se/extra/measurepoint/?module_instance=4&name=2011_15_Homicide_webb.pdf&url=/dynamaster/file_archive/110927/24663534fd502e98349e56f853deb99a/2011%255f15%255fHomicide%255fwebb.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.bra.se/extra/measurepoint/?module_instance=4&name=2011_15_Homicide_webb.pdf&url=/dynamaster/file_archive/110927/24663534fd502e98349e56f853deb99a/2011%255f15%255fHomicide%255fwebb.pdf

Shelf Number: 122995

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides (Finland, Sweden, Netherlands)
Violent Crimes

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime

Title: Global Study on Homicide: Trends, Contexts, Data

Summary: The UNODC 2011 Global Study on Homicide brings together global, regional, national and subnational homicide data in one publication. It is hoped that the data and analysis of the most violent crime against the person will assist global efforts to design evidence-based policies to prevent and reduce crime in those areas and population groups where violence is most acute. This study was made possible because of increased efforts by countries to produce and share good quality homicide data. However, homicide data remain far from perfect—indeed, the study draws attention to the large geographic and thematic data gaps in many regions of the world—and comparisons should always be made with caution. This is also true because legal systems and practices, as well as capacities in reporting intentional homicide, can vary significantly between countries and regions. Nevertheless, there are a number of key messages that may be derived from the wealth of data in this study. First, there is a clear link between violent crime and development: crime hampers poor human and economic development; this, in turn, fosters crime. Improvements to social and economic conditions go hand in hand with the reduction of violent crime. The development agenda must also include crime prevention policies and the enhancement of the rule of law at both national and international level. Reducing violent crime should also be a priority for achieving the Millennium Development Goals, particularly in those countries where crime is disproportionally high. The study also represents an important advance in our understanding of the trends and patterns of homicide. One of the most important considerations is the recognition that different factors drive violent crime rates and trends. In some regions, organized crime, drug trafficking and the violent cultures of youth gangs are predominantly responsible for the high levels of homicide; while in others, killings connected to intimate partner and family-related violence account for an important share of homicides. Although it is important to understand that the sharp increase in homicides in some countries, particularly in Central America, are making the activities of organized crime and drug trafficking more visible, it should not be assumed that organized crime is not active in other regions as well. Another aspect is the role played by firearms in violent crime. It is crucial that measures to prevent crime should include policies towards the ratification and implementation of the UN Firearm protocol. Domestic policies in furtherance of the Protocol’s provision can help avoid the diversion of firearms to fuel violence and increase homicides. Knowledge of the patterns and causes of violent crime are crucial to forming preventive strategies. Young males are the group most affected by violent crime in all regions, particularly in the Americas. Yet women of all ages are the victims of intimate partner and family-related violence in all regions and countries. Indeed, in many of them, it is within the home where a woman is most likely to be killed.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2011. 128p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed october 7, 2011 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/Homicide/Globa_study_on_homicide_2011_web.pdf

Shelf Number: 123002

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Firearms and Crime
Gun Violence
Homicides
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, Statistical Analysis Center

Title: By Force and Without Consent: A Five Year Overview of Sexual Violence in South Carolina: 2005 - 2009

Summary: By Force and Without Consent: A Five Year Overview of Sexual Violence in South Carolina 2005 – 2009 is the second in a series of ongoing reports, designed to provide basic information about victims of sexual violence over a five year period. The information presented in the tables, graphs and charts in this publication is based on incident reports submitted to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) by state and local law enforcement agencies. These reports are edited and reviewed, corrected as needed and compiled to form the basis of the information presented in this report. It is important to note that the information in this report is only as complete and accurate as the information reported to local law enforcement and subsequently submitted to SLED. By their very nature, unreported crimes cannot be included in the report. While there are a variety of legal and social definitions of sexual violence, this report uses a broad definition of sexual violence, parsed into meaningful sub-categories, in order to provide as much useful information as possible. This report seeks to provide information concerning the scope and nature of sexual violence at the state level; however the overall emphasis of the report is to provide information concerning short term trends and county level information. The study found that nearly all the statewide indicators of sexual violence victimization trends demonstrated a decline from 2004 through 2008. Overall, the number of sexual violence victims decreased 10.7%, while the sexual violence victimization rate per 10,000 decreased 16.1% over the five year period. The invasive sexual violence victimization rate decreased (17.2%), the rape victimization rate decreased (11.9%), the forcible sodomy victimization rate decreased (37.5%); the sexual assault with an object victimization rate decreased (19.6%) as did the forcible fondling victimization rate (14.3%). Similarly, sexual violence victimization rates against children and adults decreased 19.1% and 6.8% respectively from 2004 through 2008. Following the same pattern over the five year time period, sexual violence victimization rates involving family victim/offender relationships decreased (6.8%), as did the sexual violence victimization rates involving marital victim/offender relationships (23.8%), sexual violence victimization involving victim/offender relationships where the victim and offender knew but did not have a family, marital or romantic relationship (17%), and sexual violence victimization involving strangers (18.1%). The lone exception to this pattern of decreasing sexual victimization rates was the sexual victimization rate involving romantic victim/offender relationships, which increased 5.6% from 2004 through 2008. It is important to note that romantic victim/offender relationships accounted for less than 4% of sexual violence victimization.

Details: Blythewood, SC: South Carolina Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs, 2011. 244p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2011 at: http://www.scdps.org/ojp/stats/SexualViolence/By%20Force%20and%20Without%20Consent%202005%20-%202009%20Final%20Version.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.scdps.org/ojp/stats/SexualViolence/By%20Force%20and%20Without%20Consent%202005%20-%202009%20Final%20Version.pdf

Shelf Number: 123071

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Sex Crimes
Sex Offenders
Sexual Assault (South Carolina)
Sexual Violence
Victimization

Author: Rubin, Jennifer

Title: Development of a European Crime Report: Improving safety and justice with existing crime and criminal justice data

Summary: Understanding crime in the European Union (EU) is a complex endeavour. National differences in how crime data are collected and reported are important, albeit partial, explanations for the complexity. To improve cross-national comparisons and benchmarking in crime and criminal justice policy, the European Commission Directorate-General for Home Affairs commissioned RAND Europe to create a framework for developing a European Crime Report (ECR). In particular, RAND Europe scoped data availability issues and current projects and information that could feed into an ECR. Furthermore, a variety of stakeholders were interviewed to provide a more comprehensive, reliable assessment of opportunities and challenges to developing an ECR. Research uncovered it is not necessary to collect new data to begin developing an ECR. What is essential, however, is to use available data through "Smart Aggregation", a term we introduce referring to the provision of contextual information highlighting definitional differences in a more intelligent way. Smart Aggregation brings together existing CCJ data and reporting in a manner that facilitates informed comparisons and discourages less useful comparisons and analysis. Three decision areas identified as noteworthy for enhancing sustainability of an ECR are: funding streams, model of implementation, and dissemination and communication strategy. The report develops recommendations on how to address each of these key decisions areas with a possible timeline for implementation over the course of three years. The report also provides an indicative table of contents for a report, a website snapshot to disseminate the report and a method for generating bespoke reports for users.

Details: Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2011. 164p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 25, 2011 at: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR936.html

Year: 2011

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR936.html

Shelf Number: 123121

Keywords:
Crime Measurement
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Systems (Europe)

Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice

Title: Proven Re-offending Statistics Quarterly Bulletin January to December 2009, England and Wales

Summary: This report provides key statistics on proven re-offending in England and Wales. It gives proven re-offending figures for offenders who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, received a caution, reprimand, warning or tested positive for opiates or cocaine between January and December 2009. Proven re-offending is defined as any offence committed in a one year follow-up period and receiving a court conviction, caution, reprimand or warning in the one year follow up. Following this one year period, a further 6 months is allowed for cases to progress through the courts. Between January and December 2009, there were just under 700,000 offenders who were cautioned, convicted (excluding immediate custodial sentences) or released from custody. Just over 180,000 of these offenders committed a proven re-offence within a year. This gives a one-year proven re-offending rate of 26.3 per cent. These re-offenders committed an average of 2.79 offences each - around 510,000 offences in total – 79 per cent were committed by adults and 21 per cent were committed by juveniles. •just over half of these offences were committed by offenders with more than 25 previous offences •0.7 per cent (around 3,400) were serious violent/sexual proven re-offences. This report presents the proportion of offenders who re-offend (proven re-offending rate) and the number of proven re-offences those offenders commit by age group, gender, ethnicity, criminal history, offence type, serious proven re-offending, prolific and priority offenders and drug misusing offenders. Also included are proven re-offending rates for different types of sentence and by individual prison, probation trust and youth offending team. Latest figures for 2009 are provided with comparisons to 2008, results are also compared to 2000 to highlight long-term trends; 2000 is the earliest re-offending data that exists on a comparable basis.

Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2011. 67p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 31, 2011 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/reoffending/proven-reoffending-jan-dec09.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/publications/statistics-and-data/reoffending/proven-reoffending-jan-dec09.pdf

Shelf Number: 123187

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Statistics (U.K.)
Recidivism
Reoffending

Author: Cooper, Alexia

Title: Homicide Trends in the United States, 1980-2008: Annual Rates for 2009 and 2010

Summary: This report presents findings from data on homicides that occurred in the United States from 1980 through 2008. It also includes overall homicide rates for 2009 and 2010. The report contains a series of tables and figures that describe homicide patterns and trends. This patterns and trends release analyzes homicide trends by age, sex, and race, including homicides of children under age 5 and of persons age 65 or older. It examines the relationship between the victim and the offender, particularly in cases of intimate and family homicide. Data include homicides involving multiple victims and offenders, circumstances surrounding the death, justifiable homicides, law enforcement officers killed, homicides cleared, and homicide trends by city size and weapon use. The data are primarily from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports with summary data from the annual report, Crime in the United States, for 2009 and 2010. Highlights include the following: In the last decade (since 2000) the homicide rate declined to levels last seen in the mid-1960s. Based on data from 1980 and 2008, males represented 77% of homicide victims and nearly 90% of offenders. The victimization rate for males (11.6 per 100,000) was 3 times higher than the rate for females (3.4 per 100,000). The offending rate for males (15.1 per 100,000) was almost 9 times higher than the rate for females (1.7 per 100,000). The average age of both offenders and victims increased slightly in recent years, yet remained lower than they were prior to the late 1980s.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 19, 2011 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2221

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=2221

Shelf Number: 123370

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides (U.S.)
Violent Crimes

Author: Furgeson, Thomas

Title: Wyoming Crime Victimization Survey, 2011

Summary: Beginning in January 2011 the Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center (WYSAC) at the University of Wyoming conducted a state-wide telephone survey of Wyoming residents to gather information on crime prevalence along with opinions and perceptions of crime in the state and local communities. The 2011 Wyoming Crime Victimization Survey (WCVS) was funded through the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) State Justice Statistics (SJS) program. Modeled in part on the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), this survey was customized to Wyoming during questionnaire development. An additional component to this survey was a set of questions addressing community attitudes and perceptions of law enforcement and government. The data collection period was January 26 through February 25, 2011. All Wyoming counties are represented in the survey and 1,698 completed interviews were secured. The 2011 WCVS is designed to provide a detailed picture of crime incidents, victims, and trends throughout the state of Wyoming. The survey focuses on three major themes. 1. Nature and Frequency of Crime: Two major types of crime are addressed: violent crimes and property crimes. The survey collected detailed information on the crimes of rape/sexual assault, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, and stalking. 2. Attitudes toward Policing and Government: Residents were queried about their contact with law enforcement agencies and about their attitudes toward law enforcement authorities. There were also questions about perceived injustice and profiling. 3. Information about Victims, Offenders, and Crimes: The survey gathered information about the age, sex, race, ethnicity, marital status, income, and education level of crime victims. The survey also gathered information on offenders’ relationship to the victim, the physical and economic consequences of crime, and whether or not (and why not) the crime was reported to police. Generally, Wyoming residents feel safe in their communities. About 94% always or almost always feel safe, as opposed to only 1.4% who never, or almost never, feel safe. The vast majority of residents also live without fear of violent crime. About 92% are never or almost never fearful of being the victim of a violent crime. Results from the survey show that 61% of Wyoming residents feel that crime has either stayed the same or decreased in the past three years, as opposed to 33.2% who feel crime has somewhat increased and 5.8% who feel that crime has greatly increased over the past three years. There is a similar distribution with regard to estimations of how crime will change in the upcoming three years. Survey results show that over 64% of Wyoming residents feel that crime will stay the same or decrease over the next three years, while another 31.2% feeling that crime will somewhat increase. Only 4.4% indicate that they feel crime will greatly increase over the next three years. For the most part, Wyoming residents are not concerned about crime. Wyoming residents are concerned very little about most violent crime, and only marginally concerned about property crime within their home state. Property crime and theft top the list with 15.4% of Wyomingites indicating that they are very concerned about ―having [their] property vandalized‖ and 10.5% that they are concerned about ―being cheated or conned out of [their] money.‖ Residents are less concerned about violent crime and personal theft, as less than 4% indicate being very concerned about each: household burglary (while at home), sexual assault, robbery, or murder. The vast majority of Wyoming residents are confident or feel neutral about government and policing institutions whether local, state, or national. The institution with which there is the least confidence is the federal government: Data show that 42.6% of Wyoming residents are not confident in the federal government, followed by 16.1% who feel the same way—not confident—about city government. For the most part, citizens feel that Wyoming law enforcement (WLE, hereafter) officers do their job well, and interact with the public appropriately. Over 87% of Wyomingites feel that generally, WLE officers are polite and use appropriate manners during citizen contact. Similarly, over 80% feel that officers are reliable, competent, do a good job of performing their mission, treat citizens with respect, and are attentive to the questions and concerns of citizens. Notable is that 17.4% disagree or strongly disagree with the statement that WLE officers typically treat citizens the same regardless of their ethnic background. Property crime is the most frequently experienced type of crime victimization. Around 15% of residents indicate that within the past 12 months, someone stole or attempted to steal their car, broke into or tried to break into their home, or vandalized their property. Violent crime appears to occur in Wyoming far less than property crime. Robbery was experienced in the last 12 months by less than 1% of residents; 7.1% had been threatened with assault, while 1% appear to have experienced actual assault. A total of five respondents (or 0.3%) indicate to have been forced or experienced an attempt to be forced into unwanted sexual activity. Less than 7% of residents appear to have been stalked in any way, although it is noteworthy that 1 in 12 (8.5%) persons with high-speed internet have felt threatened by another person sending unsolicited messages via email, instant message, or social networks. Survey results indicate that in the past 12 months 10.6% of Wyoming residents were the victim of someone using or attempting to use their credit cards or credit card numbers without their permission. The most common aftereffect of victimization is talking with a psychologist, psychiatrist, or other mental health professional, with 12.3% of victims indicating to have taken such actions. It appears that Wyomingites report crime to police at higher rates than the national levels. Most often reported were robbery (76.9%) and assault (76.5%), with property crime not far behind at 75.9%. While it is troubling that only 20% of sexual assaults were reported to police, it should be noted that this percentage accounts for a single case out of the five total sexual assaults indicated by survey respondents.

Details: Laramie, WY: Wyoming Survey & Analysis Center, University of Wyoming, 2011. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: WYSAC Technical Report No. SRC-1103: Accessed November 22, 2011 at: http://wysac.uwyo.edu/Reports.aspx?TypeId=4

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://wysac.uwyo.edu/Reports.aspx?TypeId=4

Shelf Number: 123427

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey (Wyoming)
Victims of Crime

Author: Colorado Division of Criminal Justice. Office of Research and Statistics

Title: Crime and Justice in Colorado: 2008-2010

Summary: The Office of Research and Statistics (ORS), Colorado Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ) presents to the State this comprehensive picture of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Relying heavily on graphics and a non-technical format it brings together a wide variety of data from multiple sources, including the Division of Criminal Justice’s (DCJ) own databases, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the Colorado Judicial Branch, the Department of Corrections (DOC), and the Division of Youth Corrections (DYC). The most recent data available are presented here. Depending on the data source, the latest dates vary between 2006 and 2010. The report includes information on the following topics: Colorado demographics; Adult and juvenile arrests, prosecution, and placements; Daily cost of adult and juvenile placements; Prison, juvenile commitment, and parole population forecasts; Recidivism of offenders in probation, committed youth, community corrections, and DOC; The CCJJ and the JJDPC; Impact of incarceration on crime; Research on crime desistance; Escape: mandatory consecutive sentences; The death penalty; and The role of restorative justice.

Details: Denver: Colorado Division of Criminal Justice Services, 2011. 219p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 23, 2011 at: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/CJ08-10.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://dcj.state.co.us/ors/pdf/docs/CJ08-10.pdf

Shelf Number: 123436

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Systems (Colorado)
Juvenile Justice

Author: Weatherburn, Don

Title: Uses and abuses of crime statistics

Summary: Large sections of the media habitually distort, misrepresent and exaggerate the facts on crime, argues this paper. Between 2000 and 2009, the Australian national murder rate fell by 39 per cent, the national robbery rate fell by 43 per cent, the national burglary rate fell by 55 per cent, the national motor vehicle theft rate fell by 62 per cent and all forms of other theft fell by 39 per cent. Australia is now into its 11th straight year of falling or stable crime rates. Property crime rates in some States are lower than they’ve been in more than 20 years. You might think this a cause for celebration but the vast majority of Australians still think crime is going up. The reason for this is fairly clear. Most people get their information about crime from the media—and large sections of the media habitually distort, misrepresent and exaggerate the facts on crime. The abuse of crime statistics is so common it has in some quarters engendered great skepticism about them. The saying there are ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’ is probably nowhere more frequently uttered than in the context of crime statistics. Yet whether we like them or not, crime statistics are here to stay. We have to make judgments about the prevalence of crime, about trends in crime, about the distribution of crime and about the impact of Government efforts to prevent and control crime. We cannot base these judgments on personal experience and anecdote. They have to be based on statistical information. The challenge facing those who produce and use crime statistics is how to do so in a way which is not misleading and which helps rather than hinders our understanding of crime. This bulletin is designed to help those unfamiliar with crime statistics to understand their uses and abuses.

Details: Australia: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2011.

Source: Crime and Justice Bulletin No. 153. Internet Resource: Acceessed on January 22, 2012 at http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB153.pdf/$file/CJB153.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/CJB153.pdf/$file/CJB153.pdf

Shelf Number: 123729

Keywords:
Courts
Crime Statistics
Media
Victimization Surveys

Author: Langton, Lynn

Title: Identity Theft Reported by Households, 2005-2010

Summary: Presents data on the nature of and trends in identity theft victimization among U.S. households from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS defines identity theft as the misuse or attempted misuse of an existing credit card or another existing account or the misuse of personal information to open a new account or for other fraudulent purposes. Findings are based on experiences of all household members age 12 or older as reported by the head of household. The data brief examines changes in the percentage of households experiencing identity theft from 2005 to 2010. It describes differences in the types of identity theft experienced by households in 2010 compared to 2005, as well as changes in the demographic characteristics of victimized households. The brief also presents estimates on the monetary losses attributed to household victims of identity theft. Highlights include the following: In 2010, 7.0% of households in the United States, or about 8.6 million households, had at least one member age 12 or older who experienced one or more types of identity theft victimization. Among households in which at least one member experienced one or more types of identity theft, 64.1% experienced the misuse or attempted misuse of an existing credit card account in 2010. From 2005 to 2010, the percentage of all households with one or more type of identity theft that suffered no direct financial loss increased from 18.5% to 23.7%.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011. 11p.

Source: Crime Data Brief. Internet Resource: Accessed on January 26, 2012 at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/itrh0510.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/itrh0510.pdf

Shelf Number: 123772

Keywords:
Credit Card Fraud
Crime Statistics
Identity Theft (U.S.)
Victimization Surveys

Author: Helweg-Larsen, Karin

Title: The costs of violence: Economic and personal dimensions of violence against women in Denmark

Summary: The aim of the project "The Cost of Violence" has been to give an evidence-based assessment of the various types of costs of violence against women based on available data sources. The comprehensive Danish register-based data and data from population surveys carried out in 2000 and 2005 by the National Institute of Public Health enable us to identify a study population of women exposed to violence and a reference population of other Danish women not identified as victims of violence. For these two groups, we have gathered data on their socioeconomic conditions, contacts with the healthcare and selected labour market consequences. We have calculated the costs to the judicial system related to police-reported violence against women on the basis of exact information on, among others, time consumption within the police, the prosecution and courts combined with specific salary and court imposts, as well as costs of imprisonment and court fees. Information on the costs of violence-exposed women staying at women's crisis centers is based on shelter rates and number of stays per year. The costs to society also include the national budget for a number of initiatives started under the Danish national action plans to fight violence against women, 2002-2009. Estimates of the personal costs to violence-exposed women are included, but they depend greatly on a number of known and unknown psychosocial factors. Victims of domestic violence are different, and the violence which has led to contact with the health services and/or reporting to the police is different from the violence reported in population surveys. Consequently, it is not possible to unambiguously describe "victims of violence," and it is impossible accurately to assess the impact of violence to the individual women in the form of pain and suffering, long-lasting health problems and social changes. But on the basis of our analyses we are able to present estimates that show the average impact on women's health-related quality of life, years of healthy life lost and mortality. Violence manifests itself in many ways; it hits women from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and in various life situations. The impact of violence depends on a large number of parameters, including the nature of violence, the woman's relations with the assailant, support from others and the vulnerability of the individual woman, social networks as well as other psychosocial factors.

Details: Copenhagen, Denmark: National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, 2010. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on January 28, 2012 at http://www.niph.dk/upload/summary_the_cost_of_violence-samlet.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Denmark

URL: http://www.niph.dk/upload/summary_the_cost_of_violence-samlet.pdf

Shelf Number: 123853

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Health Care
Victimization Surveys
Violence Against Women (Denmark)

Author: British Retail Consortium

Title: Retail Crime Survey 2011

Summary: Retail crime was thrust in to the public eye following the August riots in 2011. This highlighted the importance of tackling retail crime at an early stage. This criminal behaviour had a significant impact on retail businesses but most importantly, on retail staff and customers. While reassuring to see so many of those involved remanded in custody and given custodial sentences, the high percentage of those who had previous convictions remains a matter of significant concern. Despite a reduction in offences the cost of retail crime has significantly risen. The overall cost of retail crime has increased by 31 per cent to £1.4 billion. This is equivalent to 130,000 retail jobs. A worrying trend this year is the increase in threats and verbal abuse to retail staff which has increased by 83 per cent when compared to last year. Robberies have also increased by 20 per cent with retailers reporting an increase in the use of weapons and violence. Despite a reduction in theft and burglaries reported in this year's survey the value of these offences has increased significantly. Retailers have invested heavily to protect against low-level offending, however, the increase in costs associated with these offences is a likely indication of an increase in more serious and organised offending. While the BRC supports the Government's proposal to introduce locally elected Police and Crime Commissioners later this year, we are concerned that the lack of appropriate measurement for retail crime, combined with greater reliance on crime maps to determine local crime priorities, will make it exceptionally difficult for retailers to influence the local crime agenda. As we move towards more locally based policing, it is imperative that retail is seen as a cornerstone to safe and vibrant communities and that retailers are genuinely involved in setting local crime priorities.

Details: London, UK: British Retail Consortium, 2012. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.brc.org.uk/brc_show_document.asp?id=4324&moid=7614

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.brc.org.uk/brc_show_document.asp?id=4324&moid=7614

Shelf Number: 123930

Keywords:
Armed Robbery
Crime Statistics
Crime Survey
Crimes Against Businesses
Retail Crime (U.K.)
Robbery
Theft

Author: Leoschut, Lezanne

Title: The influence of family and community violence exposure on the victimisation rates of South African youth

Summary: Crime and violence is pervasive in South African society and is perceived by the general populace as one of the primary challenges facing our country. Young people, and particularly those between the ages of 12 and 22 years, are commonly at the receiving end of this escalating violence. Given the alarmingly high rates of youth victimisation, this paper attempts to shed light on one of the correlates influencing this phenomenon by exploring the relationship between violence exposure in two social locales – the family and community – and criminal victimisation. To this end, this paper draws on the research findings of the first National Youth Victimisation Study conducted in 2005 by the Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention. In short, this paper demonstrates that violence exposure in the social environments in which young people live increases their vulnerability to subsequent criminal victimisation. For this reason, one can conclude that an important method by which to reduce youth involvement in crime both as victims and perpetrators would be to limit their exposure to violence in both their homes and communities.

Details: Claremont, South Africa: CJCP - Centre for Justice and Crime Prevention, 2006. 12p.

Source: CJCP Issue Paper No. 3: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue_Paper_3.pdf

Year: 2006

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.cjcp.org.za/admin/uploads/Issue_Paper_3.pdf

Shelf Number: 123934

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Victims
Violent Crime (South Africa)

Author: Porter, Nicole D.

Title: The State of Sentencing 2011: Developments in Policy and Practice

Summary: This report from the Sentencing Project highlights 55 reforms in 29 states and documents a growing trend to reform sentencing policies and scale back the use of imprisonment without compromising public safety. The report provides an overview of recent policy reforms in the areas of sentencing, probation and parole, collateral consequences, and juvenile justice.

Details: Washington, DC: The Sentencing Project, 2012. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed on February 3, 2012 at http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/publications/sen_State_of_Sentencing_2011.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://sentencingproject.org/doc/publications/publications/sen_State_of_Sentencing_2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 123939

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Prison Population
Sentencing (U.S.)
Sentencing Reform

Author: LaFree, Gary

Title: Hot Spots of Terrorism and Other Crimes in the United States, 1970 to 2008

Summary: While efforts are increasingly aimed at understanding and identifying “hot spots” of ordinary crime, little is known about the geographic concentration of terrorist attacks. What areas are most prone to terrorism? Does the geographic concentration of attacks change over time? Do specific ideologies motivate and concentrate terrorist attacks? Moreover, what factors increase the risk that an attack will occur in a particular area? Using recently released data from the Global Terrorism Database, we address these gaps in our knowledge by examining county-level trends in terrorist attacks in the United States from 1970 through 2008. This research was motivated by issues related to three research areas: geographic concentration of terrorist attacks, terrorism and ordinary crime, and predicting geographic concentrations of terrorist attacks. Like ordinary crime, terrorism hot spots are predominately located in large, metropolitan areas. While some locales remain targets of terrorist attacks, to a large extent hot spots of terrorist attacks demonstrate a significant amount of variability over time. Moreover, we find significant variability in the ideologies motivating terrorist attacks across decades. Terrorism and ordinary crime occur in many of the same areas. We find that while some traditional predictors of ordinary crime also predict terrorist attacks, many robust correlates of ordinary crime do not. These data were limited in some respects; much more work in this area is needed to fully understand the linkages between terrorism and ordinary crime.

Details: College Park, MD: START, 2012. 36p.

Source: Final Report to Human Factors/Behavioral Science Division, Science and Technology Directorate, U.S. Department of Homeland Security: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2012 at http://start.umd.edu/start/publications/research_briefs/LaFree_Bersani_HotSpotsOfUSTerrorism.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://start.umd.edu/start/publications/research_briefs/LaFree_Bersani_HotSpotsOfUSTerrorism.pdf

Shelf Number: 123973

Keywords:
Crime Data
Crime Statistics
Geographic Distribution of Crime
Geographic Studies
Hot Spots
Terrorism
Uniform Crime Reports

Author: Kurzman, Charles

Title: Muslim-American Terrorism in the Decade Since 9/11

Summary: Almost 200 Muslim-Americans have been involved in violent plots of terrorism over this decade, and more than 400 Muslim-Americans have been indicted or convicted for supporting terrorism. In 2011, the numbers dropped in both categories, and the severity of the cases also appeared to lessen: Muslim- American terrorist plots led to no fatalities in the United States, and the year’s four indictments for terrorist financing indictments involved relatively small amounts of money. As in previous years, non-Muslims were also involved in domestic terrorism, proving once again that Muslims do not have a monopoly on violence. This study has not attempted to analyze those cases. The limited scale of Muslim-American terrorism in 2011 runs counter to the fears that many Americans shared in the days and months after 9/11, that domestic Muslim-American terrorism would escalate. The spike in terrorism cases in 2009 renewed these concerns, as have repeated warnings from U.S. government officials about a possible surge in homegrown Islamic terrorism. The predicted surge has not materialized. Repeated alerts by government officials may be issued as a precaution, even when the underlying threat is uncertain. Officials may be concerned about how they would look if an attack did take place and subsequent investigations showed that officials had failed to warn the public. But a byproduct of these alerts is a sense of heightened tension that is out of proportion to the actual number of terrorist attacks in the United States since 9/11. This study’s findings challenge Americans to be vigilant against the threat of homegrown terrorism while maintaining a responsible sense of proportion.

Details: Durham, North Carolina: Triangle Center on Terrorism and Homeland Security, 2012. 9p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2012 at http://sanford.duke.edu/centers/tcths/documents/Kurzman_Muslim-American_Terrorism_in_the_Decade_Since_9_11.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://sanford.duke.edu/centers/tcths/documents/Kurzman_Muslim-American_Terrorism_in_the_Decade_Since_9_11.pdf

Shelf Number: 124177

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Muslims
Terrorism

Author: Gibson, Chris L.

Title: Unpacking the Influence of Neighborhood Context and Antisocial Propensity on Violent Victimization of Children and Adolescents in Chicago

Summary: This research combines social disorganization and self-control theories to understand violent victimization among children and adolescents. In doing so, several research questions are investigated to explore the independent and interactive influences that neighborhood disadvantage and low self-control have on violent victimization risk. Data from the 9, 12, and 15-year old cohorts of the Longitudinal Cohort Study in the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN-LCS) were used in this study. Data analyzed were from self-reports of children, adolescents, and their primary caregivers during waves 1 and 2 of the longitudinal data collection effort. In addition, neighborhood structural characteristics from the U.S. Census were also analyzed. Results from a combination of hierarchical generalized linear models and multivariate logistic regression models with robust standard errors revealed that violent victimization did not significantly vary across neighborhoods, and independent of various behavioral and lifestyle choices made by children and adolescents, low self-control increased the risk for becoming a victim of violence. Additionally, choices made by them also influenced their risk of violent victimization; those who reported engaging in violent offending, spending more time in unstructured activities, and having more delinquent peers had a higher risk of being a victim of violence. Further analysis shows that the association between low self-control and violent victimization risk varies across levels of neighborhood concentrated disadvantage in which youth live; low self-control’s influence in the most disadvantaged neighborhoods dissipated while it was amplified for those living in the least disadvantaged neighborhoods. Unstructured socializing with peers was the only factor that significantly influenced violent victimization risk across low, medium and high disadvantaged neighborhoods. Findings are consistent with a “social push” perspective, which suggests that disadvantaged environments provide social pressures that may override the influence of individual differences on vulnerability to violent victimization. Implications of this study’s findings are discussed as they relate to policy, prevention and theory; while also setting forth a research agenda on neighborhoods, antisocial traits, and violent victimization risk for future research.

Details: Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, 2012. 79p.

Source: Final Report: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237731.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237731.pdf

Shelf Number: 124181

Keywords:
Adolescents
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Victims
Self-Report Studies
Victimization
Violent Crime

Author: Comeau, Michelle

Title: Analysis of 2010 Rochester-City Pawn Shop Transactions

Summary: The following report analyzes 2010 data on Rochester pawn shops. Within this paper, pawn shops are listed by pseudonym based on their level of business for 2010. Although many pawn shops may be legitimate businesses, questions of crime and stolen property have become a focus on some pawn shops recently; with the Monroe County Sheriff/FBI raid on Rochester Pawn Brokers, Inc. and several other pawnshops late last September, there is a noted concern of whether these businesses are being utilized to fence stolen property and the frequency to which this occurs. It is for this reason that an analysis of local pawn shops could be fruitful. Pawn shops are second-hand businesses where people may bring goods to either be sold for cash or loaned for a short period of time. Due to limitations in how the data was recorded, our analysis cannot delineate between individuals who pawned and individuals who sold items to the shops; “pawner” will be used to describe any individual who sold or pawned an item. Almost 24,000 transactions occurred within Rochester pawn shops in 2010 – transactions being instances where an individual either pawned or sold an item. Among the 24,000 transactions there were instances of very-active and not-so-active pawners. For this reason, the data will be analyzed by looking at pawners as a whole as well as looking specifically at the most active pawners. The twenty most frequent pawners all sold 30 or more items during this one-year period. The twenty pawners who received the most amount of money for their items were also briefly examined. Furthermore, although there are currently 41 registered pawn shops in Rochester, some pawn shops recorded much higher transactions than others. Fourteen shops recorded fewer than ten transactions for the year – six recorded only one. It is highly probable that several of these shops were the result of typographical errors – in three out of the fourteen shops the addresses were not able to be found. Additionally, Doing Business As information was available for 36 of the pawn shops; of these, 72% opened within the last decade.

Details: Rochester, NY: Center for Public Safety Initiatives, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2011. 14p.

Source: Center for Public Safety Initiatives Working Paper #2011-03: Internet Resource: Accessed February 19, 2012 at http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2011/2011-03.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2011/2011-03.pdf

Shelf Number: 124202

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
New York
Pawn Shops
Stolen Property

Author: Wall, Liz

Title: The many facets of shame in intimate partner sexual violence

Summary: Sexual assaults are less likely to be reported to the police than physical assaults, while sexual assaults by a current partner are the least likely of all to be reported, even compared to other types of sexual assaults. Despite indications of a high prevalence rate of spousal sexual violence, there seems to be more reluctance on the part of victim/survivors to report or discuss spousal sexual violence compared to other types of sexual assaults. There is also reluctance to disclose sexual violence even when physical violence may be identified. This means that sexual assault may remain a hidden aspect of abuse in relationships, even where physical assaults are disclosed. The Australian Bureau of Statistics personal safety data also indicated that sexual assaults are less likely to be reported to the police than physical assaults, while sexual assaults by a current partner are the least likely of all to be reported, even compared to other types of sexual assaults.

Details: Melbourne: Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault, Australian Institute of Family Studies, 2012. 10p.

Source: Research Summary: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2012 at http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/researchsummary/ressum1/ressum1.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.aifs.gov.au/acssa/pubs/researchsummary/ressum1/ressum1.pdf

Shelf Number: 124220

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Intimate Partner Violence (Australia)
Sexual Violence

Author: Hardy, Jeff

Title: Understanding Crime in Urban and Rural Areas

Summary: The Rural and Urban Area Classification 2004 provides a method of identifying issues specific to rural areas. The classification defines each census output area as urban, town and fringe, village or hamlet and isolated dwelling. Using this classification in conjunction with recorded crime data, arson data, the Leicester Shire Business Survey and Leicestershire County Council’s Citizens’ Panel enables a comparison of crime issues between the urban and rural areas of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Between 2002/03 and 2004/05 the total number of offences recorded by the police in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland had decreased. The largest percentage decrease was in the hamlet and isolated dwelling areas. The only increase in recorded offences was within the urban areas of Leicestershire County. The recorded offence rate per 1,000 resident population shows the likelihood of being a victim of crime in the most rural areas of Leicestershire and Rutland to be virtually the same as in the urban areas of the county (excluding Leicester City). Three-quarters of the population of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland live in urban areas, concentrated in a relatively small geographical area. More than three-quarters of offences recorded by Leicestershire Constabulary occur within these urban areas of the city and county. The report highlights that even though the volume of recorded offences is much higher in urban areas there are some clear differences in the crime issues that affect the urban and rural areas of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. Violence against the person is a growing problem across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, being a bigger problem in urban areas compared to rural areas. The larger percentage increases in reported violence against the person offences suggest it is a growing problem outside the city urban areas. Vehicle crime is a relatively bigger problem for rural areas, with theft from motor vehicles accounting for double the proportion of offences in hamlet and isolated dwellings compared to city and county urban areas. Vehicle crime had the largest percentage decrease of all offence types across all of Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland during the three year period. Rural areas had the largest percentage decrease in theft from motor vehicle offences over the three year period. Damage offences are a bigger problem in both county and city urban areas and town and fringe areas compared to more rural areas. There has been a considerable decrease in the number of reported damage offences in city urban areas in the last three years. In comparison, there is an upward trend in the recording of damage offences outside the city urban areas. Burglary other than dwelling offences have decreased across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland during the last three years. Burglary other than dwelling is a relatively bigger problem for rural areas, though the largest percentage decreases are outside the city urban areas. Theft offences account for the highest proportion of offences within villages, hamlets and isolated dwellings. Rural businesses are less likely to have been a victim of crime in the last 12 months compared to businesses located in city or county urban areas. The perceived likelihood of being a victim of violence against the person or burglary is a lot higher than the actual risk. The perceived risk of burglary in county urban areas is thirty times higher than the actual risk. The disparity between the perceived likelihood of being a victim of violence is greater in urban and town and fringe areas compared to villages, hamlets and isolated dwellings.

Details: Leicester, UK: Leicester County Council, 2005. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 21, 2012 at http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/council_services_contacts/about_leicestershire/statistics/rural_crime_report.pdf

Year: 2005

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.leics.gov.uk/index/your_council/council_services_contacts/about_leicestershire/statistics/rural_crime_report.pdf

Shelf Number: 124225

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics
Rural Crime
Urban Crime
Victimization
Violent Crime

Author: Gordon, Mirta B.

Title: A random walk in the literature on criminality: a partial and critical view on some statistical analysis and modeling approaches

Summary: Criminology is intrinsically a pluri-disciplinary subject. Along history different schools of thought have proposed different and sometimes conflictive ways of considering crime. We are interested in the possible contributions of mathematical modeling. In an attempt to discover stylized trends worth of being understood through simple models, we referred to numerous and quite recent papers that analyze and discuss empirical data. In the following we summarize part of this literature trying to extract general conclusions. Then we present some recent modeling attempts that may help to understand the large variance in the statistical based conclusions.

Details: France: HAL, 2009. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 10, 2012 at http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/40/44/05/PDF/CrimeModeling_Gordon.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/40/44/05/PDF/CrimeModeling_Gordon.pdf

Shelf Number: 124431

Keywords:
Crime Statistics

Author: Campbell, Michael

Title: Social Interactions and the Dynamics of Crime

Summary: In recent decades, crime rates have increased dramatically in many Western countries and crime has become a major issue of public policy, especially in the United States. A very large literature has developed on the general causes of, and the impact of public policy on, crime. Yet no consensus has emerged on quite basic issues such as, for example, the effect of incentives, both positive and negative, on crime. Leading conservative criminologists such as Wilson (1975) argue the case for the effectiveness of the policies of deterrence, and even though his original position has softened somewhat (Wilson 1994), the conclusions which he draws from the evidence are still quite different from those of liberals such as Currie (1985, for example). Economic analysis of the phenomenon of crime was stimulated in the late 1960s by the paper by Becker (1968). In this framework, agents in the market for crime - for example, criminals and the law enforcement agencies - are assumed to act in accordance with the rules of optimising behaviour. They are able to both gather and process substantial amounts of information efficiently in order to form expectations on the likely costs and benefits associated with different courses of action, and to respond to incentives and disincentives in an appropriately rational manner. This is in marked contrast to the tenets of conventional criminology (for example, Nuttall 1994 and Gottfredson and Hirshi 1995), in which the typical criminal is portrayed as having difficulty identifying and assessing alternative courses of action, rarely thinking through the consequences of actions, and not thinking about possible punishments. But even amongst research carried out within the common framework of economic theory few clear conclusions emerge. Ehrlich (1996), in an excellent exposition of the approach to crime based upon such theory notes that the empirical literature is 'voluminous'. However, he states that on the crucial question of the impact of positive and negative incentives on crime, 'it would be premature to view the empirical evidence as conclusive'. Ehrlich notes that the quantitative estimates of such effects vary, even to the extent of a minority of studies failing to find any effect at all, and part of his paper is devoted to a discussion of the potential reasons for this, not least of which is the intrinsic limitations of crime statistics. Indeed, an awareness of the often seriously unreliable nature of the statistics is one thing on which most economists and criminologists find common ground. In this paper, we offer a different methodological approach to the process by which crime rates spread (or contract) over time. Our aim is not to account for the path over time followed by any particular set of crime rates, whatever the degree of reliability which might be attached to any available data. In principle, the model could be calibrated to a particular data series, but our purpose is to give a general description of how crime rates change over time.

Details: Unpublished Paper, Undated. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 10, 2012 at http://www.paulormerod.com/pdf/CRIME42.pdf

Year: 0

Country: United States

URL: http://www.paulormerod.com/pdf/CRIME42.pdf

Shelf Number: 124433

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends

Author: Givens, Aldon Garrett

Title: Crime and Punishment: Institutional Sanctions and Other Characteristics that Effect Campus Crime

Summary: Crime, has and continues to be, a major issue in the world of institutions of higher education. Colleges and universities are constantly working on ways to prevent and improve crime on their respective campuses, which in most occasions includes collecting and reporting crime data to law enforcement agencies and the general public. By setting up punishment schemes and sanctions to deter criminal activity at their institution, administrators and faculty are looking for better, more efficient ways to influence the behavior or their students and steer them away from a life of criminal activity. By studying existing literature, crime definitions, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Uniform Crime Report, this thesis attempts to uncover some of the influences of criminal activity and seeks to discuss possible ways to deter such activity. Taking an economic approach to crime, we seek to take an empirical and theoretical path in order to answer the behavioral questions of criminal activity. Using the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report for campuses across the county, as well as a sample of twenty-one colleges and universities in the state of South Carolina, we are able to investigate criminal activity and changes in criminal behavior. This research and analysis might be able to give institutions a better view of how to approach and deter criminal activity among their student body. By knowing how and why prospective offenders react to the changing costs and benefits of committing crime can greatly aid in the process of finding a better, more effective way to deter criminal activity.

Details: Clemson, SC: Clemson University, 2010. 66p.

Source: Master's Thesis, Economics: Internet Resource: Accessed March 10, 2012 at http://etd.lib.clemson.edu/documents/1306870856/Givens_clemson_0050M_11020.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://etd.lib.clemson.edu/documents/1306870856/Givens_clemson_0050M_11020.pdf

Shelf Number: 124434

Keywords:
Campus Crime
Colleges and Universities
Crime Statistics
Deterrence

Author: Haas, Stephen M.

Title: Assessing the Validity of Hate Crime Reporting: An Analysis of NIBRS Data

Summary: The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program was developed over eighty years ago to meet the need for reliable crime statistics for the nation. Today, nearly 17,000 law enforcement agencies across the US participate in this voluntary program. UCR, and the modernized National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), are recognized as the primary source of information about crimes reported to the police. While the UCR Program is critical to understanding crime, there are known limitations to these data such as underreporting and misclassification. As with any large scale data collection system, errors are inevitable and occur for a variety of reasons. While it is unlikely that all error will be eliminated, it is important to understand and measure it. Classification error occurs when the facts of the crime are recorded by the police, but the crime type is identified incorrectly. These errors can occur for many reasons including inaccurate interpretation of UCR definitions, reliance on criminal rather than statistical definitions, record automation issues, and even purposive actions in an attempt to downgrade crime. Classification error is particularly important since it can ultimately impact the statistical accuracy of reported crime statistics. The purpose of the current study is to examine the misclassification of crimes as they relate to hate. That is, the degree to which classification error impacts the statistical accuracy of reported hate crimes. Such error can vary by crime type and result in both the undercounting and overcounting of crimes in official statistics. To focus this study on hate crimes is noteworthy because, by their very nature, a unique set of issues converge when seeking to properly classify these incidents. Inherently, the intention of people involved and/or their motivation for committing a crime must be taken into account by officers when determining whether a particular incident constitutes a hate crime. For this reason, and others to be discussed later in this report, it is often speculated that many hate crimes are not accurately recorded in official records. Through a systematic review of official records, this study seeks to examine the degree to which classification error impacts the statistical accuracy of hate crime, as reported in official law enforcement statistics. Utilizing a methodology previously developed by the authors (Nolan, Haas, and Napier, 2011; Nolan, Haas, Lester, Kirby, and Jira, 2006) this study assesses the amount of classification error in hate crime reporting in WV. The researchers randomly selected cases, which were included in the state’s statistical data files, from designated offense categories for a detailed review of the officer’s written narrative of the incident. Though this approach has been applied to examine error across general crime types, no study to date has systematically focused on a crime category as widely believed to be underreported as hate crimes. While the previous study examined classification error across general crime types, the current study focuses specifically on identifying sources of error (i.e., over- and undercounts) contained in hate crime statistics. Additionally, this study further builds on the quantitative method described above by further capturing the perspectives of frontline officers. Qualitative information from a focus group is used to gain insight into the thought processes officers adhere to when deciding whether a specific incident constitutes a hate crime. Equipped with narratives of cases believed to contain errors, the researchers use a focus group approach to explore the various definitional and interpretation issues that are believed to result in classification error in these cases. Thus, it is anticipated that this study will not only yield an estimate of the error contained in officially reported hate crime statistics, but shed light on the inherent difficulties officers face in interpreting these incidents. In the end, it is the hope of the authors that this study will yield useful information for training officers on the reporting of hate crimes, get us closer to understanding the true magnitude of these crimes, and serve as a precursor for adjusting crime statistics to better estimate the actual number of hate crimes in the population.

Details: West Virginia: Criminal Justice Statistical Analysis Center, Department of Military Affairs & Public Safety, 2011. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 10, 2012 at http://www.djcs.wv.gov/SAC/Documents/ORSP_WV_Hate_Crime_Report.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.djcs.wv.gov/SAC/Documents/ORSP_WV_Hate_Crime_Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 124440

Keywords:
Crime Data
Crime Statistics
Hate Crime (West Virginia)
Uniform Crime Reports

Author: Ford, Amanda

Title: Victim Services in Canada: National, Provincial and Territorial Fact Sheets 2009/2010

Summary: In Canada, there are a variety of government-funded agencies whose mandate is to provide assistance to both primary and secondary victims of crime. A primary victim of crime is a person who is the direct victim of a criminal offence, while a secondary victim of crime is a person who has suffered harm or loss as a result of an incident perpetrated against another person, for example, the spouse of a homicide victim. Information on the types of programs offered by victim service providers as well as those who utilize these services is collected by the Victim Services Survey (VSS). This series of fact sheets presents results from the 2009/2010 cycle of the VSS at the national, provincial and territorial levels. All of the provinces and territories have their own models of service delivery for victims of crime and each has passed legislation to assist victims of crime (Department of Justice Canada 2010). Services offered to victims can cover a wide range, from counselling and financial compensation to public education and crisis intervention. As such, any comparisons made between jurisdictions should be interpreted with caution. It is important to note that two reference periods are used in these fact sheets. Information on the providers themselves, including the types of programs and the services offered, is based upon the fiscal year period from April 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010. Information on the victims who utilized these services is based upon a snapshot date of May 27, 2010. Not all victim service providers were able to report complete data. Where this is the case, exclusions are noted.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2012. 33p.

Source: Catalogue no. 85-003-XWE: Internet Resource: Accessed March 13, 2012 at http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-003-x/85-003-x2011001-eng.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-003-x/85-003-x2011001-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 124531

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victims of Crime (Canada)
Victims Services (Canada)

Author: May, David

Title: Criminal Victimization Experiences, Fear of Crime, Perceptions of Risk, and Opinion of Criminal Justice Agents among a Sample of Kentucky Residents

Summary: In this study, we used a mail survey of a sample of Kentucky residents to collect data relating to three major outcome variables of interest. These variables included: (1) fear of criminal victimization; (2) perceived risk of criminal victimization; and (3) self-reported victimization experiences for various offenses organized by property crime, violent crime, and sexual crime categories. In an effort to make the sample as representative of the state as possible, we obtained a list of all registered voters in Kentucky and drew a random sample of 5,000 registered voters. Of that original 5,000, we received completed surveys from 1,616 adult respondents, a response rate of 36.6% after accounting for all undeliverable addresses.

Details: Richmond, KY: Eastern Kentucky University, Department of Safety, Security, and Emergency Management, 2008. 48p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2012 at: http://justice.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/15878C81-10EF-443A-B3C3-FD386219B5A1/203501/2008KYVictimizationStudy.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: United States

URL: http://justice.ky.gov/NR/rdonlyres/15878C81-10EF-443A-B3C3-FD386219B5A1/203501/2008KYVictimizationStudy.pdf

Shelf Number: 124856

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Fear of Crime
Victimization Surveys (Kentucky)

Author: Lauritsen, Janet L.

Title: Methods for Counting High-Frequency Repeat Victimizations in the National Crime Victimization Survey

Summary: Thie report examines the nature and extent of series victimization in the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report assesses the general patterns of victims' responses to being asked "How many times did this type of incident occur?" and provides data on how reports of high-frequency repeated victimizations have changed over time. It describes how different procedures for counting series victimizations would affect estimates of the level and annual rate of change in victimization for various crime types and incident characteristics. The report also describes how BJS will change its counting practices for estimating annual victimization rates in future reports.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 12, 2012 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/mchfrv.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/mchfrv.pdf

Shelf Number: 124944

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys
National Crime Victimization Survey
Repeat Victimization
Victimization (U.S.)

Author: Stotzer, Rebecca

Title: Comparison of Hate Crime Rates Across Protected and Unprotected Groups

Summary: Sexual orientation and gender identity are not currently covered by federal hate crime laws. This analysis compares victimization rates for lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals with groups already covered by hate crime laws. Results indicate that the hate crime rate against lesbian, gay, and bisexual individuals is comparable to the rate of hate crimes against already protected groups. While the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs reports an average of 213 hate crimes per year, the federal government has no system in place for documenting or collecting these statistics. This discrepancy indicates a need for including gender identity in hate crime tracking laws, and extending legislative protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people.

Details: The Williams Institute, 2007. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 15, 2012 at http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Stotzer-Comparison-Hate-Crime-June-2007.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: United States

URL: http://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Stotzer-Comparison-Hate-Crime-June-2007.pdf

Shelf Number: 124970

Keywords:
Bias-Motivated Crimes
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Discrimination
Hate Crime
Legislation

Author: Friedmann, Robert R.

Title: Improving Crime Data Project

Summary: The criminal justice system lags behind other social service providers and the private sector in the development, timely dissemination, and use of reliable statistical indicators to monitor, predict, and prevent crime. Deficiencies in the nation’s crime data infrastructure deny policymakers the ability to make decisions based on sound and timely information. In contrast, health, education, business, and economics possess readily available data for forecasting and planning. Too often in criminal justice data are not compiled in standardized formats suitable for policy development or program evaluation without time-consuming, repetitive, and costly compilation and analysis efforts. In smaller agencies large amounts of data are still collected by hand and few agencies are able to routinely share comparable data across jurisdictions. Moreover, law enforcement data are generally devoid of other relevant attributes (such as census information) and are reported in tabular or aggregate formats that are not suitable for policy-relevant research. These problems indicate a demonstrable need for improvements in criminal justice data collection, analysis, and dissemination methods to facilitate better strategic choices and policy decisions. Georgia State University and the University of Missouri-St. Louis, in conjunction with the Great Cities’ Universities (GCU) coalition of urban public universities, proposed to develop a model for improved data compilation, analysis, and dissemination across criminal justice jurisdictions in the United States. The objective was to enable agencies to “talk” to each other so that, for example, what is defined as a gang-related assault or drug-related robbery in one jurisdiction is comparable to the same behavior in another jurisdiction. The project focused on improving crime data produced and used primarily by law enforcement agencies. But the proposed model also can be applied across levels within the justice system so that data can be more smoothly transferred between the various system components (law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, courts, corrections). This project - Improving Crime Data (ICD) - was earmarked in legislation and housed in the National Institute of Justice. It is not a standard research project, but rather a demonstration project intended to devise and implement a model of crime data compilation and analysis that can be used by multiple agencies. The project team also provided technical assistance to participating agencies to facilitate implementation and use of the model. As important background, the project team conducted an assessment of the current state of major crime indicators (UCR, NIBRS). The major conclusion of that assessment is that the current indicators do not provide timely or useful information for policy development or evaluation or for strategic initiatives by police managers. The UCR data lack sufficient detail and are badly out of date when disseminated. NIBRS is more promising, but nationwide implementation is a long way off. In response, we sought to assemble a coalition of law enforcement agencies and with their continuous input develop model crime indicators and information technology to access and analyze them that can be applied directly and immediately to crime issues in the areas in which the agencies are located. The project succeeded in establishing basic “proof of concept” for the model crime indicators, a common data platform, and common analysis capabilities. But we had to address several challenges along the way, both technical and organizational, that highlight the fragility of interagency coalitions, the arduous task of sharing even basic data elements across agencies, and the ambivalence of many police managers regarding the utility of cross-jurisdictional data sharing for meeting pressing organizational objectives.

Details: Atlanta, GA: Statistical Analysis Bureau, Georgia State University, 2010. 74p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237988.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/237988.pdf

Shelf Number: 125056

Keywords:
Crime Data
Crime Statistics
Data Analysis
Data Sharing

Author: Serojitdinov, Anvar

Title: IOM 2011 Case Data on Human Trafficking: Global Figures & Trends

Summary: IOM 2011 Case Data contains information on all trafficking cases assisted by the organisation in 2011. The tables contained within this document are based upon IOM case data where the organisation has been involved in providing direct assistance to a trafficked person in the context of an IOM countertrafficking project. Data is collected directly from trafficked persons and stored into the IOM human trafficking database. This covers approximately 20,000 cases encoded by 72 different missions. In Europe IOM has globally provided assistance to individual trafficked persons on 1606 occasions. 1315 of these persons were adults aged 18 and over, whereas 198 were minors and 93 unknown. 1010 of these individuals were female, 502 were males, and in 34 cases the sex of the individual was unknown.

Details: Geneva, Switzerland: International Organization for Migration (IOM), 2012. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2012 at http://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/download.action;jsessionid=1JBhPXCH6Yx2d7x12NtYT6Xkcyz6JlHTNhHTnzgPJnLhqJTjLWWx!-1664183480?nodeId=0c594432-d910-421a-864f-45f546ae3abb&fileName=IOM+Global+Trafficking+Data+on+Assisted+Cases+2012.pdf&fileType=pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://ec.europa.eu/anti-trafficking/download.action;jsessionid=1JBhPXCH6Yx2d7x12NtYT6Xkcyz6JlHTNhHTnzgPJnLhqJTjLWWx!-1664183480?nodeId=0c594432-d910-421a-864f-45f546ae3abb&fileName=IOM+Global+Trafficking+Data+on+Assisted+Cas

Shelf Number: 125061

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Human Trafficking

Author: He, Ni

Title: A Multi-city Assessment of Juvenile Delinquency in the U.S.: A Continuation and Expansion of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD)

Summary: This project is a part of the International Self-report Delinquency (ISRD) study. The ISRD study is now in its second sweep, involving more than 30 nations. A major goal for the ISRD study is to provide an ongoing assessment of (1) the prevalence and incidence of youthful offending; (2) the correlates of youthful crime and different explanations of crime; (3) various dimensions of delinquent trajectories; (4) social response to juvenile misbehavior; (5) the relative importance of micro-level (individual), meso-level (school and neighbourhood), and macro-level (city and country) variables for self-report delinquency and its correlates; and (6) the methodological implications for cross-national survey research. Data collection for the U.S. portion of the ISRD- 2 study was carried out in the fall of 2006 and spring of 2007. The achieved US sample includes 2,571 7th to 9th grade students from 11 public and 4 private schools in three geographically and socio-economically diverse regions (Northeast, Southwest, and Midwest). With regard to risk factors for juvenile delinquency, we find truancy to be of major concern (32.8% last month). The rates of alcohol use (41.5% life-time and 14.0% last month) and marijuana/hashish use (16% life-time and 7.9% last month) based on our sample are comparable to those from other major U.S. national studies. Theft (31.2% last year) and bullying (20% last year) are the two major victimization categories according to our study. The prevalence rates of being a victim of robbery/extortion (4.5%) and assault (4.1%) are noticeably much lower. The reporting (to the police) rate of bullying is particularly low (4.9%), compared to the rates for all other victimization categories (varying from 12.6% to 16.1%). Shoplifting (20.7%), group fight (16.0%), vandalism (15.9%) and carrying a weapon (14.3%) captured the highest life-time prevalence rates in all offense categories measured in our study. Similar observations are found in the corresponding last-year offense prevalence measures. Outcomes based on analyses of both attitudinal and behavioral (victimization and offense prevalence) measures across gender, grade level, city size and school types are quite consistent with predictions that could be made based on either relevant theories or previous studies. Students of different immigrant statuses do not differ in self-reported victimization and offending experiences. We also did not find statistically significant difference between genders with regard to age of onset for all variety of offenses. Our multivariate analyses (both OLS and Negative Binomial regressions) lend support to the theoretical relationships derived from social bonding, self-control, and social learning theories. Findings included in the current report are based on U.S. ISRD-2 data only. The anticipated release of the merged cross-national ISRD-2 data will not only provide us an opportunity to compare our domestic findings with those of the other nations, it will also allow multi-level cross-national analyses.

Details: Boston: Northeastern University, 2009. 55p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2012 at http://nuweb.neu.edu/nhe/NIJ%20Final%20Technical%20Report%20Final%20Report.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://nuweb.neu.edu/nhe/NIJ%20Final%20Technical%20Report%20Final%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 125162

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Offenders
Self-Report Studies

Author: Tran, Peter

Title: Rochester Motor Vehicle Break-Ins

Summary: This paper will examine the issues of motor vehicle break–ins in Rochester through spatial, temporal, aoristic and other environmental analysis. These use analysis are also used to determine the increase or decrease in motor vehicle breaks in certain PSA (Police Service Area) within particular days, weeks, and months. These certain PSAs were selected based upon the high increase or hotspots of motor vehicle break-ins the city of Rochester; these PSAs are 30, 44, 46, 50, and 51. The PSAs selected includes residential areas as well as commercial areas within Rochester. The data of motor vehicle break-ins collected are from the beginning of May 2007 to the end of April 2009.

Details: Rochester, NY: Center for Public Safety Initiatives, Rochester Institute of Technology, 2009. 18p.

Source: Working Paper # 2009-07: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2012 at http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2009/2009-07.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: United States

URL: http://www.rit.edu/cla/cpsi/WorkingPapers/2009/2009-07.pdf

Shelf Number: 125214

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Geographic Studies
Spatial Analysis
Theft from Motor Vehicles (New York)

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: Drive-By America, Second Edition

Summary: Drive-by shootings are commonly defined as an incident in which the shooter fires a firearm from a motor vehicle at another person, vehicle, building, or another stationary object. This study is a follow-up to the July 2007 Violence Policy Center (VPC) report Drive-By America, which, using a limited sample of information, offered for the first time a nationwide overview of drive-by shootings. Three years after the publication of the original VPC study, there remains no national data on the prevalence of drive-by shootings, those who commit them, those who are killed and injured as a result of them, the firearms used, where they take place, or at what times they most often occur. The goal of this new edition of Drive-By America is to continue the VPC’s efforts to fill the information gap surrounding drive-by shootings while illustrating the need for improved data collection regarding this specific category of firearms violence. From July 1, 2008, through December 31, 2008, the Violence Policy Center used the Google news search engine to collect every reported news article that contained the term “drive by.” From these results, the VPC removed all results not related to a drive-by shooting incident (for example, extraneous results included news reports of football games detailing a “drive by” one team against another, etc.). Recognizing the limitations of the survey tools used, and taking into account prior studies looking at the number of drive-by shootings in specific jurisdictions, it is likely that the number of shootings is dramatically underreported. The number of reported instances may also be influenced by local media focus. During the six-month period covered in this report, 733 drive-by shooting incidents were reported in the news media as identified by Google, claiming 154 lives and injuring 631 individuals.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2010. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2012 at http://www.vpc.org/studies/driveby2010.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: United States

URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/driveby2010.pdf

Shelf Number: 125215

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Drive-By Shootings (U.S.)
Gangs
Gun Violence
Gun-Related Violence

Author: Tilley, Nick

Title: An overview of attrition patterns

Summary: This analysis was undertaken as background to a study that tracked investigation and attrition processes in detail across 3,000 volume crime cases randomly selected from eight high-crime family BCUs, and should be read alongside the report of that study (Burrows et al., 2005). The primary purpose of this paper is to outline the patterns of detection for four volume crime types across England and Wales – domestic burglary; non-domestic burglary; theft of motor vehicles (TOMV) and theft from motor vehicles (TFMV). These four crime types were the focus of the sister study and will be described as ‘volume crimes’ in this report. The analysis that follows is principally undertaken by force and by Basic Command Unit (BCU) family. The paper also identifies some of the factors that seem to explain variations in attrition patterns, in particular in the proportions of offences with sanction detections excluding offences ‘taken into consideration’ (TICs). Broad trends and patterns in detection rates are summarised annually in the publication Crime in England and Wales. This has generally shown a downward trend in detection rates since 1980. As Simmons and Dodd (2003) put it, “in simple terms, the number of detections achieved has failed to keep pace with the rise in recorded crime…or when crime numbers have fallen, the number of detections has fallen more”. The overall detection rate stood at 23.5 per cent in 2002/3, which was very slightly higher than the rate for the previous year (23.4%). The 2002/03 figure was however unadjusted for the effect of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS), which is thought to have depressed the detection rate. In 2004/05, the overall detection rate stood at 26 per cent (Nicholas et al., 2005). Crime in England and Wales summarises the overall variation in detection rates between forces, but does not provide a detailed comparison because it recognises that the ‘crime mix’ differences between forces limit the value of overall detection rates as a good comparative measure of police performance (this factor was identified as the primary influence on variations in overall detection rates by Burrows and Tarling, 1982). On this basis it recommends that comparisons are better directed at detections for particular offence groups, which is the focus of the current exercise.

Details: London: Home Office, 2005. 26p.

Source: Home Office Online Report 45/05: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2012 at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr4505.pdf

Year: 2005

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/rdsolr4505.pdf

Shelf Number: 125251

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends

Author: Kostyniuk, Lidia P.

Title: Societal Costs of Traffic Crashes and Crime in Michigan: 2011 Update

Summary: Cost estimates, including both monetary and nonmonetary quality-of-life costs specific to Michigan, were estimated for overall traffic crashes and index crimes by experts in the field of economics of traffic crashes and crimes. These cost estimates were applied to 2009 Michigan traffic crash and index crime incidence data to estimate dollar losses from traffic crashes and index crimes to the state and for each county within the state. Crash costs associated with alcohol-involved traffic crashes, teen-driver-involved crashes, crash-involved motorcyclists, and unrestrained occupants of passenger vehicles were also calculated. Findings indicate that in 2009, index crimes in Michigan resulted in $1.9 billion in monetary costs and $4.7 billion in total (monetary and nonmonetary quality-of-life) costs. Overall traffic crashes resulted in $4.8 billion in monetary costs and $9.1 billion in total costs. Of these costs, alcohol-involved crashes accounted for $0.8 billion in monetary costs and $1.9 billion in total costs. Crashes involving teen drivers accounted for almost $1 billion in monetary costs and $1.8 billion in total costs. Crash-involved motorcyclists accounted for $0.4 billion in monetary costs and $0.8 billion in total costs. Injury-crash involved unrestrained occupants accounted for $0.5 billion in monetary costs and $1.2 billion in total costs. Based on dollar losses to the state, the magnitude of the problem of traffic crashes exceeded that of index crimes in 2009.

Details: Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan, Transportation Research Institute, 2011. 365p.

Source: Internet Resource: UMTRI-2011-21: Accessed July 19, 2012 at: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/2011_Crash_and_Crime_Final_Report_361083_7.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.michigan.gov/documents/msp/2011_Crash_and_Crime_Final_Report_361083_7.pdf

Shelf Number: 125677

Keywords:
Costs of Crime (Michigan)
Crime Statistics
Traffic Offenses

Author: Great Britain. Home Office

Title: User Guide to Drug Misuse Declared: Findings from the Crime Survey for England and Wales

Summary: The annual statistical release ‘Drug Misuse Declared’ examines the extent and trends in illicit drug use among a nationally representative sample of 16 to 59 year olds resident in households in England and Wales. The latest release is based on results from the 2011/12 Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW, formerly the British Crime Survey) including trends since the 1996 survey (see http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/drugs-misuse-dec-1112/). As a household survey, the CSEW provides a good and robust way to measure general population prevalence of drug use amongst users contained within the household population. However, estimates from the CSEW must be considered within the context of survey methodology and the operational challenges of obtaining information from respondents on self-declared drug use. The User Guide to Drug Misuse Declared is designed to be a useful reference guide with explanatory notes regarding the issues and classifications which are key to the production and presentation of the drug misuse statistics. The User Guide to the Drug Misuse Declared release is a useful reference guide with explanatory notes on the drug misuse statistics.

Details: London: Home Office, 2012. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 1, 2012 at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/user-guide-drugs-misuse-dec?view=Binary

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/user-guide-drugs-misuse-dec?view=Binary

Shelf Number: 125837

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Drug Use and Abuse (U.K.)

Author: United Nations Economic and Social Council. Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Title: World Crime Trends and Emerging Issues and Responses in the Field of Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice

Summary: The present document was prepared in accordance with the practice established by Economic and Social Council resolution 1990/18. The document provides information on preliminary results from the United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems covering the year 2010, on statistics on trends and patterns in intentional homicide and on the prominent theme of the twenty-first session of the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice: Violence against migrants, migrant workers and their families. The document also includes an overview of some of the methodological challenges in obtaining crime and criminal justice data and improving their quality.

Details: Vienna: United National Economic and Social Council, 2012. 32p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 2, 2012 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/V1250994.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/Crime-statistics/V1250994.pdf

Shelf Number: 125844

Keywords:
Crime Measurement
Crime Prevention
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends (International)
Homicides
Immigrants

Author: Langton, Lynn

Title: Victimizations Not Reported to the Police, 2006-2010

Summary: This report presents findings, for a five-year period from 2006 to 2010, on the characteristics of crime victimizations that went unreported to police, according to data from the National Crime Victimization Survey. The characteristics examined in this report include the type of crime, whether it involved a weapon or injury, the victim-offender relationship, and demographic characteristics of the victim. For each of the characteristics examined, the report also details victims' rationale for not reporting to the police, including beliefs that the police would not or could not help, that the crime was not important enough to report, or fear of reprisal or getting the offender into trouble. The report also examines trends from 1994 to 2010 in the types of crime not reported to the police and the reasons victimizations went unreported. Highlights include the following: From 1994 to 2010, the percentage of serious violent crime—rape or sexual assault, robbery, or aggravated assault—that was not reported to police declined from 50% to 42%. From 2006 to 2010, the highest percentages of unreported crime were among household theft (67%) and rape or sexual assault (65%) victimizations, while the lowest percentage was among motor vehicle theft (17%) victimizations. From 2006 to 2010, a greater percentage of victimizations perpetrated by someone the victim knew well (62%) went unreported to police, compared to victimizations committed by a stranger (51%).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 10, 2012 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/vnrp0610.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/vnrp0610.pdf

Shelf Number: 125953

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Unreported Crime
Victimization Surveys (U.S.)
Victims of Crime

Author: Stoner, Sarah

Title: Current Global Trends in the Illegal Trade of Tigers

Summary: This is a presentation detailing the crime statistics on the illegal international trade of tigers and material from tigers, crime statistics, hotspot analysis and other information.

Details: New Delhi, India: World Wide Fund (WWF) & Global Tiger Initiative, 2012. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2012 at http://www.globaltigerinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TRAFFIC_Tiger_Trade_Analysis.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.globaltigerinitiative.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/TRAFFIC_Tiger_Trade_Analysis.pdf

Shelf Number: 126098

Keywords:
Crime Analysis
Crime Hotspots
Crime Statistics
Illegal Wildlife Trade
Offenses Against the Environment
Organized Crime
Tigers
Wildlife Crime

Author: Ranson, Matthew

Title: Crime, Weather, and Climate Change

Summary: This paper estimates the impact of climate change on the prevalence of criminal activity in the United States. The analysis is based on a 50-year panel of monthly crime and weather data for 2,972 U.S. counties. I identify the effect of weather on monthly crime by using a semi-parametric bin estimator and controlling for county-by-month and county-by-year fixed effects. The results show that temperature has a strong positive effect on criminal behavior, with little evidence of lagged impacts. Between 2010 and 2099, climate change will cause an additional 30,000 murders, 200,000 cases of rape, 1.4 million aggravated assaults, 2.2 million simple assaults, 400,000 robberies, 3.2 million burglaries, 3.0 million cases of larceny, and 1.3 million cases of vehicle theft in the United States.

Details: Cambridge, MA: Harvard Kennedy School Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, 2012. 49p.

Source: Harvard Kennedy School M-RCBG Associate Working Paper Series No. 8: Internet Resource: Accessed August 28, 2012 at http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2111377

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2111377

Shelf Number: 126127

Keywords:
Climate Change
Crime Statistics
Criminal Behavior

Author: Bowers, James Henry

Title: Urban Growth Boundaries: Urban Crime Reduction or Urban Myth?

Summary: There has been much research written on the negative aspects associated with sprawl, such as crime, the flight of people and businesses to the suburbs, and resulting inner-city decay. However, there is a dearth of information on the effects of limiting sprawl and crime. The objective of this research was to examine the impact of an urban growth boundary (UGB) that limits uncontrolled sprawl on crime rates in Portland, Oregon. UCR data from 1975-1997 was utilized to measure the impact. Crime impacts were analyzed with time-series analysis for property crime, violent crime, and overall crime indexes. Vancouver, Washington crime data was used as a comparison group. Other smaller cities within the UGB in the Portland area also were analyzed. The results show significant increases in violent, property, and the overall crime rates in Portland. There also were significant increases in crime rates in the comparison city of Vancouver. The smaller cities showed a significant decrease in violent crimes after the implementation of the urban growth boundary, with property crimes increasing slightly. This legal impact study does provide results that can be interpreted through both ecological theories and routine activities theory. It would appear that the benefits of the urban growth boundary may be felt in the Oregon cities surrounding Portland.

Details: Indiana, PA: Indiana University of Pennsylvania, 2012. 153p.

Source: Dissertation: Internet Resource: Accessed September 23, 2012 at http://dspace.iup.edu/bitstream/handle/2069/715/James%20Henry%20Bowers.pdf?sequence=1

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://dspace.iup.edu/bitstream/handle/2069/715/James%20Henry%20Bowers.pdf?sequence=1

Shelf Number: 126410

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Routine Activities
Urban Areas
Urban Crime

Author: Fearon, James D.

Title: Homicide data, third revision - Background paper prepared for the WDR 2011 team

Summary: This brief paper summarizes results from an analysis of the WDR Homicide dataset (February 24, 2010), which is based primarily on estimates from the UNODC, with some changes or additions from national sources and the WHO. Although homicide rates appear to be the most reliable cross-national measure of crime, the best estimates we have are still probably much less reliable than parallel measures we have for presence and scale of civil conflict involving organized armed groups. This is so for two main reasons. First, the data are collected and reported by country agencies (police, usually), and procedures, definitions, and competence can vary greatly across countries and over time within them. Looking at the time series for particular countries suggests in many cases that large changes must be due to changed procedures or data collection policies, rather than changes in actual homicide rates. Second, there is a great deal of missing data. About 62% of all country years since 1960 have no homicide rate estimate, and about 47% of all country years since 1990. And of course, the data is not “missing at random” at all. Coverage is particular poor for lower income countries as indicated by Table 1, which shows the number of countries with homicide estimates, by region, for the year with the largest number of observations (2005). Notice that we have data for only 14 of 48 subSaharan Africa countries even in the best year, and for only 16 of 37 countries in Asia. It is entirely possible, even likely, that results for “global” models run below would be change if we had data for more of these missing Africa and Asian low income countries. As it is, it should be kept in mind that the global sample effectively overweights Western, Eastern European/FSU, and Latin American countries. Summary points: Homicide rates have been increasing markedly in Latin American and Caribbean countries since the early 1990s. There has been a slight tendency for higher homicide levels in drug producing or trafficking countries, but not very large. Basically, there has been an increase in homicide rates in the whole region; Elsewhere homicide rates appear to have either stayed steady or declined over the last 20 years, although for several regions we only have time-series data for a few countries (Africa, Asia, North Africa/Middle East in particular); Homicide rates tend to be highest in middle income countries, although this could be due to some correlated regional effect (esp. Latin America) rather than a causal effect of income level; Homicide rates tend to be higher in countries with greater income inequality, and this pattern seems to hold even when we compare countries within the same region. It is not clear why this is the case, and whether it is a causal effect; Homicide rates tend to be higher in democracies versus autocracies. This is true both across countries and when we look at the effect of transitions to democracy within countries. This may be a causal effect – it may be that authoritarian states have more aggressive, oppressive, and/or competent police forces than do typical new democracies, making for less crime in general. It could also be a measurement issue – perhaps autocracies are less inclined to report homicides. Higher economic growth rates predict lower homicide rates, even comparing periods within countries; Most of the correlates of civil war/conflict onset do not predict higher homicide rates. Higher income works the same way for both; richer countries have lower conflict risk and lower homicides. Democracy is essentially unrelated to conflict risk (controlling for income level), but associates with higher homicide rates; Measures of better governance in 1996 and 1998 are associated with lower homicide rates in the period 2000-2005. This relationship appears even when we control for income in 2000-2005. Interestingly, it only appears if we also control for degree of democracy, because it turns out that democracy is correlated with better governance but also with more homicides. Thus, comparing countries at similar levels of income and democracy, the ones judged to be better governed in terms of corruption, “government effectiveness,” regulatory quality, and (perhaps not surprisingly) “rule of law” in the late 1990s had lower homicide rates in 2000-2005.

Details: Department of Political Science, Stanford University, 2011. 25p.

Source: Background paper prepared for the WDR 2011 team: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/06/01/000356161_20110601045939/Rendered/PDF/620370WP0Homic0BOX0361475B00PUBLIC0.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: International

URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2011/06/01/000356161_20110601045939/Rendered/PDF/620370WP0Homic0BOX0361475B00PUBLIC0.pdf

Shelf Number: 126513

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Homicide

Author: Siska, Tracy

Title: Felony Sex Crime Case Processing: Report, Analysis & Recommendations - Chicago/Cook County, Illinois

Summary: Criminal justice agencies play a very important role in assisting communities in securing their neighborhoods from crime and violence. The basis for how successful these agencies will be in this role depends greatly on the level of trust built up between each individual agency and community members, and this trust can only be established by empowering community members to become fully engaged partners with the agencies. This partnership relies heavily on the ability of community members to validate the actions of the agencies in order to establish that each agency is operating in the best interests of the public. This is impossible to do when community members are denied access to the data created by the agencies or are ill informed about how the data is collected and what is missing from the data released by the agencies. There is a gap between the system’s stakeholders’ (community members, crime victims, policy makers, advocates for victims, and academics) understanding of what data is collected in the responding to and processing of felony sex crime allegations, and each agency’s data related practices. This gap inhibits the ability of those stakeholders to hold the agencies accountable for poor practices related to felony sex crime allegations. In lieu of data access, the stakeholders are dependent on sporadic and superficial media coverage and press releases from the agencies. The Chicago Justic Project (CJP) seeks to close that gap with this report that specifically examines the data related practices of three agencies in the Chicago/Cook County criminal justice system: the Office of Emergency Management and Communications (OEMC), the Chicago Police Department (CPD), and the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) in order to verify their data capturing, maintaining, and releasing practices related to allegations of felony sex crimes. It is of the utmost importance that communities validate these practices because these agencies help frame the public discussion regarding the prevalence and seriousness of felony sex crimes in our communities. The numbers captured by the agencies become the official record and challenging those figures is nearly impossible because of the restrictions on data. With the current level of restrictions on data it is impossible to judge the impact the practices of one agency is having on other agencies within the local criminal justice system. It is very likely that if, like the advocates assume, the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office is rejecting acquaintance rapes at a high level that the Chicago Police Department would bring less of those cases in the future to felony review. To what degree this impact plays in the real world can only be known by examining data from all the agencies involved.

Details: Chicago, IL: The Chicago Justice Project, 2011. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2012 at http://www.chicagojustice.org/research/long-form-reports/felony-sex-crime-case-processing-report-analysis-recommendations/CJP_Felony_Sex_Crime_Case_Processing_Report_Analys.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.chicagojustice.org/research/long-form-reports/felony-sex-crime-case-processing-report-analysis-recommendations/CJP_Felony_Sex_Crime_Case_Processing_Report_Analys.pdf

Shelf Number: 126526

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Investigations
Prosecutions
Sex Crimes

Author: Le Goaziou, Veronique

Title: Rape Cases Brought to Assizes Courts: Typology and Geographical Variations

Summary: While homicides have declined steadily in France since the mid 1980s, convictions for rape tripled between the second half of the 1980s and the close of the 1990s, then stagnated in the 2000s (see figure 1). This makes rape by far the crime most frequently tried by Assizes Courts. It is also an increasingly severely punished crime. Whereas in 1984 only 18% of prison sentences punishing this crime exceeded 10 years, in 2008 the figure had risen to 43%. Last, there is not only increased severity, but an increasing tendency to report this crime, one which victims rarely reported in earlier times. Rape cases therefore exemplify the trend toward criminalisation so characteristic of present-day society, with its increasing intolerance and denunciation of interpersonal violence (especially when committed on women or children). According to two major victimisation surveys conducted in 2000 and 2006, the number of rapes reported to pollsters did not increase in the meanwhile, whereas the number of rapes reported to the police did. But only 5 to 10% of victims, depending on the study, lodged a complaint with the police or the gendarmerie. The reality of the courts is a far throw from the social reality, then. The object of the present paper, based on the analysis of 425 rape cases heard by Assizes courts (see below), is to explore the variety of behaviour coming under the legal category of rape as defined by article 222-223 of the French Criminal Code and the following three articles describing specific aggravating circumstances.

Details: Guyancourt, France: Centre de Recherches Sociologiques sur le Droit et les Institutions Penales (CESDIP), 2010. 4p.

Source: Penal Issues, September 2010: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2012 at http://www.cesdip.fr/IMG/pdf/PI_09_2010.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: France

URL: http://www.cesdip.fr/IMG/pdf/PI_09_2010.pdf

Shelf Number: 126644

Keywords:
Convictions
Crime Statistics
Prosecutions (France)
Rape (France)
Sexual Violence

Author: Frandsen, Ronald J.

Title: Enforcement of the Brady Act, 2010: Federal and State Investigations and Prosecutions of Firearm Applications Denied by a NICS Check in 2010

Summary: The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (Brady Act) requires criminal history background checks by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and state agencies on persons who attempt to purchase a firearm from a licensed dealer. In 2010, the FBI and state agencies denied a firearm to nearly 153,000 persons due to National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) records of felonies, domestic violence offenses, and other prohibiting factors. Enforcement of the Brady Act, 2010 reports on investigations and prosecutions of persons who were denied a firearm in 2010. The report describes how the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) screens denied-person cases and retrieves firearms that were obtained illegally. Statistics presented include charges most often filed against denied persons by United States Attorneys and results of prosecutions. Investigation statistics from two states are also presented. Key statistics are compared for the five-year period from 2006 to 2010. Statistical highlights are presented in the body of the report and complete details are included in an Appendix.

Details: St. Louis, MO: Regional Justice Information Service, 2012. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 8, 2012 at https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/239272.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/239272.pdf

Shelf Number: 126647

Keywords:
Brady Act
Crime Statistics
Criminal Background Checks
Gun Control
Illegal Weapons

Author: Dwyer, Allison M.

Title: Data-Driven Decisionmaking for Strategic Justice Reinvestment

Summary: This publication is one of three policy briefs designed to guide local policymakers in undertaking justice reinvestment, a data-driven strategy to identify the drivers of criminal justice system costs and make more efficient use of resources while maintaining public safety. This brief discusses the central role of strategic planning entities in the justice reinvestment process; outlines how these bodies are structured and operated; and provides guidance in establishing or expanding such a collaborative. A case study from one local justice reinvestment site is presented to highlight the recommended process. Additional resources and a "getting started" worksheet are included in an appendix.

Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, 2012. 10p.

Source: Justice Reinvestment at the Local Level, Brief 2: Internet Resource: Accessed October 10, 2012 at http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412543-Data-Driven-Decisionmaking-for-Strategic-Justice-Reinvestment.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/412543-Data-Driven-Decisionmaking-for-Strategic-Justice-Reinvestment.pdf

Shelf Number: 126668

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Costs of Criminal Justice
Crime Statistics
Evaluative Studies

Author: Pleasence, Pascoe

Title: Civil Legal Problems: Young People, Social Exclusion and Crime

Summary: This briefing presents findings from the 2010 wave of the Civil and Social Justice Panel Survey (CSJPS), alongside supplementary findings from the earlier (but larger) 2006-9 Civil and Social Justice Survey (CSJS). The 2010 survey indicates that young people (aged 16 to 24) experience civil legal problems at a rate similar to that of the population as a whole, although problems are most common for those between their mid-twenties and mid-forties. Young people report high levels of certain types of problems, including those concerning rented housing, welfare benefits and debt. Young people ranked civil legal problems concerning education as the most severe, followed closely by family problems. Young people pointed to lack of money being a cause of problems more often than others, with loss of income and employment problems also commonly mentioned. Young people also indicated violence to be a cause of problems more frequently than others. Stress-related illness was commonly mentioned as being both a cause and consequence of problems. In all, 24% of problems faced by young people led to illness of some description, with knock on demand on health services. Loss of income and loss of confidence were also common consequences of problems for young people, and they were much more likely than others to point to negative impact on their education. Some problems experienced by young people were interlinked. One visible problem cluster involved problems concerning rented housing, crime victimisation, anti-social neighbours and consumer issues, further linked to money, debt and employment problems. Reported levels of crime victimisation were similar for all people under the age of retirement, though the youngest respondents to the 2010 CSJPS more often reported having been victims of robbery and assault. Within young people as a whole, lone parents, victims of crime, those who had recently had contact with the police, those with mental health problems, those who admitted drug use, those who were socially isolated and those not in education, employment or training reported civil legal problems more often. In all, 80% of all young people reporting civil legal problems fell in one category of vulnerability. Young people falling into multiple categories of vulnerability became increasingly more likely to report problems. Vulnerable young people also tended to report problems of greater severity. The types of problems reported by vulnerable young people were different to those reported by other young people. For example, those not in education, employment or training reported high levels of housing problems and relatively high levels of debt and family related problems. Those recently arrested reported high levels of homelessness and problems concerning money and rented housing. Young people more often did nothing to resolve problems and less often obtained formal advice. This was despite young people reporting many benefits of advice. In all, 62% of young respondents to the CSJPS reported that formal advice from another person or organisation led to improvements in their life circumstances, compared to 43% in the case of older respondents.

Details: London: The Law Centres Federation and Youth Access, 2011. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 14, 2012 at http://youthaccess.org.uk/uploads/documents/Advice%20Publications/Civil_Legal_Problems_Social_Exclusion_and_Crime_FINAL.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://youthaccess.org.uk/uploads/documents/Advice%20Publications/Civil_Legal_Problems_Social_Exclusion_and_Crime_FINAL.pdf

Shelf Number: 126703

Keywords:
Anti-Social Behavior
Crime Statistics
Crime Victimization
Disadvantaged Youth
Young Adults

Author: North Dakota. Office of Attorney General

Title: 2012 Comprehensive Status and Trends Report

Summary: This report is a summary evaluation of the status of substance abuse and treatment in North Dakota, and analysis of substance abuse trends. This Report evaluates five sets of statistics, each providing a different aspect of the substance abuse problem in North Dakota: 1. The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted by the Department of Public Instruction every other year, examines the health risks taken by our children; 2. Data on the number and type of drug samples analyzed at the North Dakota Crime Laboratory; 3. Trends in substance abuse treatment as reported by the Department of Human Services; 4. Arrest statistics compiled by the Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) from reports submitted by local law enforcement agencies, and; 5. Information from the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations on the number of people incarcerated or on probation for drug related crimes.

Details: Bismarck, ND: North Dakota Office of Attorney General, 2012. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at http://www.ag.state.nd.us/reports/ComprehensiveStatusRept.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ag.state.nd.us/reports/ComprehensiveStatusRept.pdf

Shelf Number: 126738

Keywords:
Alcohol Abuse Treatment (North Dakota)
Crime Statistics
Drug Abuse Treatment (North Dakota)
Self-Report Studies

Author: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Crime Statistics Unit

Title: Crimes Against the Elderly Report: 2009-2011

Summary: Each year the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation releases annual reports of crimes reported by law enforcement agencies to the Tennessee Incident Based Reporting System (TIBRS) program in five different reports. The TIBRS data contains a wide range of incident level information including victim and offender demographics. In addition to the usual annual reports, the Crime Statistics Unit focused on a data subset of older victims of crime for the last three years of reported data. According to the 2010 United States Census, the nation's population is growing including America's elderly population. The data for the Tennessee Census shows the same trends. Unfortunately, even with various groups advocating for them and state law specifically punishing those who victimize them, the number of elderly crime victims has grown over the past three years. Their sometimes reduced mobility and trust of others makes them easy prey for offenders. We believe looking at the data reported to TIBRS for older crime victims will be beneficial for policy makers since the U.S. Census data indicates that this population is growing.

Details: Nashville, TN: Crime Statistics Unit, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, 2012. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at http://www.tbi.tn.gov/tn_crime_stats/documents/CrimesAgainstElderlyReport2009_2011.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.tbi.tn.gov/tn_crime_stats/documents/CrimesAgainstElderlyReport2009_2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 126740

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Demographic Trends
Elder Abuse
Elderly Victims
Elderly Victims of Crime

Author: Gately, Natalie

Title: Amphetamine Use Among Detainees at the East Perth Watch House: What is the Impact on Crime?

Summary: Amphetamines have been increasingly available on the Australian drug markets since the early 1990s with a recent increase in clandestine laboratory detections as well as seizures by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Customs. Amphetamine use has been associated with psychological, physical and social harm, criminal behaviour and violence; however, much of the current research is descriptive. The present study was designed to utilise existing datasets from two major sources: the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) project and statistics on reported crime in Western Australia (WA). This enabled drug and crime data taken from several sources to be consolidated for the purpose of investigating the relationships between key variables of interest and trends in these variables over time. While no statistical relationship was identified, there was a trend towards reduced amphetamine use indicators together with a trend in increasing weights of amphetamines seized in the final two years of available data. This study highlights two particularly important factors related to age. Firstly, it is apparent that amphetamine users commence using various illicit and licit (for non-medical purposes) drugs at earlier ages on average than amphetamine non-users. Secondly, amphetamine users commence criminal careers at an earlier age than non-users on average. These findings emphasise both the importance of tackling alcohol and drug issues early and of youth diversion strategies for amphetamine drug offences. Given the generally lower socioeconomic status observed in the amphetamine using group in this study (compared to amphetamine non-users), assistance in acquiring stable housing and provision of education and training opportunities to improve employment prospects may reduce their likelihood of either using drugs and/or committing offences. This study revealed the relationships between important indicators such as drug use, crime and interventions that can be used to provide support for the provision or cessation of specific intervention activities.

Details: Griffth, ACT Australia: Criminology Research Council, 2011. 59p.

Source: Report to the Criminology Research Council: Internet Resource: Accessed October 15, 2012 at http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/0910-50.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.criminologyresearchcouncil.gov.au/reports/0910-50.pdf

Shelf Number: 126741

Keywords:
Amphetamines (Australia)
Crime Prevention Strategies
Crime Statistics
Criminal Careers
Drug Abuse and Crime (Australia)
Intervention Programs

Author: Langton, Lynn

Title: Firearms Stolen during Household Burglaries and Other Property Crimes, 2005-2012

Summary: Victimizations involving the theft of firearms declined from 283,600 in 1994 to 145,300 in 2010 (figure 1). Overall, about 1.4 million guns, or an annual average of 232,400, were stolen during burglaries and other property crimes in the six-year period from 2005 through 2010. Of these stolen firearms, at least 80% (186,800) had not been recovered at the time of the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) interview. The data in this report were drawn from the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) NCVS, which annually collects information on nonfatal victimizations reported and not reported to the police against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. The NCVS collects data on criminal incidents for which theft or attempted theft is either a component of the victimization (i.e., robbery, personal larceny, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and other property theft) or could occur in connection with the victimization (i.e., rape or sexual assault). This report examines the theft of firearms in criminal victimizations, focusing on the rate, number, amount of loss, and recovery of guns taken during burglaries and other property crimes, which include motor vehicle theft and other theft. It presents information on how firearms may end up in the hands of persons to whom they do not belong. Trend estimates are based on two-year rolling averages centered on the most recent year (figure 1). For example, estimates reported for 2010 represent the average estimates for 2009 and 2010. This method improves the reliability and stability of estimate comparisons over time. For all tables in this report, aggregate data for the time from 2005 through 2010 are the focus.

Details: Washington, D.C.: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 15p.

Source: Crime Data Brief, NCJ 239436: Internet Resource: Accessed November 12, 2012 at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/fshbopc0510.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/fshbopc0510.pdf

Shelf Number: 126916

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Firearms and Crime
Firearms, Theft of
Victimization

Author: International Drug Policy Consortium

Title: IDPC Response to the UNODC World Drug Report 2012

Summary: 26 June 2012 saw the launch of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)’s flagship publication, the World Drug Report. This IDPC response provides an overview of the data and topics presented in the Report and where appropriate, within the broader context of the current state of the UN drug control framework, offer a critical analysis of both. This year’s publication represents an impressive and wide-ranging set of data collated and analysed by UNODC and provides an overview of recent trends and the current situation in terms of production, trafficking, consumption and the consequences of illicit drug use for treatment, drug-related diseases and drug-related deaths.

Details: London: International Drug Policy Consortium, 2012. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 15, 2012 at http://dl.dropbox.com/u/64663568/library/IDPC-response-to-the-UNODC-world-drug-report-2012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/64663568/library/IDPC-response-to-the-UNODC-world-drug-report-2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 126930

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Drug Trafficking
Drug Use and Abuse
Drugs and Crime

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: Black Homicide Victimization in the United States: An Analysis of 2009 Homicide Data

Summary: America faces a continuing epidemic of homicide among young black males. The devastation homicide inflicts on black teens and adults is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of affected communities. This study examines the problem of black homicide victimization at the state level by analyzing unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data for black homicide victimization submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The information used for this report is for the year 2009 and is the most recent data available. This is the first analysis of the 2009 data on black homicide victims to offer breakdowns of cases in the 10 states with the highest black homicide victimization rates and the first to rank the states by the rate of black homicides. It is important to note that the SHR data used in this report comes from law enforcement reporting at the local level. While there are coding guidelines followed by the law enforcement agencies, the amount of information submitted to the SHR system, and the interpretation that results in the information submitted (for example, gang involvement) will vary from agency to agency. While this study utilizes the best and most recent data available, it is limited by the quantity and degree of detail in the information submitted.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2012. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 15, 2012 at http://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide12.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide12.pdf

Shelf Number: 126932

Keywords:
African Americans
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Homicide
Victimization

Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice

Title: Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System 2011

Summary: This report provides information about how females and males were represented in the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in the most recent year for which data were available, and, wherever possible, across the last five years. Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991 requires the Government to publish statistical data to assess whether any discrimination exists in how the CJS treats people based on their gender. These statistics are used by policy makers, the agencies who comprise the CJS and others (e.g. academics) to monitor differences between females and males, and to highlight areas where practitioners and others may wish to undertake more in-depth analysis. The identification of differences should not be equated with discrimination as there are many reasons why apparent disparities may exist.

Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2012. 160p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 26, 2012 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/women-cjs-2011/statistics-women-cjs-2011-v2.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/women-cjs-2011/statistics-women-cjs-2011-v2.pdf

Shelf Number: 127007

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Female Crime
Female Offenders (U.K.)
Female Staff
Female Victims
Females

Author: Catalano, Shannan

Title: Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2010

Summary: This report presents data on nonfatal intimate partner violence among U.S. households from 1993 to 2010. Intimate partner violence includes rape, sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault by a current or former spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. This report presents trends in intimate partner violence by sex, and examines intimate partner violence against women by the victim’s age, race and Hispanic origin, marital status, and household composition. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which collects information on nonfatal crimes reported and not reported to the police from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Highlights: From 1994 to 2010, the overall rate of intimate partner violence in the United States declined by 64%, from 9.8 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older to 3.6 per 1,000. Intimate partner violence declined by more than 60% for both males and females from 1994 to 2010. From 1994 to 2010, about 4 in 5 victims of intimate partner violence were female. Females ages 18 to 24 and 25 to 34 generally experienced the highest rates of intimate partner violence. Compared to every other age group, a smaller percentage of female victims ages 12 to 17 were previously victimized by the same offender. The rate of intimate partner violence for Hispanic females declined 78%, from 18.8 victimizations per 1,000 in 1994 to 4.1 per 1,000 in 2010. Females living in households comprised of one female adult with children experienced intimate partner violence at a rate more than 10 times higher than households with married adults with children and 6 times higher than households with one female only.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 28, 2012 at: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4536

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4536

Shelf Number: 127013

Keywords:
Abused Wives
Abusive Men
Crime Statistics
Family Violence
Intimate Partner Violence (U.S.)
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crime
Violence Against Women

Author: Alemika, E.O

Title: Criminal Victimization, Safety and Policing in Nigeria

Summary: The significance of reliable data and statistics on the extent and pattern of crimes and victimization in a nation and its different constituent political administrative units is recognized by criminologists, criminal justice officials and criminal justice policy-makers. However, the production of accurate crime and victimization data has been characterized by many problems. Some of the problems of collection and production of accurate crime and victimization are inherent in the nature of criminal activities, including efforts by criminals to conceal their actions and evade detection and arrest, capacity and practices of criminal justice agencies (police, courts and prisons). Information on crimes and victimization are obtained from three different sources: official statistics produced by criminal justice agencies (police, courts, prosecutors, prisons, etc.); self-report surveys which collect information (through questionnaire and interviews) from individuals on their involvement in any criminal activities, usually during the preceding twelve months, and victim surveys which obtain information from individuals and households (through questionnaires and interviews) on their criminal victimization experience during the preceding twelve months. The three sources provide indicators of level of victimization and criminality and complement each other, though they do not fully resolve the problems of incomplete information on crime and victimization. Nigeria lacks reliable criminal statistical system as a result of several factors, including: a. Lack of appreciation of the significance of evidence-based policy, operations and practice; b. Neglect of collection, analysis and utilization of crime and victimization surveys as essential input to planning, operations and administration; c. Lack of necessary capacity for the collection, analysis, utilization, storage and retrieval of essential data and information. CLEEN Foundation pioneered the conduct of large scale national criminal victimization survey based on multi-stage cluster and proportionate sampling methods. The Foundation piloted criminal victimization survey in Lagos in 2004 and subsequently conducted national criminal victimization surveys in respect of 2005 and 2006. The findings of the 2005 and 2006 national criminal victimization surveys have been published as research monographs1. Another survey covering 2007-20092 was conducted in early 2010, the major findings of which are presented in chapter two of this book. The aim of this book is to provide a comparative analysis of the data collected through three rounds of national criminal victimization surveys in Nigeria. The chapters in the book analysed different themes and provided summary of findings and recommendations.

Details: Lagos, Nigeria: CLEEN Foundations, 2011. 148p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 4, 2012 at: http://www.cleen.org/Crime%20Victimization%20Safety%20and%20Policing%20in%20Nigeria.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://www.cleen.org/Crime%20Victimization%20Safety%20and%20Policing%20in%20Nigeria.pdf

Shelf Number: 127119

Keywords:
Corruption
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surve (Lagos, Nigeria)

Author: Truman, Jennifer L.

Title: Criminal Victimization, 2011

Summary: This report presents 2011 estimates of rates and levels of criminal victimization in the U.S. This bulletin includes violent victimization (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault) and property victimization (burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft). It describes the annual change from 2010 and analyzes 10-year trends from 2002 through 2011. The bulletin includes estimates of domestic violence, intimate partner violence, and injury and use of weapons in violent victimization. It also describes the characteristics of victims. The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. During 2011, about 79,800 households and 143,120 persons were interviewed for the NCVS.

Details: Washington, DC: Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 15p.

Source: Bureau of Justice Statistics Bulletin: Internet Resource: Accessed December 21, 2012 at http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv11.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv11.pdf

Shelf Number: 127253

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Property Crime
Victimization Surveys
Victims of Crimes
Violent Crime

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2010 Homicide Data - Females Murdered by Males in Single Victim/Single Offender Incidents

Summary: The annual VPC report details national and state-by-state information on female homicides involving one female murder victim and one male offender. The study uses the most recent data available from the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report and is released each year to coincide with Domestic Violence Awareness Month in October. Nationwide, 1,800 females were murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents in 2010. Where weapon use could be determined, firearms were the most common weapon used by males to murder females (849 of 1,622 homicides or 52 percent). Of these, 70 percent (597 of 849) were committed with handguns. In cases where the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 94 percent of female victims (1,571 out of 1,669) were murdered by someone they knew. Of these, 65 percent (1,017 out of 1,571) were wives or intimate acquaintances of their killers. Sixteen times as many females were murdered by a male they knew than were killed by male strangers. In 88 percent of all incidents where the circumstances could be determined, the homicides were not related to the commission of any other felony, such as rape or robbery.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2012. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 22, 2012 at http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 127258

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Homicide
Murder
Violence Against Women

Author: Youth Justice Coalition

Title: Tracked and Trapped: Youth of Color, Gang Databases and Gang Injunctions

Summary: Tracked and Trapped represents the preliminary results from a larger research project currently being conducted by the Youth Justice Coalition's RealSearch Action Research Center on the impacts of gang injunctions and gang databases on Los Angeles' youth and communities. In the 25 years since the LA County Sheriffs established the nation's first gang database, and 30 years since LA County implemented the nation's first gang injunctions, there has been almost no release of data regarding gang suppression policies - including who's impacted, let alone an evaluation of their cost or effectiveness. This report represents the most comprehensive data ever released regarding who is on the Cal Gang Database by county, age and race. We don't say this out of pride, but out of concern for the total lack of state and local transparency and accountability in regards to the implementation of gang suppression. It is our intention to expose these policies and practices to the light of community evaluation and oversight.

Details: Los Angeles, CA: Youth Justice Coalition, 2012. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 13, 2013 at http://www.ushrnetwork.org/sites/default/files/tracked_and_trapped.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ushrnetwork.org/sites/default/files/tracked_and_trapped.pdf

Shelf Number: 127265

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gang Injunctions
Gangs

Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice

Title: An Overview of Sexual Offending in England and Wales

Summary: This report brings together, for the first time, a range of official statistics from across the crime and criminal justice system, providing an overview of sexual offending in England and Wales. Most of the information presented in this report has been previously published in other official statistics bulletins. The report is structured to highlight: the victim experience; the police role in recording and detecting the crimes; how the various criminal justice agencies deal with an offender once identified; and the criminal histories of sex offenders. Providing such an overview presents a number of challenges, not least that the available information comes from different sources that do not necessarily cover the same period, the same people (victims or offenders) or the same offences. For example, the results from the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) are based on self completed questions from a representative sample of adults (aged 16 to 59), asking about an individual’s experiences of sexual offences in the last 12 months. The police recorded and court information cover all sexual offences, as legislated for in law, committed against any individual irrespective of age or when the crime took place, but exclude the large volume of crimes not reported to the police.. O ther issues that prevent direct comparisons include:  the CSEW focusing on the most recent experience of adults as a victim of sexual offence in the previous 12 months (thus, for example, does not include sexual offences experienced by children or those aged 60 or over);  police recorded crime figures being based on offences per victim (i.e. for each victim in a given incident, a crime is recorded) in the year the crime was reported, irrespective of when the offence took place;  the criminal justice outcome information (e.g. cautions and convictions) being on an offender basis at the date of the final outcome, again irrespective of when the crime took place. The latter two points mean that figures between the police and court sources will differ, as there will be crimes involving more than one victim or more than one offender, or possibly multiple victims and offenders relating to a single crime. It is not currently feasible to track individual cases from initial recording by the police through the CJS. When interpreting the flows of offences and offenders through the CJS, it is important to note the various stages of attrition and the inherent challenges associated with detection and prosecution of crime, in particular with sexual offences. Second, the issue of ‘downgrading’ of offences (when a decision is made by the Crown Prosecution Service, between the initial hearing at the magistrates’ court and the first hearing at the Crown Court, that the initial charge is incorrect and should be changed to another offence) as they move through the system presents analytical challenges and requires careful consideration when interpreting the statistics. For example, one method of calculating rape conviction rates often used by commentators shows the number of people convicted of rape as a proportion of all rape crimes recorded. Given the different currencies of the two number and the effect of downgrading of offences through the CJS mentioned above, this method is incorrect and misleading in terms of presenting evidence on convictions for rape. For the purposes of this report, the results from the last three years’ CSEW have been combined to provide a large enough sample to enable more reliable findings to be presented. Elsewhere, the report mainly covers the period 2005 to 2011(for police recoded crime 2005/06 to 2011/12), as 2005 was the first full year following the introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003. Where readily available, longer time series have been provided. Detailed statistical tables are provided in the spreadsheets alongside this bulletin. Tables referenced in the text are included within the bulletin, whereas others referenced are found only within the spreadsheets. I t is acknowledged that any sexual offence will be a traumatic experience for the victim. For ease of reference however, throughout the report, sexual offences have been referred to as falling into two groups:  “Most serious sexual offences”, covering all rape, attempted rape and sexual assault offences; and  “Other sexual offences”, which includes sexual activity with minors (excluding rape and sexual assaults), exposure, voyeurism etc. A full description of the offence types included, with reference to the relevant legislation, is included in the glossary in the spreadsheet tables accompanying Chapters 3 and 4. A number of summary sexual offences, such as kerb crawling and letting premises for use as a brothel, have been considered outside the scope of the publication. Within each chapter, introductory information is provided (in italics) to give a overview of the chapter content, the basis of the statistics included, and the relevant data sources. Further background information can be found in the ‘Background to the criminal justice system’ and ‘Data sources and quality’ sections of this bulletin.

Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2013. 73p.

Source: Internet Resource: Statistics Bulletin: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/sexual-offending/sexual-offending-overview-jan-2013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.justice.gov.uk/downloads/statistics/criminal-justice-stats/sexual-offending/sexual-offending-overview-jan-2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 127286

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Rape
Sex Offenders
Sex Offenses (U.K.)
Sexual Assault
Sexual Violence

Author: Peterson, Ben

Title: Utah Crime Survey 2010: Victimization & Perceptions

Summary: Utah has an effective system of crime data collection in which local law enforcement agencies provide statistics to the State on the number and type of crimes that the public reports to them. There are limitations inherent in this type of system as an estimate of the actual prevalence of crime. The only crimes that can be counted in such a system are those which are reported to the police, and which are then included in the reports from law enforcement to the State. Crimes that go unreported (which may be as high as two-thirds for some types of crimes) will not be included in these official crime statistics. Reporting crime to the police is a personal decision. There are many reasons why a citizen may choose not to report a crime to the authorities, from a well-justified fear for his or her life to not feeling the police can provide the necessary assistance to a reluctance to go through the bother of reporting. Crime surveys that assess victimization rates, such as the one in this current report, have been used by Utah, other states, and the federal government in an effort to bridge the gap between actual crime and reported crime. This survey should be considered an additional tool, along with official crime statistics, toward understanding the amount of crime occurring in Utah communities. A representative random sample of just over 2,000 Utahns from across the state responded to our survey via telephone and the internet. In addition to various types of property, person, and sexual crime victimization in the previous year and lifetime, the survey assessed perceptions about crime in the respondents’ community, causes of crime, fear of crime, personal risk, and specific crime issues such as gangs. The survey also attempted to assess the impact of victimization, reporting of crime, and the use of services by victims.

Details: Salt Lake City, UT: Utah Commission on Criminal & Juvenile Justice, 2012. 47p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 17, 2013 at: http://www.justice.utah.gov/Documents/Research/Crime/Utah%20Crime%20Survey%202010%20Report.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.justice.utah.gov/Documents/Research/Crime/Utah%20Crime%20Survey%202010%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 127339

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Survey (Utah)
Criminal Victimization
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: van Dijk, Jan

Title: Final Report on the Study on Crime Victimisation

Summary: Sample surveys of the general public about their experience of common crime – so-called victimisation surveys - are now well established. In covering crimes that are both reported and not reported to the police, victimisation surveys provide a more complete measure of people’s ordinary experience of crime than administrative statistics. Victimisation surveys have been carried in varies countries across the world, but having been done in different ways, they are as problematic for comparative purposes as statistics of police recorded crime. The International Crime Victimisation Survey (ICVS) has adopted a standardised approach in surveys carried out in a large number of countries over the last two decades. The fifth round of this comparative survey, conducted in 2004/2005, was co-funded by the European Commission. Nonetheless, the need stands for an up-to-date survey tailored to the legal and social realities of the EU and its distinct policy interests. Such a survey was proposed under the European Commission’s Action Plan on the Hague Programme (2004-2009), updated in the Stockholm Action Plan ( 2010-2014), in which the European Commission agrees to develop a comparative victimisation survey to provide data on crime as a supplement to statistics of police recorded crime. Execution of the task has been put in the hands of Eurostat. Proposals for the planned survey were submitted for discussion in the DG JLS Expert Group on the Policy Needs of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics, the Eurostat Working Group on Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics and the Task Force on Victimisation Surveys. HEUNI was contracted to assist in the design a draft questionnaire. In 2009, the Universities of Tilburg (the Netherlands) and Lausanne (Switzerland) were contracted by Eurostat to: (a) make an inventory of victimisation surveys that have been conducted in Europe; (b) evaluate pilot tests in 17 member states of the draft questionnaire for an EUwide survey; and (c) in the light of (b) and other professional experience, to review the methodological options for a survey in all member states to take place in 2013. The planned survey is now named the EU Security Survey (or the EU Safety Survey (SASU) or EU-SASU)). Alongside this, work was in hand in the United Nations on a Manual on Victimisation Surveys. This recommends the regular conduct of victimisation surveys as a tool for the planning, monitoring and evaluation of national and local crime prevention and control policies (United Nations, 2010). Within the context of the European Union, a standardised victimisation survey would allow member states with widely divergent criminal laws and criminal justice practices to compare their experiences. This would be in relation to comparative levels of selected crimes (including different forms of violent crime), as well as fear of crime and aspects of policing. In addition, such an EU survey would provide benchmark data on the performance of the police and other agencies vis à vis victims of crime as regulated in the Framework Decision of 2002 (and the future Directive on Crime Victims Rights). If repeated over time, the EU survey could provide invaluable information on trends in crime in the member states.

Details: Tilburg, The Netherlands: INTERVICT - Tilburg University, 2010. 130p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 23, 2013 at: http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=113047

Year: 2010

Country: Europe

URL: http://arno.uvt.nl/show.cgi?fid=113047

Shelf Number: 127360

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys (Europe)
Victims of Crime

Author: Bhalla, Kavi

Title: Tracking National Homicide Rates: Generating Estimates Using Vital Registration Data

Summary: Violent deaths make up a substantial proportion of global mortality and morbidity. While reliable data is not available from much of the world, estimates from international studies suggest that between 526,000 and 600,000 violent deaths are committed annually, accounting for around one per cent of global deaths. Among young adult males, deaths from intentional interpersonal violence (hereafter referred to as ‘homicides’) account for over ten per cent of all deaths globally. In addition to deaths, interpersonal violence leads to substantial disability resulting from nonfatal injuries. Together, these deaths and injuries account for 1.3 per cent of the total global burden of disease and injury. This Issue Brief analyses the regional availability and quality of death registration data for estimating the national incidence of homicides. Key findings include: While death registration data is available for most high-income countries, its availability is erratic in other regions. Data is available for many countries from the Caribbean, Latin America, Eastern Europe, and Central Europe. However, little or no death registration data is available from countries in Africa, South Asia, and South-east Asia; Death registration-based homicide estimates provide useful insight into the global distribution of violence: Homicide rates are substantially higher in Eastern Europe, the Caribbean and the four Latin American regions, as compared with other regions of the world; Homicide rates are relatively low in high-income countries, the notable exception being the United States; Homicide rates are relatively stable in many regions and declining in Central and Eastern Europe; Homicide rates are lowest among the youngest and oldest age groups in most countries. However, homicide rates peak among young adults (15–29 years) in some regions and among older adults (45–59 years) in others; Firearms and sharp objects are the two most common mechanisms of homicide. Firearms are the most common mechanism of homicides in the most violent countries (those with the highest total homicide rates). The following section describes how death registration data is collected and presents a method with which to test certain aspects of its quality. The results of applying such quality tests to global death registration data are outlined. Finally, this Issue Brief discusses the implications of these findings for future research on improving estimates of national and regional homicide rates using data from the health sector.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, 2012. 12p., app.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief, No. 1: Accessed January 24, 2013 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/G-Issue-briefs/SAS-AVD-IB1-tracking-homicide.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: International

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/G-Issue-briefs/SAS-AVD-IB1-tracking-homicide.pdf

Shelf Number: 127377

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Homicide
Interpersonal Violence
Violence (International)
Violent Crime

Author: Estonian Ministry of Justice

Title: Crime Victim Survey 2009

Summary: In the end of 2008 and during the fi rst six months of 2009, the Estonian Statistical Offi ce carried out a population survey, the aim of which was to gather data on victimization, feeling of security and violence in couples2. Th e questions mainly concerned incidents that had occurred with the last 12 months. Th e survey was conditionally divided into two separate parts: the fi rst part dealt with victimization and feeling of security, and the second part focussed on violence in couples. Henceforth, these surveys are separately discussed in this document, and the terms “victim survey” and “violence in couples survey” are respectively used. Only the victim survey results are observed in this publication. 1. The Crime Victim Survey was carried out in Estonia for the fifth time. The Estonian Statistical Office carried out the population survey in the end of 2008 and during the first six months of 2009. More than 4,000 people were interviewed. The population consisted of people aged 15-74. 2. The number of both crimes and crime victims has decreased. 26% of people were victimized by some criminal offence in 2008; in 1999, the percentage of victims was 33%. 42 criminal offences were committed per 100 persons interviewed; in 1999 it was 72 criminal offences. In international comparison the percentage of people victimized in the past year exceeds the average indicator for other European countries and is similar to Denmark and Switzerland. 3. The number of all crimes against property has decreased. Most frequent criminal offences are vehicle thefts: theft from a car and car vandalism. There are considerably more incidents when something is stolen from a car in Estonia compared to other countries. In Estonia, people living in the Virumaa region are most frequently exposed to diff erent types of thefts and robberies. 4. Compared to the previous survey, the number of assault victims has increased. Within 12 months, 2.4% of people were victimized by assault and 2.1% by threat. With these indicators, Estonia is among the European average countries. There are slightly more women than men among the victims of violence: women are exposed to violence more frequently at home, men outside home. For the first time, Estonians were exposed to violence more frequently than people from other nationalities. 5. In most cases the victims of violence do not turn to the police or the doctor. A victim or some other person at the victim’s request informed the police of 17% of violence incidents. Health care professionals were approached by 30% of victims, including 40% of women and 15% of men. 6. Nearly every twentieth person is exposed to sexual harassment in the past year. In 2008, 2% of the population was exposed to physical harassment and 3.6% to non-physical harassment. Young non-Estonian women are at the highest risk of becoming the harassment victims. Based on the nationality, the indicators level off starting from 30 years of age. 7. The percentage of people exposed to consumer frauds has significantly decreased. In 2008, 18% of the population were victimized by frauds caused by the quality or quantity of goods or services; according to previous surveys, the highest number of people exposed to frauds occurred in 2,000 – 39%. People are most frequently exposed to frauds shopping for goods in stores and other points of sale; the number of victims is smaller, for example, in case of e-commerce and construction and repair works. In international comparison, Estonia is one of the weakest countries in terms of customer security. 8. The exposure of the population to asking a bribe has considerably decreased. Only 0.5% of the people (17 respondents) noted that a border guard, a police officer or some other official had asked them to give a bribe. According to the survey, 5% of the population is willing to offer a bribe to some official. Younger people and non-Estonians are more inclined to pay a bribe. 9. Less criminal offences are reported to the police. 61% of crime victims did not report to the police what had happened. Compared to the previous survey, the reporting decreased with respect to thefts that had been committed from cars and living quarters. Estonian people turn to the police less frequently compared to other countries, for example, in Austria 70% of incidents are reported. In Estonia, people living in the Virumaa region report the crimes less compared to others. In international comparison, the Estonian people’s faith that the police will do something to solve crimes is also smaller. 10. Satisfaction with police actions in solving incidents of violence has considerably increased. The otherwise low satisfaction of people with the police has also increased, for example, with respect to incidents of personal property theft, car theft and car vandalism. Main cause to dissatisfaction is the inability of the police to find stolen or robbed items. 11. Most people think that the police can maintain public order sufficiently or very well. In 2009, this was the opinion held by 63% of the population, at the same time this indicator remained below the international average and is considerably lower, for example, than the Finnish outcome where 89% of the population assessed the police actions to be good. People’s assessments concerning the professional standards of police have grown year by year: while in 2003, 17% of the population considered the professional standards to be fairly good, 69% did so in 2009. 12. Attitudes towards punishment continue to be stable. 57% of the population would impose community service and 23% of the population would impose imprisonment on a 21-year old man who has stolen a TV and has been convicted for burglary for the second time. 13. There were more people in favour of imprisonment among city dwellers and non-Estonians. More strict punishment is requested also by those who themselves have been victimized by some crime, who feel unsafe in their neighbourhood and who are not satisfied with police actions. 14. People’s fear of crime is decreasing. 72% of Estonian people feel completely or quite safe walking alone on the street in their neighbourhood after dark. Compared to 2,000 when the Estonian people’s fear of crime was the highest in comparison with other countries, Estonia is now among the average countries. The people living in Kohtla-Järve feel the least safe. 15. Increasingly more security measures are used for the protection of domestic property. In 2009, 30% of households did not use any security measures, while in 1995 the number of such households was twice as big - 59%. The use of safety locks and the construction of fences for the protection of property have increased the most. However, less window and door bars are used than before. 16. The percentage of people who have been exposed to drug problems has decreased. When in 2004, 10% of the population was frequently exposed to drug problems, 6% were exposed to it in 2009. At the same time, the percentage of population that has been exposed to offering drugs and whose acquaintances use drugs has remained almost the same. City dwellers and non-Estonians are exposed to drug problems considerably more frequently. Every fifth Estonian person knows somebody or is acquainted with somebody who uses or has used drugs. 17. Young people are exposed more to violence and less to thefts. Compared to the previous survey, the percentage of 16 to 26-year-old young people who have been exposed to violence increased from 8% to 9.4%. 5% were exposed to physical sexual harassment. At the same time, twice as less young people were exposed to personal thefts in 2008 than in 2003 (10.7% in 2003; 5% in 2008).

Details: Tallinn: Ministry of Justice, 2010. 114p.

Source: Internet Resource: Criminal Policy Surveys 14: Accessed January 25, 2013 at: http://www.just.ee/orb.aw/class=file/action=preview/id=53485/CRIME_VICTIM_SURVEY_2009.pdf

Year: 2010

Country: Estonia

URL: http://www.just.ee/orb.aw/class=file/action=preview/id=53485/CRIME_VICTIM_SURVEY_2009.pdf

Shelf Number: 127408

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Surveys (Estonia)
Victims of Crime

Author: Great Britain. Home Office

Title: Crime Against businesses: Headline Findings from the 2012 Commercial Victimisation Survey

Summary: The 2012 Commercial Victimisation Survey (CVS) is the first of a new series of Home Office surveys covering crime against businesses, with plans to repeat the survey in 2013 and 2014. The CVS was a recommendation from the National Statistician’s review of crime statistics to address the significant gap in crime statistics that existed for crimes against businesses. These are not covered by either of the two main sources of data on crime: the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and crimes recorded by the police, both of which are published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). While police recorded crime does include crimes against businesses, it does not separate these out from other crimes (other than for offences such as shoplifting which, by its nature, is against businesses) and also only includes those crimes that are reported to, and recorded by, the police. The CSEW is a survey of crime against households and individuals living in those households and so does not cover crime against businesses at all.

Details: London: Home Office, 2013. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 29, 2013 at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/crime-business-prem-2012/crime-business-prem-2012-pdf?view=Binary

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/science-research-statistics/research-statistics/crime-research/crime-business-prem-2012/crime-business-prem-2012-pdf?view=Binary

Shelf Number: 127413

Keywords:
Commercial Crimes
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Victimization Survey (U.K.)

Author: SBP

Title: The Impact of Crime on Small Businesses in South Africa

Summary: There is broad agreement that the high levels of crime – and violent crime in particular – significantly constrain businesses in South Africa. However, very little has been known about: • how likely small and emerging business are to be victims of crime • the types of crime they experience most frequently • the ways in which crime constrains small business growth and development, and • how much crime actually costs small businesses both in money and in resources. This report provides the first evidence-based answers to these questions. The sur-vey covered 446 small and emerging businesses, almost all owned by historically disadvantaged black Africans, in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. The survey focused on businesses operating in industrial sectors with the potential to contribute to economic growth and to support job creation. The sample largely excluded subsistence-level activities. It covered businesses located in inner city areas, large townships and informal settlements, and densely developed suburban areas such as shopping centres and business parks, and provides robust evidence about the experiences and perceptions of small business owners in a variety of settings in and around the three major metropolitan areas, with their different local economies and urban cultures.

Details: Johannesburg: SBP, 2008. 102p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 29, 2013 at: http://www.sbp.org.za/uploads/media/SBP_impact_of_crime_on_small_businesses_report___2008.pdf

Year: 2008

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.sbp.org.za/uploads/media/SBP_impact_of_crime_on_small_businesses_report___2008.pdf

Shelf Number: 127434

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Economics and Crime
Retail Crime (South Africa)

Author: Austin, James

Title: How New York City Reduced Mass Incarceration: A Model for Change?

Summary: Over the last two decades, crime and violence plummeted dramatically in New York City. Beginning in the 1990s, the New York Police Department shifted its policing practices, implementing a “broken windows” policing strategy which has morphed into the now infamous “stop-and-frisk” practices. During this same time period, the entire incarcerated and correctional population of the City – the number of people in jails and prisons, and on probation and parole – dropped markedly. New York City sending fewer people into the justice system reduced mass incarceration in the entire state. In this report, leading criminologists James Austin and Michael Jacobson take an empirical look at these powerful social changes and any interconnections. Examining data from 1985 to 2009, they conclude that New York City’s “broken windows” policy did something unexpected: it reduced the entire correctional population of the state. As the NYPD focused on low-level arrests, it devoted fewer resources to felony arrests. At the same time, a lowered crime rate – as an additional factor – meant that fewer people were committing felonies.

Details: New York: Vera Institute of Justice, 2013. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2013 at: http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/How_NYC_Reduced_Mass_Incarceration.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/How_NYC_Reduced_Mass_Incarceration.pdf

Shelf Number: 127473

Keywords:
Broken Windows Policing (New York City)
Corrections
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics

Author: Balvig, Flemming

Title: Youth Survey: Why Young People's Lawfulness in Denmark is Spreading

Summary: The number of young delinquents has declined in Denmark. This is the most distinctive feature that can be read from the attempts to disclose the trend in crimes actually perpetrated by young people in recent decades. The starting point for these attempts was the so-called Gladsaxe Survey from 1979, where 8th-grade pupils (i.e. 14-15 years old) in the municipality of Gladsaxe described the crimes they had actually committed in a comprehensive anonymous questionnaire. The Gladsaxe Survey from 1979 was not the first ‘self-reporting survey’ conducted in Denmark – that had been done already in the early 1960’s – but it is the only one that has been repeated several times in a manner permitting comparison and which can therefore be used as a forecast for future trends. The most recent survey was conducted in 2005, making total of four surveys to date: 1979, 1989/90, 1999 and 2005. Since the surveys have also included young people from Allerød and the north of Jutland starting in 1989/90, it seems reasonable to claim that the past three surveys can be seen as a good indicator of the situation for young people in Denmark as a whole. The overriding view of youth and crime behind these surveys is as follows: Juvenile delinquency is a problem first and foremost because it is often a symptom of other current and serious problems for young people in their everyday lives, and because it often concerns acts that may lead to problems for them later on in their lives.

Details: Glostrup: Danish Crime Prevention Council, 2007. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 7, 2013 at: http://www.dkr.dk/sites/default/files/den%20ungdom%20UK-mforside.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Denmark

URL: http://www.dkr.dk/sites/default/files/den%20ungdom%20UK-mforside.pdf

Shelf Number: 127536

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency (Denmark)
Juvenile Offenders

Author: DC Lawyers for Youth

Title: Comparison of Juvenile, Young Adult, and Adult Arrests in the District of Columbia (2010)

Summary: Since 2007, there has been a 21 percent decline in juvenile arrests for Part I offenses in the District and total arrests are also on the downswing for DC young people. Despite the harmful rhetoric surrounding juvenile crime in the District, young people make up a proportionately low number of arrests. This new brief notes that young adult and adult arrests far outnumber those of juveniles and that juvenile arrests are trending downward in nearly every offense category.

Details: Washington, DC: DC Lawyers for Youth, 2011. 7p.

Source: Internet Resource: DCLY Issue Brief: Accessed February 8, 2013 at: http://www.dcly.org/sites/default/files/Young%20Adult%20Brief%20Draft%20%28Final%29.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: United States

URL: http://www.dcly.org/sites/default/files/Young%20Adult%20Brief%20Draft%20%28Final%29.pdf

Shelf Number: 127544

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency (Washington, DC)
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Buckley, Paul

Title: Violence at Work. Findings from the British Crime Survey 2011/12 (England and Wales)

Summary: Work related violence remains a low risk in the workplaces of England and Wales in 2011/12. The trend in workplace violence remains on a downward trajectory and this has been a stable trend over the last number of years. However with 643’000 estimated incidents of violence in the workplace it is clear that there remain a high number of incidents occurring annually. The risk to both genders remains broadly similar in 2011/12 and this is relatively stable over a number of recent survey years. The occupations at highest risk remains stable also with protective service , health and education having they highest risks of experiencing violence at work. Again this has been broadly stable over the survey series. A considerable proportion of individuals are subject to repeat victimisation which may pertain to the nature of the job situation or an endemic problem within a particular area of work. In many cases individuals are likely to know the offender; however respondents are generally unclear if the offender is under the influence of drugs and alcohol. Whilst the majority of injuries sustained in a violent incident are classified as minor injuries it remains the case that a proportion are of a more serious nature with consequences both physically and psychologically for the individuals involved. For incidents of assault in the workplace 59% resulted in no physical injury whilst 41 resulted in a physical injury. Of these physical injuries minor bruising or a black eye was the most common injury at 29%. Severe bruising from heavier trauma was suggested in 12% of physical assaults in the workplace.

Details: Bootle, UK: Health and Safety Executive and Office for National Statistics, 2013. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 11, 2013 at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/violence/violence-at-work.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.hse.gov.uk/statistics/causinj/violence/violence-at-work.pdf

Shelf Number: 127559

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Violent Crime
Workplace Crime
Workplace Violence (U.K.)

Author: Chauhan, Preeti

Title: Homicide by Neighborhood: Mapping New York City’s Violent Crime Drop

Summary: The United States, and New York City (NYC) in particular, experienced falling rates of violent crime beginning in the 1990s. For two decades, researchers, scholars, and policymakers interested in the NYC crime decline have attempted to pinpoint causes of the downward trend. Discovering the causes of the city’s crime drop may lead to important lessons for the city itself and may influence policy and practice throughout the state, nation, and perhaps other countries. Researchers have suggested a host of mechanisms that may explain the dramatic decline in violence, but two factors—misdemeanor policing and the transformation of drug markets—continue to receive the most attention. This report focuses on these factors in relation to gun-related homicide rates. Specifically, it describes and maps precinct-level relationships between misdemeanor policing, drug markets, and gun-related homicide rates from 1990 to 1999 in NYC. While some precincts demonstrate theoretically expected patterns, others do not. An increase in misdemeanor policing is related to a decrease in homicide in some, but not all, precincts. Similarly, a decrease in drug use (measured by accidental deaths with toxicology reports positive for cocaine and drug arrest rates) is not consistently related to homicide decline. Notably, cocaine consumption demonstrates more theoretically consistent relationships relative to drug arrest rates. Overall, there is substantial heterogeneity in the social processes associated with the decline in violent crime. A few select precincts may be responsible for driving aggregate level trends. Future investigations may be able to develop a more nuanced understanding of the complex systems of crime reduction if they consider micro level, geospatial analyses, in addition to multivariate analyses.

Details: New York: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York, 2012. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 14, 2013 at: http://johnjayresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rec20122.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://johnjayresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/rec20122.pdf

Shelf Number: 127932

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Homicides
Neighborhoods and Crime
Violent Crime (New York City, U.S.)

Author: Planty, Michael

Title: Female Victims of Sexual Violence, 1994-2010

Summary: „„ From 1995 to 2010, the estimated annual rate of female rape or sexual assault victimizations declined 58%, from 5.0 victimizations per 1,000 females age 12 or older to 2.1 per 1,000. „„ In 2005-10, females who were age 34 or younger, who lived in lower income households, and who lived in rural areas experienced some of the highest rates of sexual violence. „„ In 2005-10, 78% of sexual violence involved an offender who was a family member, intimate partner, friend, or acquaintance. „„ In 2005-10, the offender was armed with a gun, knife, or other weapon in 11% of rape or sexual assault victimizations. „„ The percentage of rape or sexual assault victimizations reported to police increased to a high of 56% in 2003 before declining to 35% in 2010, a level last seen in 1995. „„ The percentage of females who were injured during a rape or sexual assault and received some type of treatment for their injuries increased from 26% in 1994-98 to 35% in 2005-10. „„ In 2005-10, about 80% of female rape or sexual assault victims treated for injuries received care in a hospital, doctor’s office, or emergency room, compared to 65% in 1994-98. „„ In 2005-10, about 1 in 4 (23%) rape or sexual assault victims received help or advice from a victim service agency.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Special Report: Accessed March 14, 2013 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fvsv9410.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fvsv9410.pdf

Shelf Number: 127939

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Female Victims of Crime
Rape
Sexual Abuse
Sexual Assault
Sexual Violence (U.S.)

Author: Sandholtz, Nathan

Title: Hate Crime Victimization, 2003-2011

Summary: Presents annual counts and rates of hate crime victimization that occurred from 2003 through 2011, using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The report examines changes over time in hate crime victimizations, including the type of bias that motivated the hate crime, the type of crime, whether the incident was reported to police, and characteristics of the incident, offender, and victim. In addition, the report compares characteristics of hate crime and nonhate crime victimization. NCVS estimates are supplemented by data from official police reports of hate crime from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Hate Crime Statistics Program. Highlights: From 2007 to 2011, an estimated annual average of 259,700 nonfatal violent and property hate crime victimizations occurred against persons age 12 or older residing in U.S. households. Across the periods from 2003-06 and 2007-11, there was no change in the annual average number of total, violent, or property hate crime victimizations. The percentage of hate crimes motivated by religious bias more than doubled between 2003-06 and 2007-11 (from 10% to 21%), while the percentage motivated by racial bias dropped slightly (from 63% to 54%). Violent hate crime accounted for a higher percentage of all nonfatal violent crime in 2007-11 (4%), compared to 2003-06 (3%). Between 2003-06 and 2007-11, the percentage of hate crime victimizations reported to police declined from 46% to 35%.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013. 17p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 22, 2013 at: http://bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4614

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=4614

Shelf Number: 128081

Keywords:
Bias Crimes
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes (U.S.)
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Lauridsen, Jorgen T.

Title: A Spatial Panel Data Analysis of Crime Rates in EU

Summary: The study investigates selected factors affecting crime rates in the EU-15 countries during the years 2000 to 2007 with an especial focus on inflation rate, level of education, income and employment. While these topics have been investigated in former studies, the present study adds by introducing spatial panel data methods to the case. Regarding the effects of these factors, the present study obtains results comparable to those from former studies, whereby the robustness of these are confirmed.

Details: Odense, Denmark: Department of Business and Economics, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Southern Denmark, 2013. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Discussion Papers on Business and Economics
No. 2/2013: Accessed March 26, 2013 at: http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//A/2/1/%7BA21BF15B-1A84-4BA6-B4A7-3AAA6E3FA6AC%7Ddpbe2_2013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Europe

URL: http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//A/2/1/%7BA21BF15B-1A84-4BA6-B4A7-3AAA6E3FA6AC%7Ddpbe2_2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 128139

Keywords:
Cost-Benefit Analysis
Crime Rates (Europe)
Crime Statistics
Economics and Crime
Education
Employment

Author: Alemika, Etannibi E.O.

Title: Criminal Victimization, Policing and Governance in Nigeria

Summary: Crime victimization survey provides valuable information for understanding the extent, trend and pattern of crime victimization in a community or nation. It also provides data on the nature and perception of crime and disorder problems. Crime victimization surveys provide the government with information on citizens’ perception of the quality and problems of security, policing and governance. The principal aim of this survey is to generate reliable data on crime victimization, fear of crime, feeling of safety, policing and governance in Nigeria that can be used to develop and implement policies and strategies that will promote effective security and criminal justice administration in the country. Crime survey using a national representative sample was pioneered in Nigeria by CLEEN Foundation. This survey in 2011 is a continuation of previous rounds of crime victim survey for 2005, 2006, 2007- 2009; 2010 and published (Alemika, Igbo and Nnnorom 2006; Alemika and Chukwuma 2007; Alemika and Chukwuma 2011).

Details: Lagos, Nigeria: CLEEN Foundation, 2013. 89p.

Source: Internet Resource: Monograph series No. 18: Accessed April 18, 2013 at: http://www.cleen.org/Criminal%20Victimization.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://www.cleen.org/Criminal%20Victimization.pdf

Shelf Number: 128404

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Policing
Victimization Surveys (Nigeria)
Victims of Crime

Author: Birdsey, Emma M.

Title: Temporal Trends and Characteristics of Intimidation

Summary: Aim: The current study has two aims. The first is to investigate whether there has been any change in the characteristics of intimidation in recent years that might inform which types of offences are becoming more common. The second aim is to investigate whether the characteristics of intimidation related to domestic violence (DV) have changed over time. Method: Characteristics of intimidation incidents across 2006-2011 were collated from the NSW Police database. Additional information was coded from 600 free-text event narratives for intimidation incidents across 3 years (2006, 2008, 2010). Analyses tested whether characteristics of intimidation incidents changed over this period. Analyses were carried out for intimidation and for intimidation related to DV separately. Results: Intimidation related to DV increased over time. Intimidation and intimidation related to DV involving injured victims also increased. In intimidation related to DV, male POIs decreased and female POIs increased, and male victims increased and female victims decreased over time. The relationship of unknown POI differed over time, however there was no change in other relationship types. The type of intimidation and the location did not change. Additionally, there was no change over time in intimidation and intimidation related to DV with a weapon, face to face contact, AVO issued/applied for, or prior AVO. Conclusion: Intimidation related to DV is driving the overall increase in intimidation observed in NSW over recent years.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2013. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue Paper no. 83: Accessed May 13, 2013 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB83.pdf/$file/BB83.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB83.pdf/$file/BB83.pdf

Shelf Number: 128719

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Abuse
Domestic Violence
Harassment
Intimidation (Australia)
Stalking

Author: Planty, Michael

Title: Firearm Violence, 1993–2011

Summary: –Firearm-related homicides declined 39 percent and nonfatal firearm crimes declined 69 percent from 1993 to 2011, the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) announced today. Firearm-related homicides dropped from 18,253 homicides in 1993 to 11,101 in 2011, and nonfatal firearm crimes dropped from 1.5 million victimizations in 1993 to 467,300 in 2011. For both fatal and nonfatal firearm victimizations, the majority of the decline occurred during the 10-year period from 1993 to 2002. The number of firearm homicides declined from 1993 to 1999, rose through 2006 and then declined through 2011. Nonfatal firearm violence declined from 1993 through 2004 before fluctuating in the mid- to late 2000s. In 2011, about 70 percent of all homicides and eight percent of all nonfatal violent victimizations (rape, sexual assault, robbery and aggravated assault) were committed with a firearm, mainly a handgun. A handgun was used in about 7 in 10 firearm homicides and about 9 in 10 nonfatal firearm violent crimes in 2011. In the same year, about 26 percent of robberies and 31 percent of aggravated assaults involved a firearm, such as handguns, shotguns or rifles. In 2007-11, about one percent of victims in all nonfatal violent crimes reported using a firearm to defend themselves during the incident. A small number of property crime victims also used a firearm in self-defense—about 0.1 percent of all property victimizations. The majority of nonfatal firearm violence occurred in or around the victim’s home (42 percent) or in an open area, on the street, or while on public transportation (23 percent). Less than one percent of all nonfatal firearm violence occurred in schools. From 1993 to 2010, males, blacks and persons ages 18 to 24 were most likely to be victims of firearm-related homicide. In 2011, the rate of nonfatal firearm violent for males (1.9 per 1,000) was not significantly different than the rate for females (1.6 per 1,000). Non-Hispanic blacks (2.8 per 1,000) and Hispanics (2.2 per 1,000) had higher rates of nonfatal firearm violence than non-Hispanic whites (1.4 per 1,000). Persons ages 18 to 24 had the highest rates of nonfatal firearm violence (5.2 per 1,000). In 2004 (the most recent year of data available), among state prison inmates who possessed a gun at the time of the offense, fewer than two percent bought their firearm at a flea market or gun show. About 10 percent of state prison inmates said they purchased it from a retail store or pawnshop, 37 percent obtained it from family or friends, and another 40 percent obtained it from an illegal source. Findings in this report on nonfatal firearm violence are based on data from the BJS National Crime Victimization Survey. Findings on firearm homicide are based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Special Report: Accessed May 20, 2013 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fv9311.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/fv9311.pdf

Shelf Number: 128751

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Firearms and Crime (U.S.)
Guns and Crime
Homicides
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Walters, Jennifer Hardison

Title: Household Burglary, 1994-2011

Summary: This report presents rates and trends in household burglary from 1993 to 2011. The report explores overall trends in household burglary and examines patterns in completed household burglary by type and value of items stolen, percentage of burglaries reported to the police and insurance companies, and police response. It also describes the characteristics of victimized households. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Highlights: The rate of household burglary decreased 56% from 1994 to 2011, from a peak of 63.4 victimizations per 1,000 U.S. households in 1994 to 27.6 victimizations per 1,000 households in 2011. From 1994 to 2011, the rate of completed burglary decreased by at least half across households headed by persons of all races and Hispanic origin. Among all completed burglaries, those involving the theft of an electronic device or household appliance increased from 28% in 2001 to 34% in 2011.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 26, 2013 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hb9411.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hb9411.pdf

Shelf Number: 129184

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Household Burglary (U.S.)
Property Crimes
Victimization Surveys

Author: Sookram, Sandra

Title: A Time-Series Analysis of Crime in Trinidad and Tobago

Summary: What should be done about crime is a matter of heated debate: popular, political, and academic. Alternatively, one might treat crime control as an ordinary policy issue, like transportation or the control of pollution, in which policies are to be judged by their outcomes, including their costs. In Trinidad and Tobago the policy agenda and the public are demanding stronger measures to deal with rising crime. This paper evaluates empirically the effect of the criminal justice system and socio-economic conditions on serious crime (which includes both property and violent crime) in Trinidad and Tobago over the period 1970-2007. Our study finds that the crime detection rate, unemployment rate, the percentage of females in the labour force and the percentage of the labour force with tertiary education are very important in determining criminal behaviour.

Details: Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies St. Augustine, Trinidad & Tobago: The University of the West Indies, 2009. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: SALISES Publications • Working Papers
Paper 2009:20; Accessed July 1, 2013 at: http://sta.uwi.edu/salises/pubs/workingpapers/20.pdf

Year: 2009

Country: Trinidad and Tobago

URL: http://sta.uwi.edu/salises/pubs/workingpapers/20.pdf

Shelf Number: 129218

Keywords:
Crime (Trinidad and Tobago)
Crime Statistics
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Time-Series Analysis

Author: Sinha, Maire

Title: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2011

Summary: Family violence accounted for 26% of all police-reported violent crime in 2011, a proportion similar to 2010. About half (49%) of the nearly 95,000 victims of family violence were in a current or previous spousal relationship with the accused, including both common-law and legally married partnerships. An additional 18% of victims were children of the accused, 13% were extended family members, 11% were siblings and 9% were parents, often in their senior years. Similar to overall police-reported crime trends, police-reported violence against family members appears to be declining, with decreases seen in both homicides and assaults. In 2011, the rate of family homicides per million was 47% lower than in 1981. More recently, rates of physical assault against family members have fallen by 6% since 2009 and sexual assault by 5%. The most frequent type of family violence offence reported to police in 2011 remained common assault, which includes pushing, slapping and punching, without serious physical injury. The next most frequently reported offence was major assault, which involves a weapon or results in bodily harm, followed by the offence of uttering threats. As in previous years, the majority of victims of family violence were females. They represented 80% of spousal victims, 63% of parents victimized, 58% of extended family members victimized, 57% of child victims and 57% of sibling victims.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2013. 95p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat Article: Accessed July 3, 2013 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2013001/article/11805-eng.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2013001/article/11805-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 129254

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Family Violence (Canada)
Sexual Assault
Spouse Abuse
Violence Against Women

Author: Cerro, Ana Maria

Title: Sources of Regional Crime Persistence Argentina 1980-2008

Summary: Crime rates vary considerably by region and these differences are found to be persistent over time. The persistence of differences in regional crime rates over time may be explained by two factors. First, differences in the regional institutional and socio-economic conditions that determine crime equilibrium levels are persistent over time. Second, the effects of shocks affecting the crime rate are persistent over time. The aim of this paper is to disentangle these two sources of regional crime persistence in Argentinean regions over 1980-2008 and subperiods for different typologies of crime. Controlling for socio-economic and deterrence effect variables, we specify an econometric model to test the persistence of shocks to crime. Results support high persistence of the effects of shocks to crime.

Details: Munich: Munich Personal RePEc Archive, 2012. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: MPRA Paper No. 44482: Accessed July 13, 2013 at: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44482/

Year: 2012

Country: Argentina

URL: http://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/44482/

Shelf Number: 129389

Keywords:
Crime Rates (Argentina)
Crime Statistics
Socioeconomic Conditions
Socioeconomic Variables

Author: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services. Criminal Justice Research Center

Title: Domestic Violence in Virginia 2006–2010 Statistical Findings from Incidents Reported by Law Enforcement

Summary: In Domestic Violence in Virginia, 2005–2009, the Department of Criminal Justice Services Research Center presented statistical findings from an analysis of over 250,000 domestic violence incidents reported over five years by law enforcement agencies across the Commonwealth. Domestic Violence in Virginia, 2006–2010 is the first annual update, and includes findings for calendar year 2010. It is important to note that many domestic violence incidents, particularly domestic sexual violence, are never reported to law enforcement. For example, a recent national study estimated that 41% of nonfatal violent incidents between family members, and 45% of nonfatal violent incidents between boyfriends or girlfriends, went unreported to the police. If non-reporting rates in Virginia are similar, the domestic violence incidents contained in this report are far fewer than the actual number. Nevertheless, analysis of the domestic violence incidents that have been recorded by law enforcement can help us understand domestic violence in Virginia. The incidents that are reported to law enforcement may represent those that are the most serious and that require the most attention from public safety officials. The information in this study is based on criminal incident data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Incident-Based Reporting Repository System (IBR), administered by the Virginia Department of State Police. IBR compiles statewide, detailed criminal incident and associated arrestee information submitted by local law enforcement agencies using standardized reporting procedures, definitions and counting methods. Each criminal incident can include multiple offenders and victims and multiple offenses against each victim. Close to 85% of the domestic violence incidents analyzed for this report involved one offense committed against one victim by one offender. The remaining incidents involved some combination of multiple and/or single victims, offenders and offenses. All victims, offenders, and arrestees are counted here, but to simplify analysis and reporting only the single most serious offense against the victim is reported.

Details: Richmond, VA: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services, 2012. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 16, 2013 at: http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/research/documents/DVReportSept2012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/research/documents/DVReportSept2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 129413

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence (Virginia, U.S.)
Family Violence

Author: Rickman, Stephen

Title: Crime Trends and Implications of 21st Century Policing

Summary: Since 1960, the FBI has published an annual Uniform Crime Report (UCR), which contains extensive statistics on both violent and property crimes. Law enforcement agencies use two crime categories—violent crimes and property crimes—as guides for recording offenses reported to police. According to the UCR, violent crimes include murder, rape, assault (aggravated or felonious), and robbery. Property crimes include burglary, larceny, theft, arson, and motor vehicle theft. This report provides a summary of reported crime trends and includes meaningful data and a long-range analysis of the directions in which crime rates have been moving for the past 50 years. Though measuring crime can be an inexact science, capturing directional trends may be more meaningful to enhancing law enforcement practitioners’ understanding of current crime patterns. The regional and national trends for the past 50 years will provide the reader with a historical context to better understand current crime patterns. The report also presents more recent trends for the United States’ major cities, paying particular attention to murder, as error in reporting and recording this type of crime is minimal and because murder has the greatest social consequence. Each presentation of data is followed by a discussion titled “Inside the Numbers,” which attempts to identify contributing factors for the trends. Finally, the report examines the implications of the reported trends for current and future policing practices. While crime trends and the factors driving those trends are changing, the manner in which American agencies police remains somewhat static. Instead, effective policing in the 21st century requires a new policing paradigm that reflects changing crime trends, the existing cost-constrained environment, and growing expectations from the public for a wider range of policing services.

Details: Alexandria, VA: CNA Analysis & Solutions, 2013. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 19, 2013 at: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/Crime_Trends.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cna.org/sites/default/files/research/Crime_Trends.pdf

Shelf Number: 129469

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends (U.S.)

Author: David-Ferdon, Corinne

Title: Homicide Rates Among Persons Aged 10–24 Years — United States, 1981–2010

Summary: Homicide disproportionately affects persons aged 10–24 years in the United States and consistently ranks in the top three leading causes of death in this age group, resulting in approximately 4,800 deaths and an estimated $9 billion in lost productivity and medical costs in 2010 (1). To investigate trends in homicide among persons aged 10–24 years for the period 1981–2010, CDC analyzed National Vital Statistics System data on deaths caused by homicide of persons in this age group and examined trends by sex, age, race/ethnicity, and mechanism of injury. This report describes the results of that analysis, which indicated that homicide rates varied substantially during the study period, with a sharp rise from 1985 to 1993 followed by a decline that has slowed since 1999. During the period 2000–2010, rates declined for all groups, although the decline was significantly slower for males compared with females and for blacks compared with Hispanics and persons of other racial/ethnic groups. By mechanism of injury, the decline for firearm homicides from 2000 to 2010 was significantly slower than for nonfirearm homicides. The homicide rate among persons aged 10–24 years in 2010 was 7.5 per 100,000, the lowest in the 30-year study period. Primary prevention strategies remain critical, particularly among groups at increased risk for homicide. National homicide counts and population estimates for U.S. residents were obtained from the National Vital Statistics System using CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) for persons aged 10–24 years for the period 1981–2010 (1,2). Data were stratified by year, sex, 5-year age group (i.e., 10–14, 15–19, and 20–24 years), and mechanism of injury (i.e., firearm or nonfirearm). Homicide counts and population estimates were further stratified by race/ethnicity for 1990–2010 (i.e., non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic other, and Hispanic).* Annual homicide rates (per 100,000 population) were determined overall and for the indicated strata. The most recent period (2000–2010) is of particular interest because it best reflects the populations currently at highest risk for whom the continued implementation of prevention strategies remains crucial. Trends for this later period were analyzed using a negative binomial rate regression modeling approach, allowing formal statistical evaluation of trends and comparisons across strata.

Details: Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 5, 2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6227.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6227.pdf

Shelf Number: 129518

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides (U.S.)
Violent Crime
Youth Violence

Author: U.S. Congress. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

Title: Cruise Ship Crime: Consumers have Incomplete Access to Cruise Crime Data

Summary: For many passengers, a cruise is a dream vacation: a floating city full of exciting attractions and adventure for the whole family. However, crime on a cruise ship can turn a dream vacation into a nightmare. While crimes occur infrequently on cruise ships, when crime does occur onboard the victim often lacks the same access to law enforcement and emergency services – as well as avenues for recourse – that are available in the United States. Particularly given these differences, it is important that passengers are informed about crime on cruises before they travel. To increase transparency regarding crime on cruise vessels, Congress included in the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act of 2010 (CVSSA) public reporting requirements regarding cruise ship crime. Under the CVSSA, cruise lines must report to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) any allegation of a crime as soon as possible and the United States Coast Guard (Coast Guard) must maintain and publicly post on a website a statistical compilation of the alleged crimes. Unfortunately, the public reporting process established under this language is not providing consumers a complete view of crimes reported on cruise vessels.

Details: Washington, DC: Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, 2013. 35p.

Source: Internet Resource: Staff Report: Accessed August 6, 2013 at: http://www.lipcon.com/files/cruise-ship-crime-consumers-have-incomplete-access-to-cruise-crime-data.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.lipcon.com/files/cruise-ship-crime-consumers-have-incomplete-access-to-cruise-crime-data.pdf

Shelf Number: 129554

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Cruise Ships (U.S.)
Tourism and Crime
Transportation Crimes

Author: Baker, David

Title: Tough on Crime: The rhetoric and reality of property crime and feeling safe in Australia

Summary: Contrary to public perception, the property crime rate in Australia actually declined between 2001 and 2010. There is a reality gap between declining crime rates and the popular rhetoric of ‘tough on crime’ media stories and political policies. Campaigning in the recent West Australian, New South Wales and Victorian state elections saw both sides of politics rely on tried and tested ‘tough on crime’ approaches to justice policies. Despite the falling rate of property crime, a ‘tough on crime’ approach to property crime continues to be promoted and pursued in some jurisdictions. An example of this is the use of mandatory sentencing for property crimes in Western Australia. As the property crime rate has fallen, there has been a corresponding increase in reported feelings of safety. There was a smaller increase in reported safety levels in Western Australia compared with the national average, which suggests that mandatory sentencing has not provided a greater sense of safety. Perceptions of social disorder had the greatest overall influence on people's reported feelings of safety, followed by reported levels of nervousness. This finding suggests the ‘tough on crime’ rhetoric still used by some politicians and sections of the media may have had a counter influence on recorded increases in feelings of safety. Whenever politicians talk about getting ‘tough on crime’, or the media selectively reports criminal justice stories, there is the potential for an increase in public nervousness and perceptions of social disorder. Such an increase is going to reduce feelings of safety among some Australians. Alternatively, balanced reporting and considered policy proposals from politicians have the potential to improve feelings of safety. Localised crime prevention programs are an opportunity to demonstrate to the community that steps are being taken to address crime. Such initiatives have the potential to change how a neighbourhood is perceived and may affect people’s tendencies to feel nervous. Although community engagement policies have the potential to increase reported feelings of safety, improvements could be made to how such programs are implemented. This paper provides evidence that will support politicians who wish to propose constructive policy responses to criminal behaviour and people’s fears of crime, rather than falling back on well-worn ‘tough on crime’ responses. Similarly, balanced reporting that includes positive stories about declining crime rates is likely to influence how people perceive disorder in their neighbourhood and the amount of time they spend feeling nervous, with the potential to positively affect how safe they feel. The facts are that property crime rates in Australia fell between 2001 and 2010 and Australians reported feeling safer. There is a good news story in this paper.

Details: Canberra: Australia Institute, 2013. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: policy Brief No. 56: Accessed August 8, 2013 at: https://www.tai.org.au/index.php?q=node%2F19&pubid=1203&act=display

Year: 2013

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.tai.org.au/index.php?q=node%2F19&pubid=1203&act=display

Shelf Number: 129584

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Policy
Property Crime (Australia)

Author: Kegler, Scott R.

Title: Firearm Homicides and Suicides in Major Metropolitan Areas — United States, 2006–2007 and 2009–2010

Summary: Firearm homicides and suicides are a continuing public health concern in the United States. During 2009–2010, a total of 22,571 firearm homicides and 38,126 firearm suicides occurred among U.S. residents. This includes 3,397 firearm homicides and 1,548 firearm suicides among persons aged 10–19 years; the firearm homicide rate for this age group was slightly above the all-ages rate. This report updates an earlier report that provided statistics on firearm homicides and suicides in major metropolitan areas for 2006–2007, with special emphasis on persons aged 10–19 years in recognition of the importance of early prevention efforts. Firearm homicide and suicide rates were calculated for the 50 most populous U.S. metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) for 2009–2010 using mortality data from the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS) and population data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Comparison statistics were recalculated for 2006–2007 to reflect revisions to MSA delineations and population estimates subsequent to the earlier report. Although the firearm homicide rate for large MSAs collectively remained above the national rate during 2009–2010, more than 75% of these MSAs showed a decreased rate from 2006–2007, largely accounting for a national decrease. The firearm homicide rate for persons aged 10–19 years exceeded the all-ages rate in many of these MSAs during 2009–2010, similar to the earlier reporting period. Conversely, although the firearm suicide rate for large MSAs collectively remained below the national rate during 2009–2010, nearly 75% of these MSAs showed an increased rate from 2006–2007, paralleling the national trend. Firearm suicide rates among persons aged 10–19 years were low compared with all-ages rates during both periods. These patterns can inform the development and monitoring of strategies directed at reducing firearm-related violence.

Details: Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, August 2, 2013: Accessed August 8, 2013 at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6230.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/pdf/wk/mm6230.pdf

Shelf Number: 129586

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun-Related Violence (U.S.)
Homicides
Suicides
Violent Crime

Author: Weatherburn, Don

Title: The Decline in Robbery and Theft: Inter-state Comparisons

Summary: Aim: To describe and discuss inter-jurisdictional trends in police-recorded robbery and theft offences. Method: Rates of recorded robbery and theft per head of population are calculated for each Australian jurisdiction from 1994/1995 to 2012. Rates of recorded robbery are disaggregated into armed and unarmed robbery. Rates of recorded theft are disaggregated into burglary, motor vehicle theft and other theft. Results: In most jurisdictions, trends in recorded robbery and theft offences rose during the late 1990s, peaked around 2001 and then fell from 2001 to 2012. Between 2001 and 2009, recorded rates of robbery offences in Australia fell by 49.1 per cent, recorded rates of burglary fell by 57.3 per cent, recorded rates of motor vehicle theft fell by 62.2 per cent and recorded rates of other theft fell by 39.3 per cent. Conclusion: The national decline in robbery and theft offences is partly due to a reduction in heroin use and partly due to improvements in the economy but other factors are likely to have also played a role. Research into the causes of the fall in crime is hampered by the absence of any regional breakdown in national recorded crime statistics.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2013. 7p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue paper no. 89; Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB89.pdf/$file/BB89.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/bocsar/ll_bocsar.nsf/vwFiles/BB89.pdf/$file/BB89.pdf

Shelf Number: 129631

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Drop
Crime Statistics
Drugs and Crime
Heroin
Motor Vehicle Theft
Robbery (Australia)

Author: Finkelhor, David: Jones, Lisa

Title: Have Sexual Abuse and Physical Abuse Declined Since the 1990s?

Summary: This bulletin summarizes statistics on trends for sexual and physical abuse. A decline in sexual abuse since the early 1990s is a conclusion supported by 3 independent sources of agency data and 4 separate large victim surveys. The trend for physical abuse is less clear, since several of the data sources show conflicting patterns.

Details: Durham, NH: Crimes against Chidlren Research Center, University of New Hampshire, 2012. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 19, 2013 at: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV267_Have%20SA%20%20PA%20Decline_FACT%20SHEET_11-7-12.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/pdf/CV267_Have%20SA%20%20PA%20Decline_FACT%20SHEET_11-7-12.pdf

Shelf Number: 129637

Keywords:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Crime Statistics
Rape
Sexual Abuse (U.S.)

Author: Lehti, Martti

Title: NRILP Comparative Homicide Time Series (NRILP-CHTS)

Summary: Homicide research has been a long-standing research focus in Finnish criminology and also in the research programme of the National Research Institute of Legal Policy (Lappi-Seppala 2001). This traditional emphasis refl ects the fact that Finnish homicide rates have been for a long time higher than homicide rates in other Nordic countries (Savolainen et al. 2008; Kivivuori & Lehti 2011; Kivivuori et al. 2012). Homicide scholarship inspired by the comparatively high Finnish homicide rates also contributed to early international comparative data building. Refl ecting this research programme, the NRILP created the Finnish Homicide Monitor (Lehti & Kivivuori 2012) in 2002 and has subsequently participated in ongoing efforts to create a European Homicide Monitor (Granath et al. 2011; Liem et al. 2013). The NRILP Comparative Homicide Time Series (NRILP-CHTS) continues these research emphases. Its goal is to serve as an additional research asset for international homicide research. The CHTS dataset incorporates data on homicide levels and trends drawn from publicly available national and international sources. Currently it includes information on annual homicide rates and numbers of 193 independent countries, 40 self-governing regions, and 17 historical administrative entities. Annual numbers of homicide victims by gender are available for 124 independent countries, 33 self-governing regions, and 12 historical administrative entities; annual homicide mortality rates by gender for 103 independent countries, 13 self-governing regions, and 6 historical administrative entities. For each country, the longest possible time series duration has been incorporated. The dataset is updated annually.

Details: Helsinki: National Research Institute of Legal Policy, 2013. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief 32/2013: Accessed November 6, 2013 at: http://www.optula.om.fi/Satellite?blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobcol=urldata&SSURIapptype=BlobServer&SSURIcontainer=Default&SSURIsession=false&blobkey=id&blobheadervalue1=inline;%20filename=kansainv%C3%A4linen%20henkirikollisuus%2032%20eng.pdf&SSURIsscontext=Satellite%20Server&blobwhere=1382644107526&blobheadername1=Content-Disposition&ssbinary=true&blobheader=application/pdf

Year: 2013

Country: International

URL: http://www.optula.om.fi/Satellite?blobtable=MungoBlobs&blobcol=urldata&SSURIapptype=BlobServer&SSURIcontainer=Default&SSURIsession=false&blobkey=id&blobheadervalue1=inline;%20filename=kansainv%C3%A4linen%20henkirikollisuus%20

Shelf Number: 131585

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicide
Violent Crimes

Author: United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime

Title: Business, Corruption and Crime in Serbia: The impact of bribery and other crime on private enterprise

Summary: This survey of businesses in Serbia reveals that corruption and other forms of crime are a great hindrance to private enterprise and have a negative effect on private investment. A significant percentage of businesses pay bribes to public officials repeatedly over the course of the year. Businesses in the Accommodation and Food service activities sector and the Transportation and Storage sectors combined are those most affected by bribery, followed by businesses in the Wholesale trade and Retail trade sector. The public officials with the highest risk of bribery in interactions with businesses are public utilities officers, police officers, municipal or provincial officers and customs officers. While indicators of corruption perceptions are undoubtedly useful for raising awareness, this survey measures the actual experience of corruption and crime through representative sample surveys of businesses in order to provide a more realistic, evidence-based assessment of corruption and crime affecting the business sector. In so doing it focuses on the extent and pattern of bribery by businesses from five different sectors (accounting for over 71.1 per cent of all businesses in Serbia) in their frequent interactions with the public administration. According to the survey, of all the businesses that had contact with a public official in the 12 months prior to the survey 17 per cent paid a bribe to a public official. The average prevalence of business bribery in Serbia is higher than the share of ordinary Serbian citizens (9.3 per cent) who experienced the same in UNODC's 2011 study on the general population. The examination of the experience of businesses that pay bribes to public officials underlines the fact that corruption plays a role in the daily business of many companies. Bribe-paying businesses pay an average of 7 bribes per year, or about one bribe every seven weeks. The prevalence of bribery is substantially higher among micro (up to 9 employees) businesses than among businesses of other sizes. A substantial share of all the bribes paid to public officials by businesses in Serbia are paid in cash (45.2 per cent), followed by the provision of food and drink in exchange for an illicit "favour" by the public official (25.5 per cent) and other goods (21.7 per cent). When bribes are paid in cash, the mean amount paid per bribe is 52,588 Dinar, or the equivalent of 935 EUR-PPP. As for which party actually broaches the subject of kickbacks, in 43.5 per cent of all bribery cases the payment of a bribe is offered by a representative of the business without a prior request being made, whereas in over half (56.1 per cent) of cases payment is either explicitly (16.2 per cent) or implicitly (22.4 per cent) requested by the public official or are paid after a third-party request (17.5 per cent). The most common purposes for paying bribes cited by businesses is to "speed up business-related procedures" (40.3 per cent of all bribes), "receiving better treatment" (19 per cent) and "making the finalization of a procedure possible" (11.3 per cent). At the same time, almost a quarter (23.4 per cent) of bribes paid serve for no specific immediate purpose for the businesses paying them, suggesting that these are "sweeteners" given to public officials to "groom" them for future interactions in the interest of the company. None of the businesses part of the survey had reported bribery incidents in the 12 months prior to the survey to official authorities in Serbia, which suggests that businesses often feel obliged to participate in bribery. This is also reflected in the main reasons cited for not reporting bribery: "it is common practice to pay or give gifts to public officials" (34.2 per cent), "it is pointless to report it as nobody would care " (30.8 per cent) and "the payment or gift was given as a sign of gratitude to the public servant for delivering the service requested " (21.6 per cent). Bribery in the private sector not only comprises bribes paid by businesses to public officials, it also takes place between businesses themselves in order to secure business transactions. Though lower than the prevalence of bribery between the private and public sector, at 6.6 per cent the prevalence of business-to-business bribery indicates that the practice does exist in Serbia. None of the businesses in the survey reported such business to business bribery incidents to relevant authorities. Some 9.2 per cent of business representatives decided not to make a major investment in the 12 months prior to the survey due to the fear of having to pay bribes to obtain requisite services or permits, thus the impact of bribery on business activity can be substantial. The consequences of other more conventional crimes on a business's property and economic activities can also be considerable, both in terms of direct costs stemming from physical damage and indirect costs in the form of insurance premiums, security expenditure and lost investment opportunities. For instance, more than one third of businesses (35.5 per cent) in Serbia fall victim to fraud by outsiders in various different guises in a year and such businesses are victimized an average of 10.1 times in that time period. Annual prevalence rates for burglary (10.2 per cent) and vandalism (9.5 per cent) in the private sector are also significant, as are the average number of times businesses affected fall victim to those crimes (4.4 and 2.8 respectively). The prevalence rate of motor vehicle theft (MVT) is 1.7 per cent of all car owning businesses, with victims suffering an average of 1.4 incidents. Moreover, over the past 12 months 1 per cent of all businesses in Serbia fell victim to extortion, a crime that can be linked to organized criminal groups. In marked contrast to corruption, a larger share of conventional crimes (on average, 41.8 per cent for five crime types) is reported to the police by businesses in Serbia. While the majority of business representatives (76.2 per cent) consider that the crime risk for their company has remained stable in comparison to the previous 12 months, around one in six (17.1 per cent) think it is on the increase and 2.8 per cent on the decrease. The fear of crime plays a very important role in the decision-making process of business leaders when it comes to making major investments. Although there are some differences by economic sector, on average one out of ten (10.6 per cent) entrepreneurs in Serbia state that they did not make a major investment in the previous 12 months due to the fear of crime. Yet while about 93.2 per cent of businesses in Serbia use at least one protective security system against crime, only 44.8 per cent have any kind of insurance against the economic cost of crime. Together corruption and other forms of crime place a considerable burden on economic development in Serbia. Putting in place more and better targeted measures for protecting businesses against crimes, as well as for preventing corruption (such as effective internal compliance measures and other policies concerning corruption) could make that burden considerably lighter.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2013. 76p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 27, 2014 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/corruption/Serbia_Business_corruption_report_ENG.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Serbia and Montenegro

URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/corruption/Serbia_Business_corruption_report_ENG.pdf

Shelf Number: 131809

Keywords:
Bribery
Business Crime
Commercial Crime
Crime Against Businesses
Crime Statistics
Political Corruption

Author: Reisman, Lainie

Title: Assessment of Crime and Violence in Mozambique and Recommendations for Violence Prevention and Reduction

Summary: This report is an assessment of crime and violence in Mozambique undertaken between August 2011 and March 2012. The objective of the assessment was to provide a broad overview of the crime and violence situation in Mozambique and help inform future programming decisions there for OSISA and the OSF CVPI. It was written on the basis of key stakeholder interviews and analysis of existing data. Given the complexity of issues surrounding crime and violence, the report attempts to highlight major initiatives in a variety of sectors and is meant to inform debate and programme design. Section 1 of the assessment introduces the report and presents the methodology. Section 2 focuses on the Background and Context of crime and violence in Mozambique. After a brief history, the emphasis is on crime and violence data and analysis. As the report argues, reliable data is hard to obtain, but recent victimization surveys indicate that Mozambique is significant in that rates of victimization are particularly high, while rates of reporting crime to the police are particularly low. This phenomena is likely linked to issues around a lack of trust in the police services and perceived corruption. Armed robberies are the major reported crime concern for most Mozambicans, although levels of domestic violence and child abuse are also estimated to be extremely high. Maputo City, Maputo Province, and Sofala are the provinces with the highest levels of reported crime. Following the analysis on crime and violence data, the section ends with a summary of the Mozambican legal and policy framework, which is considered to be well developed although clearly lacking in full implementation. Section 3 analyses the major drivers of crime and violence in Mozambique and includes a detailed analysis on inequality, urbanization, corruption, organized crime, centralization, lack of opportunities for youth, victimization of women and children, high numbers of street dwellers, culture of violence, weak criminal justice system, prevalence of HIV/AIDS, rise in vigilantism, damaging customary practices and local beliefs, and trafficking along the coastlines and land corridors. While none of these factors in isolation cause crime and violence, all contribute to the challenges faced by Mozambique. Section 4 of the assessment report highlights the key actors in crime and violence prevention. Government agencies (including MDI, MDN, PRM, MINJUS, MINED, MISAU, MMAS), key donors, non-governmental organizations, and research and academia organizations are included and their relevant initiatives and interventions presented. For ease of analysis, the NGO sector is broken down into four areas, namely 1) women victimization organizations, 2) children victimization organizations, 3) governance, human rights, and community development organizations, and 4) peace, security, and conflict prevention organizations. The assessment notes the particular emphasis placed on women and children victimization by almost all of the key actors, although also notes an absence of support for unemployed and out-of-school youth. Section 5 of the assessment highlights promising prevention initiatives in Mozambique undertaken by key stakeholders. Innovative programs range from local level interventions to national government programmes. Section 6 analyses some of the key challenges to crime and violence prevention in Mozambique including: 1) Lack of opportunities for youth, 2) Marginalized role of local government, 3) Lack of engagement of the private sector, 4) Limited research and knowledge sharing on crime and violence prevention, 5) Absence of debate on security sector reform, 6) Parenting and early childhood development not prioritized, 7) Religious sector not fully engaged, 8) Poor support for displaced people, and 9) Disconnect between national policies and programs and local realities. The final Section 7 of the report makes a series of recommendations for Open Society, largely directed towards a community based focus, the importance of knowledge generation, building off of Brazilian expertise, providing opportunities for marginalized youth, and engaging new sectors in the crime and violence prevention debate. The assessment report is also accompanied by a community case study, which analyses crime and violence issues in two communities, Magoanine C and Feroviario das Mahotas. The case study, which was conducted by FOMICRES, provides an important point of reflection and highlights the juxtaposition between the national level policy and programs and the realities on the ground in marginalized communities.

Details: Washington, DC: Open Society Foundations Crime and Violence Prevention Initiative; Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, 2012. 64p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 13, 2014 at: http://www.osisa.org/sites/default/files/cvpi_mozambique_report_-_final_english.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Mozambique

URL: http://www.osisa.org/sites/default/files/cvpi_mozambique_report_-_final_english.pdf

Shelf Number: 131892

Keywords:
Corruption
Crime Prevention
Crime Statistics
Organized Crime
Robbery
Victimization
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Papachristos, Andrew

Title: 48 Years of Crime in Chicago: A Descriptive Analysis of Serious Crime Trends from 1965 to 2013

Summary: Over the past two decades, the United States has experienced an unpredicted drop in crime. Chicago, while often portrayed as a violent city, has seen sustained drops in violent crime and homicide rates during this time, but particularly recently. Using annual crime data, this report briefly describes temporal and spatial trends of major index crime in Chicago from 1965 to 2013. Overall, Chicago - like other U.S. cities - experienced a significant decline in overall crime and violent crime. Present day levels of violent crime are, in fact, at their lowest rates in four decades. Furthermore, nearly all communities experienced declines in crime, although the rates of decline were greater in some communities than others. Over the past three years, for example, all but five communities (out of 77) experienced declines in violent crime. Those areas that experienced increases were and continue to be some of Chicago's safest areas. While the drop in violent crime is shared between low and high crime areas alike, there remain areas of the city where violent crime rates are unacceptably high. Rates of homicide have also decreased over this period following the overall city-wide pattern, with some unique patterns emerging surrounding the contexts of gang homicide. The objective of this report is to simply document these historical trends and not to assign any casual interpretations of the vanguards of crime rates of this period. Directions for future investigation are also discussed.

Details: New Haven, CT: Institution for Social and Policy Studies, Yale University, 2013. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: ISPS Working Paper, ISPS 13-023: Accessed March 13, 2014 at: http://isps.yale.edu/sites/default/files/publication/2013/12/48yearsofcrime_final_ispsworkingpaper023.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://isps.yale.edu/sites/default/files/publication/2013/12/48yearsofcrime_final_ispsworkingpaper023.pdf

Shelf Number: 131901

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Urban Areas and Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Ponemon Institute

Title: 2012 Cost of Cyber Crime Study: United States

Summary: This year's study is based on a representative sample of 56 organizations in various industry sectors. While our research focused on organizations located in the United States, many are multinational corporations. Cyber attacks generally refer to criminal activity conducted via the Internet. These attacks can include stealing an organization's intellectual property, confiscating online bank accounts, creating and distributing viruses on other computers, posting confidential business information on the Internet and disrupting a country's critical national infrastructure. Consistent with the previous two studies, the loss or misuse of information is the most significant consequence of a cyber attack. Based on these findings, organizations need to be more vigilant in protecting their most sensitive and confidential information. Key takeaways from this research include: - Cyber crimes continue to be costly. We found that the average annualized cost of cyber crime for 56 organizations in our study is $8.9 million per year, with a range of $1.4 million to $46 million. In 2011, the average annualized cost was $8.4 million. This represents an increase in cost of 6 percent or $500,000 from the results of our cyber cost study published last year. - Cyber attacks have become common occurrences. The companies in our study experienced 102 successful attacks per week and 1.8 successful attacks per company per week. This represents an increase of 42 percent from last year's successful attack experience. Last year's study reported 72 successful attacks on average per week. - The most costly cyber crimes are those caused by denial of service, malicious insiders and web-based attacks. Mitigation of such attacks requires enabling technologies such as SIEM, intrusion prevention systems, application security testing and enterprise governance, risk management and compliance (GRC) solutions. The purpose of this benchmark research is to quantify the economic impact of cyber attacks and observe cost trends over time. We believe a better understanding of the cost of cyber crime will assist organizations in determining the appropriate amount of investment and resources needed to prevent or mitigate the devastating consequences of an attack.

Details: Traverse City, MI: Ponemon Institute, 2012. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 15, 2014 at: http://www.ponemon.org/local/upload/file/2012_US_Cost_of_Cyber_Crime_Study_FINAL6%20.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ponemon.org/local/upload/file/2012_US_Cost_of_Cyber_Crime_Study_FINAL6%20.pdf

Shelf Number: 131925

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Crime Statistics
Cybercrime
Internet Crime

Author: Shively, Michael

Title: Understanding Trends in Hate Crimes Against Immigrants and Hispanic-Americans

Summary: Over the past decade, substantial public attention has been directed toward the possibility that anti-immigrant rhetoric and legislation might be associated with an increase in hate crime in the United States against immigrants and those of Hispanic origin. Recent speculation about whether levels of hate crime are rising or falling, and what may be causing any observed trend, frequently arise in response to new incidents. Moreover, the speculation about hate crime trends applies across a wide range of groups that are known to be targeted for crimes motivated by hate or bias. Answers to questions about trends and why they occur have important implications for policy and practice. For example, if rising levels of hate crime are occurring in a region and targeting certain populations, resources can be deployed where they are most needed, and at appropriate levels. If specific populations are being targeted, culturally competent victim services and law enforcement responses can be tailored to serve those populations. To effectively respond to rising levels of hate crimes and to determine what may be causing the trend, it must first be established that the trend exists. While conceptually simple, it is technically challenging to distinguish random or insignificant variations that occur in any time-series from substantial, statistically significant changes over time. Establishing the significance of trends requires time-series data with: Measures and data collection methods used consistently over time; Reliable measurement of the variables of interest (e.g., ethnicity, race, sexual orientation of victim or respondent); Numbers of incidents sufficient to provide statistical power; and Coverage of geographic areas of interest. Prior to the 1990s, the ability to measure trends in hate crime was limited to a few municipalities where data were collected. Since the passage of the Hate Crime Statistics Act in 1990, substantial public investments have been made to develop data streams, including annual victimization surveys and collections of reported crimes and arrests. While much can be learned about hate crime from information gathered through Federal data collection programs, these time-series collections have not been examined to assess whether the data can support the study of a number of issues, including the detection of significant trends in hate crimes against specific groups. Fundamental questions remain to be answered, including whether the data contained in the major Federal hate crime data collection systems (primarily, the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), and National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) or other data streams (such as the School Crime Supplement (SCS) of the NCVS, and the School Survey on Crime and Safety (SSOCS) are adequate to: Estimate hate crime trends nationally, or within any state, across all hate crime types; Assess whether trends exist in hate crimes against immigrants and those whose ethnicity is classified as Hispanic; Serve as a foundation for research on the causes and consequences of hate crime; and Support evaluations of interventions meant to prevent or effectively respond to the problem. To answer such questions, the study featured: An examination of each of the major national time-series datasets (e.g., UCR, NIBRS, NCVS); Seeking additional data sources that could be used to corroborate or supplement the national data collections; Analysis of each database, examining whether trends can be modeled and tested to determine statistical significance; and Gathering qualitative input from expert researchers and practitioners regarding study findings and recommendations.

Details: Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, 2013. 175p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 17, 2014 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/244755.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/244755.pdf

Shelf Number: 131953

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Hate Crimes
Hispanics
Immigrants
Minorities
Victimization Surveys

Author: Breiding, Matthew J.

Title: Intimate Partner Violence in the United States - 2010.

Summary: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant public health problem. IPV includes physical violence, sexual violence, stalking, and psychological aggression (including coercive tactics) by a current or former intimate partner. In addition to the immediate impact, IPV has lifelong consequences. A number of studies have shown that beyond injury and death, victims of IPV are more likely to report a range of acute and chronic mental and physical health conditions (Black, 2011; Coker, Smith, & Fadden, 2005; Coker, Davis, Arias, Desai, Sanderson, Brandt, & Smith, 2002). Many survivors of these forms of violence experience physical injury; depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicide attempts; and other health conditions such as gastro-intestinal disorders, substance abuse, sexually transmitted diseases, and gynecological or pregnancy complications. These conditions can lead to hospitalization, disability, or death. During the past decade, our understanding of the biological response to acute and chronic stress that links IPV with negative health conditions has deepened (Black, 2011; Crofford, 2007; Pico-Alfonso, Garcia-Linares, Celda-Navarro, Herbert, & Martinez, 2004). Additionally, a number of behavioral factors are likely to play a role in the link between IPV and adverse health conditions, as victims of IPV are more likely to smoke, engage in heavy/binge drinking, engage in behaviors that increase the risk of HIV, and endorse other unhealthy behaviors (Breiding, Black, & Ryan, 2008; Coker et al., 2002). Findings in this report are based on data from the National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS). NISVS is an ongoing, nationally representative, random digit dial telephone survey that collects information about experiences of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and stalking from non-institutionalized English- and/or Spanish-speaking women and men aged 18 or older in the United States. This report provides findings from the 2010 data collection pertaining to intimate partner violence. Some of the key topics covered in this report are: - Overall lifetime and 12-month prevalence of IPV victimization - Prevalence of IPV victimization by sociodemographic variables, such as race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and income - Impact of IPV victimization - Characteristics of IPV victimization such as number of lifetime perpetrators, sex of perpetrator, and age at first IPV victimization - Services needed and disclosure related to IPV victimization The findings presented in this report are based on complete interviews from the NISVS survey. Complete interviews were obtained from 16,507 adults (9,086 women and 7,421 men) in 2010. The relative standard error (RSE), which is a measure of an estimate's reliability, was calculated for all estimates in this report. If the RSE was greater than 30%, the estimate was deemed unreliable and is not reported. Consideration was also given to the case count. If the estimate was based on a numerator < 20, the estimate is also not reported. Estimates for certain types of violence reported by subgroups are not shown because the number of people reporting a specific type of victimization was too few to calculate a reliable estimate. These non-reportable estimates are noted in the report so the reader can easily determine what was assessed and where gaps remain. A detailed description of the violence types measured, as well as the verbatim violence victimization questions, are presented in the Appendices of the report.

Details: Atlanta, GA: National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014. 96p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2014 at: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_ipv_report_2013_v17_single_a.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pdf/cdc_nisvs_ipv_report_2013_v17_single_a.pdf

Shelf Number: 131999

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Intimate Partner Violence
Sexual Violence
Stalking

Author: Racovita, Mihaela

Title: Risky Business? Crime and Security Perceptions in the Nepali Private Sector

Summary: The volatile political situation in Nepal was the largest obstacle to business activities in 2012, according to the majority of businesses surveyed as part of a study by the Small Arms Survey's Nepal Armed Violence Assessment (NAVA) project. Direct losses from crime are relatively small compared to the indirect costs of instability. The findings of a survey of 160 businesses working in Nepal's seven major industrial corridors are presented in a new Issue Brief from the Small Arms Survey and the Nepal Armed Violence Assessment, Risky Business? Crime and Security Perceptions in the Nepali Private Sector. Risky Business explores the security perceptions and experiences of Nepali businesses from 2007 to 2012, and investigates major challenges to doing business, types and frequency of crime, actors and instruments of violence, losses experienced, and steps taken to prevent crime. Since 2007, Nepal's war-damaged economy has shown positive signs of growth and renewed investment. At the same time, the volatile political situation and persistent criminal activities continue to take their toll on the business sector. The Small Arms Survey and the Institute for Integrated Development Studies (IIDS) undertook the study to generate knowledge about the challenges faced by the business community, and the extent to which crime affects business in the country's key industrial areas. The survey also found that businesses generally have a positive view of formal security measures, and appreciate police efforts to fight crime. Often businesses take additional measures to deter or prevent crime, such as employing security guards. A number of the businesses surveyed expressed an interest in public-private partnerships on security.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, 2013. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue Brief No. 3: Accessed March 21, 2014 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/G-Issue-briefs/NAVA-IB3-Risky-Business.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Nepal

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/G-Issue-briefs/NAVA-IB3-Risky-Business.pdf

Shelf Number: 104120

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Security

Author: Parker, Khristy

Title: Arrests for Violent Crime in Alaska, 1980-2012

Summary: This fact sheet presented violent crime arrest data extracted from the Alaska Department of Public Safetys annual report Crime in Alaska. Arrest trend data for Part I violent crimes (homicide, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault) were presented in the aggregate and for each offense category. Age, sex, and racial group membership information for those arrested by Alaska law enforcement in 2012 were also presented. For the first time since 1980, arrests for Part I violent crimes increased at a slower pace than the states population growth. Examination of offense-specific arrest rates shows that the aggregate decrease in Part I violent crime arrests was in contrast to substantial increases in robbery and, to a lesser degree, aggravated assault arrest rates over time. Homicide arrest rates declined by more than half over the 19802012 time period. Between 1980 and 2012 the percentage of Part I violent crime arrests made for robbery and aggravated assault increased; by 2012, 93.7% of all Part I violent crime arrests were for these two offenses. In 2012 large majorities of arrests for Part I violent crimes were of males. Information pertaining to the age of those arrested was also presented. These data show that the bulk of serious violent crime arrests was of individuals under the age of 35 (67.4%). The majority of people arrested for homicide, rape, and aggravated assault in 2012 were individuals aged 2534 years. Persons arrested for robbery tended to be younger (1824 years) than those arrested for the other three Part I violent crimes. Overall, those arrested for Part I violent crimes in 2012 were more often observed to be Alaska Native and American Indian, or White/Caucasian than a member of any other racial group. However, the racial composition of arrestees varied considerably according to the type of offense. Racial disparities were evident in the arrest data presented. Whites/Caucasians were arrested for Part I violent crimes at a rate well below their overall representation in the population. The opposite was true for Alaska Natives and American Indians, and Blacks/African Americans, all of whom were overrepresented within each Part I violent crime arrest category. Asians were overrepresented in all categories but one, rape for which the group was underrepresented.

Details: Anchorage: Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center, 2013. 7p.

Source: Internet Resource: Fact Sheet: Accessed April 23, 2014 at: http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/ajsac/2013/ajsac.13-12.violent_crime_arrests.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/ajsac/2013/ajsac.13-12.violent_crime_arrests.pdf

Shelf Number: 132141

Keywords:
Arrest and Apprehension
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Violent Crime

Author: Germany. Bundeskriminalamt

Title: Organised Crime: National Situation Report 2012

Summary: The National Situation Report on Organised Crime contains information about the current situation and developments in the field of organised crime. The report is drawn up by the Bundeskriminalamt (Federal Criminal Police Office - BKA) in cooperation with the Landeskriminalamter (Land Criminal Police Offices - LKAs), the Zollkriminalamt (Central Office of the German Customs Investigation Service - ZKA) and the Bundespolizeiprasidium (Federal Police Headquarters) on the basis of the definition of "organised crime" formulated by the Working Party of Police and Judicial Authorities (AG Justiz/Polizei) in May 1990. Data on OC investigations conducted during the year under review are compiled by applying the same set of criteria throughout the country. In a summarised form, the situation report mainly represents the results of law enforcement activities carried out by the police in relation to crime revealed by controls/monitoring. Therefore, it is a description of the recorded cases, i.e. the crime coming to police notice, and any valid estimation on the type and extent of unreported crime cases cannot be deduced from the statistical data. Statements on the developments of Organised Crime are essentially based on the analysis of the development of individual indicators taken from (retrograde) long term monitoring.

Details: Wiesbaden: Bundeskriminalamt, 2012. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 23, 2014 at: http://www.bka.de/nn_194550/EN/SubjectsAZ/OrganisedCrime/organisedCrime__node.html?__nnn=true

Year: 2012

Country: Germany

URL: http://www.bka.de/nn_194550/EN/SubjectsAZ/OrganisedCrime/organisedCrime__node.html?__nnn=true

Shelf Number: 132145

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Organized Crime

Author: Great Britain. Home Office

Title: An Overview of Hate Crime in England and Wales

Summary: There are two main official sources for the number of hate crime offences in England and Wales: the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) and police recorded crime. The survey estimate is the higher of the two - some of the crimes reported in the survey will not come to the attention of the police. While the CSEW provides estimates of the volume of hate crime incidents, because of the small numbers of hate crime victims captured by the survey there are large margins of error around these estimates. These figures do, however, help to provide a broader context in which to view hate crime data from other sources. Based on combined data from the 2011/12 and 2012/13 CSEW, there were an estimated 278,000 hate crimes on average per year for the five monitored strands. The most commonly reported motivating factor in these hate crime incidents was race, with an average of 154,000 incidents a year according to the 2011/12 and 2012/13 surveys. The second most common motivating factor was religion (70,000 incidents per year). The majority of hate crime incidents were accounted for by incidents of assault (with minor injury or no injury) and incidents of vandalism, which together made up around two-thirds of the CSEW hate crime estimate. The combined 2011/12 and 2012/13 CSEW estimated that 40 per cent of hate crimes came to the attention of the police, a similar level to overall CSEW crime. However, the level of reporting to the police for hate crimes has fallen from 51 per cent in the combined 2007/08 and 2008/09 surveys. This fall is likely to be in at least part due to a change in the profile of hate crime offences experienced, away from more serious offences (such as robbery) to less serious offences (such as assault without injury). These less serious offences tend to have a lower reporting rate. The most common reason for not reporting the incident to the police was because the victim believed that the police would not or could not do much about it (43% of hate crime incidents in the CSEW that were not reported). In the process of recording a crime, the police can 'flag' an offence as being motivated by one or more of the five centrally monitored strands. The police recorded 42,236 hate crime offences in 2012/13, around one per cent of all recorded crime. Comparing this with estimates from the CSEW implies that far fewer hate crime offences came to the attention of the police than the 40 per cent indicated by the survey. There are a number of possible reasons to explain this discrepancy; for example, that the victim may not have mentioned the motivating factor when they reported the incident to the police. Comparisons between the CSEW hate crime estimates and the police recorded crime figures are explored in more detail in the main report.

Details: London: Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Office for National Statistics, 2013. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 24, 2014 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266358/hate-crime-2013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/266358/hate-crime-2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 132155

Keywords:
Bias-Motivated Crimes
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes (U.K.)

Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office

Title: Cruise Vessels: Most Required Security and Safety Measures have Been Implemented, but Concerns Remain About Crime Reporting

Summary: In 2011, almost 11 million passengers took a cruise from a U.S. port. Media reports about passenger personal safety while aboard cruise vessels-including those related to the January 2012 grounding of the cruise vessel Costa Concordia off the coast of Italy, which resulted in 32 deaths-combined with the increasing number of passengers taking cruises has raised questions about passenger safety and security. With the enactment of the CVSSA in 2010, cruise vessels that visit U.S. ports were required to meet certain security and safety requirements, such as having rail heights of at least 42 inches and reporting allegations of certain crimes to the FBI. GAO was asked to review cruise vessel safety as well as security issues-related to keeping passengers safe from crime. GAO reviewed (1) the extent to which the cruise vessel industry and federal agencies have implemented the CVSSA, and (2) any actions taken following the Costa Concordia accident to enhance the safety of cruise vessels visiting U.S. ports. GAO reviewed the CVSSA and related agency and industry documents, and interviewed officials from the Coast Guard, FBI, CLIA, five cruise lines which accounted for over 80 percent of North American cruise vessel passengers in 2012, and two crime victim advocacy groups. The cruise lines were selected based on several factors including their volume of North American passengers. Crime victim advocacy groups were selected based on their knowledge about cruise ship crime issues. GAO is not making any recommendations in this report.

Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2013. 54p.

Source: Internet Resource: GAO-14-43: Accessed April 24, 2014 at: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/659897.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.gao.gov/assets/660/659897.pdf

Shelf Number: 132158

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Cruise Vessels
Tourists
Transit Crime
Transportation Security

Author: Truman, Jennifer L.

Title: Nonfatal Domestic Violence, 2003-2012

Summary: The report presents estimates on nonfatal domestic violence from 2003 to 2012. Domestic violence includes victimization committed by current or former intimate partners (spouses, boyfriends or girlfriends), parents, children, siblings, and other relatives. This report focuses on the level and pattern of domestic violence over time, highlighting selected victim and incident characteristics. Incident characteristics include the type of violence, the offender's use of a weapon, victim injury and medical treatment, and whether the incident was reported to police. The report provides estimates of acquaintance and stranger violence for comparison. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which collects information on nonfatal crimes reported and not reported to police. The NCVS is a self-report survey administered every six months to persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Highlights: In 2003-12, domestic violence accounted for 21% of all violent crime. A greater percentage of domestic violence was committed by intimate partners (15%) than immediate family members (4%) or other relatives (2%). Current or former boyfriends or girlfriends committed most domestic violence. Females (76%) experienced more domestic violence victimizations than males (24%).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2014. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2014 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ndv0312.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/ndv0312.pdf

Shelf Number: 132204

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Family Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
Victims of Crime

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Title: Global Study on Homicide 2013: Trends, Contexts, Data

Summary: The Global Study on Homicide 2013 seeks to shed light on the worst of crimes - the intentional killing of one human being by another. Beyond resulting in the deaths of nearly half a million people in 2012, this form of violent crime has a broad impact on security - and the perception of security - across all societies. This study, which builds on the ground-breaking work of UNODC's first Global Study on Homicide in 2011, is particularly timely as the international community is engaged in defining the post-2015 development agenda. As United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon has made clear, development progress cannot be achieved or sustained amid violence, insecurity and injustice. By improving understanding of the underlying patterns and trends related to different forms, settings and risk factors of homicide at the global, regional, national and sub-national levels, this study can be a strategic tool in supporting governments' efforts to address root causes and enhance criminal justice responses. Alongside intentional homicide related to other criminal activities and socio-political agendas, the study examines homicide related to interpersonal conflict, which includes homicides perpetrated by intimate partners or family members. Unlike other forms of homicide, which vary significantly across regions and from year to year, intimate partner and family-related homicide remains persistent and prevalent. While the vast majority of global homicide victims are men, it is overwhelmingly women who die at the hands of their intimate partners or family members. Normative standards for improving criminal justice responses to eliminate violence against women have been agreed by all United Nations Member States; clearly more must be done to improve States' capacities to effectively prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish all forms of violence against women. With regard to different settings in which lethal violence occurs, the study indicates that homicide and violence in countries emerging from conflict can become concurrent contributors to instability and insecurity. If we want to build peace, interventions must address not only the conflict itself but also surges in homicide resulting from organized crime and interpersonal violence, which can flourish in settings with weak rule of law. Specific risk factors such as alcohol and drug use and the availability of weapons are also examined in the study in order to improve understanding of how they shape patterns and prevalence of lethal violence. Deeper understanding of these enablers can inform and enhance policies aimed at preventing intentional homicides from happening in the first place. Ultimately, efforts to prevent unlawful homicide will not be effective unless governments and the international community address those who are most at risk, of both offending or becoming a victim of homicide. More than half of all global homicide victims are under 30 years of age. Much of this violence takes place in urban areas. Effective policies and strategies must not only target at-risk young people but involve them and local communities to work together to break the cycle of violence.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2014. 155p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 6, 2014 at: http://www.unodc.org/documents/gsh/pdfs/2014_GLOBAL_HOMICIDE_BOOK_web.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: http://www.unodc.org/documents/gsh/pdfs/2014_GLOBAL_HOMICIDE_BOOK_web.pdf

Shelf Number: 132257

Keywords:
Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder
Crime Statistics
Drug Abuse and Crime
Homicides
Interpersonal Violence
Murders
Organized Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Donadio, Marcela

Title: Public Security INDEX. Central America: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama

Summary: Security is far from a theoretical discussion. It is a vital necessity, a primary feeling that contextualizes our decisions, hopes, challenges, possibilities and difficulties. It is not a question for disputes between political factions, or a favor bestowed by political representatives, it is a policy that the State designs and sustains in order to legitimize its own existence as the guarantor of the social contract that unites citizens below a single political form. Security permits the exercise of the right to live in peace, to create and make use of opportunities to develop one's life and those of loved ones. An environment of insecurity removes that right and interrupts essential development. Various discussions of security and insecurity in a large number of countries in the Latin American region are explained by the weakness of understandings regarding the State and the rights of citizens. The State is the political representation, not the owner of aspirations, feelings, and projects; political representatives do not own the State, but instead occupy it transitionally. The energized debates and responses, and citizen demands (or their negation, as is observed in the common misrepresentations of public opinion as "perceptions that don't consider the facts") display a confused understanding of the role of representation. A change in the way in which representatives see themselves and in how citizens see them or the power that they actually have would bolster the democratic regime. In the formation of a secure living environment, and wherever a State exists, institutions play a key role. It is in them that the State lives, and through them that policies and legal frameworks are developed and laws that affect all of us applied. The strengths and weaknesses of these institutions have a wide-ranging effect on the development of a secure environment. It is this very security environment that occupies the worries and hopes of the inhabitants of a great part of Latin America, especially in the last decade with the rising rates of criminality. It is a central theme on the agenda, related with the alternatives to the construction of democratic regimes and institutions. The Public Security Index directly addresses this institutional problematic and the foundation of State capacities to provide security in the region. It advances from the premise that institutions should be incorporated into security-development analysis. A pending issue was the field of policy formulation, of capacities to manage the security sector, of the indicators of how to construct a State apparatus that, in collaboration with civil society, faces up to security problems. It is a program born from RESDAL's commitment to work towards the construction of democratic institutions, combining the capacities of those that work within the State, with those from academia and civil society, and also from the objective of providing useful tools for discussions, analysis and decision-making. This publication is dedicated to six Central American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Each one has its own particular reality and wealth, and should avoid the temptation to embrace realities that are different, and it is for this motive that each is treated separately. For a better understanding and analysis, the coverage of the cases also presents transversal axis that contribute to the security environment, such as economic resources, the institutional problematic, cross-border people flows, the collaboration of the armed forces with the police, and the role of private security.

Details: Buenos Aires, Argentina: RESDAL, 2013. 152p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2014 at: http://www.resdal.org/ing/libro-seg-2013/index-public-security-2013.html

Year: 2013

Country: Central America

URL: http://www.resdal.org/ing/libro-seg-2013/index-public-security-2013.html

Shelf Number: 132322

Keywords:
Crime Prevention
Crime Statistics
Law Enforcement
Policing
Security

Author: Sanchez, Arabeska

Title: Firearms and Violence in Honduras

Summary: More than 42,000 people have been violently killed in Honduras over the past nine years. In 80 per cent of cases the weapon used was a firearm. To explain this, analysts and the media point randomly to the political instability and polarization of the country, the level of corruption in the police and state institutions, and the climate of terror created by gangs and organized crime. Comprehensive solutions based on solid empirical evidence, however, are not yet available. This Research Note is based on a scoping assessment of armed violence in Honduras. It summarizes and briefly unpacks specific characteristics of armed violence in the country and explores some of the key questions that need to be asked. As such, it provides a basis on which work and research can draw to design responses to Honduras's challenges by answering the following questions: What kind of knowledge is needed to tackle the spiralling violence in Honduras? How can actors be mobilized more effectively to influence policy responses to violence?

Details: Geneva, SWIT: Small Arms Survey, 2014. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Notes No. 39: Accessed May 12, 2014 at: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/H-Research_Notes/SAS-Research-Note-39.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Honduras

URL: http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/fileadmin/docs/H-Research_Notes/SAS-Research-Note-39.pdf

Shelf Number: 132338

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Policy
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides (Honduras)
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Goh, Derek

Title: An update of long-term trends in property and violent crime in New South Wales: 1990-2013

Summary: Aim: The aim of this paper is to analyse the trends in the rates of annual recorded incidents of 10 categories of property and violent crime for the period 1990 to 2013 in New South Wales (NSW). Method: Offence rates were calculated using criminal incident data from the NSW Police Force Computerised Operational Policing System (COPS) for the period 1995 to 2013, and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research's recorded crime statistics report series for the period 1990 to 1994. Kendall's trend test was run on the 24 annual rates for each of the 10 offence categories. Results: Some categories of crime in NSW are now at the lowest recorded levels they have been for over 20 years. Comparing per capita rates of crime in 2013 with per capita rates in 1990, lower rates were found for: motor vehicle theft (77% lower), robbery with a firearm (73% lower), break and enter non-dwelling (68% lower), break and enter dwelling (52% lower), murder (43% lower), robbery without a weapon (35% lower), and robbery with a weapon not a firearm (29% lower). Three of the ten offence types analysed in this report were found to have recorded rates higher in 2013 than in 1990: sexual assault (125% higher), other sexual offences (95% higher) and assault (74% higher). Conclusion: In the period since 1990, assault and sexual assault rates recorded significant long term upward trends whilst the other eight offences analysed in this report were trending down or stable. The 2013 recorded sexual assault rate was marginally below the highest in that series (occurring in 2012) and the rate since 2000 has recorded a significant uptrend. Apart from sexual assault and 'other' sexual offences, the remaining eight offence types recorded significant downtrends in recorded rates since 2000. The three robbery and three property crime series all recorded falls of more than 60 percent since 2000.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2014. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue paper No. 93: Accessed May 14, 2014 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb93.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb93.pdf

Shelf Number: 132348

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Property Crimes (Australia)
Violent Crime

Author: Minnesota. Department of Public Safety, Office of Justice Programs

Title: Financial Crime and Identity Theft: Law Enforcement Response, Challenges and Resource Needs. Report of Minnesota Law Enforcement Identity Theft Survey

Summary: In August and September of 2013 the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs sent an on-line survey to all 87 county sheriffs and to 317 municipal police departments. Respondents were asked to complete an online survey about their departmental characteristics, experiences with financial crimes and identity theft, victim assistance, and training needs. A total of 35 sheriffs completed surveys, as did 156 municipal police departments. A total of 384 emails were delivered for a 50 percent response rate. Data were imported into a statistical analysis program and analyzed. Overall results from the survey are presented graphically. Analysis was also completed to see if there were any significant differences based on geography (urban vs. Greater Minnesota) or law enforcement type (municipal police departments vs. sheriffs' offices). Any statistically significant differences are discussed in text boxes throughout the report.

Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Public Safety, 2013.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2014 at: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/Financial%20Crime%20and%20Identity%20Theft%20Report%20Final.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/Financial%20Crime%20and%20Identity%20Theft%20Report%20Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 132388

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Financial Crimes
Identity Theft

Author: Peters, Brittany

Title: Violent Crime in Massachusetts: A 25-Year Retrospective. Annual Policy Brief (1988-2012)

Summary: The volume of violent crime (26,819 offenses) within the Commonwealth in 2012 represents an 18% decrease since 1988. This is the lowest point since the early 1980's. During the 25-year period from 1988 to 2012, the rate of violent crime per 100,000 persons in Massachusetts dropped 29% from 570 offenses to 404 offenses. The statewide volume of violent crime decreased 3% from calendar years 2011 to 2012, with a decline in murder (-33%) and aggravated assault (-4%); the volume of both forcible rapes and robberies remained consistent from one year to the next with a drop of less than 1%. The rate of violent crime per 100,000 persons in Massachusetts decreased 4% between calendar years 2011 and 2012, with a decline in three of the four major offense categories: murder (-33%), robbery (-1%), and aggravated assault (-5%). The rate of forcible rape remained stable at 24 rapes per 100,000 persons from 2011 to 2012.

Details: Boston: Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security, 2014. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 17, 2014 at: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/ogr/violentcrimeannualpolicybrief-1988to2012.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.mass.gov/eopss/docs/ogr/violentcrimeannualpolicybrief-1988to2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 132391

Keywords:
Aggravated Assault
Crime Statistics
Forcible Rape
Homicides
Robbery
Violent Crime

Author: Swayze, Dana

Title: Back to the Future: Thirty Years of Juvenile Justice Data 1980-2010. Volume 1

Summary: In 1980, the United States was on the verge of a spike in juvenile crime that would strain the resources of the juvenile justice system, challenge the resilience of communities, and have lasting repercussions on both public policy and public sentiment regarding youth offenders. Youth involvement in crime began to increase in the mid-1980s and rose precipitously through the mid-1990s. Of particular concern to policy makers and communities was the increase in violent crime. A cadre of academic scholars and criminologists publically warned of a new breed of 'superpredators' who were unique in their brutality and remorselessness. It was projected that these offenders would grow in number prompting a negative, fear-based public perception of juveniles. Contrary to the predictions of many scholars in the field of criminology, juvenile crime not only peaked in the late-1990s but was followed by a significant pattern of decline. Ten years later, youth involvement in the juvenile justice system has continued to decline and now reflects some of the lowest levels in 30 years or more. Criminologists continue to hypothesize and identify what factors contributed to the sudden and continuous decline in juvenile delinquency in the new millennium. Minnesota juvenile justice data mirror the rise and fall of youth involvement in crime observed nationally. In 2010, both the volume of youth arrests and the rate of youth arrests were comparable to figures recorded in 1980, before the juvenile crime wave began.a The title of this report, Back to the Future, is an homage to the 1980s cinema blockbuster of the same name, in which a teenaged Michael J. Fox accidentally travels back in time 30 years to 1955. While there, he inadvertently alters the course of his own future which he must be set right before returning to 1985. While his character is clear as to what must be done to set his future right, less clear are which, if any, juvenile justice policies and practices implemented in the 1980s and 1990s positively affected delinquent youth thirty years later. Volume 1 of this report series is dedicated to the presentation of Minnesota's juvenile justice data. Included are juvenile arrests; court volume; admissions to residential placements; and juvenile probation populations between 1980 and 2010. Regrettably not all data are available due to changes in collection methodology and technology over time. National juvenile justice data are also presented to assess how Minnesota fared compared to the national trend. Volume 2 of this report series compliments Volume 1 through a presentation of factors at the state and national level that may have affected delinquency trends over the past 30 years. Included are a presentation of population changes; characteristics of the macro-environment such as poverty and unemployment; changes to delinquency definitions and statutes; and changing attitudes and practices around serving at-risk youth. Volume 2 explores what the past 30 years have taught practitioners about effective responses to delinquency that can be taken back to the future.

Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs, 2013. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/BTTF_Part%201_FINAL.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/BTTF_Part%201_FINAL.pdf

Shelf Number: 132592

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Justice Reform
Juvenile Justice Systems
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Swayze, Dana

Title: Back to the Future: Thirty Years of Juvenile Justice Data 1980-2010. Volume 2

Summary: Volume 2 of this report series is dedicated to exploration of the underlying issues that may have affected the reduction in juvenile crime in the 2000s. Included are data related to education and child protection; changes to Minnesota's youth population; changes to socio-economic factors such as unemployment, poverty and wages; and the history of federal funding to states for crime and delinquency prevention and intervention. In addition, Volume 2 includes a detailed account of changes to both Minnesota and national laws affecting juveniles since 1980. Presented in five-year increments, this exploration documents the transition towards a more punitive, accountability-based juvenile justice system during the 1980s and 1990s, before movement back to a more individualized, rehabilitative approach in the 2000s. Changes made at key stages of the justice system are discussed, as are changes to chemical and mental health policy; school-based reforms; and evidence-based policy initiatives.

Details: St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Justice Programs, 2014. 120p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/BTTF_Part%202_FINAL.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ojp/forms-documents/Documents/BTTF_Part%202_FINAL.pdf

Shelf Number: 132593

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Justice
Juvenile Justice Reform
Juvenile Justice Systems
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary

Title: Crime recording: A matter of fact - interim report of the inspection of crime data integrity in police forces in England and Wales

Summary: In its 2013/14 inspection programme, approved by the Home Secretary under section 54 of the Police Act 1996, HMIC is committed to carry out an inspection into the way the 43 police forces in England and Wales record crime data. This inspection, carried out between February and August 2014, is the most extensive of its kind that HMIC has ever undertaken into crime data integrity. This is an interim report of that inspection. It explains the purposes and methods of the inspection and the criteria that govern crime-recording practice in the police. This report covers the inspection of 13 forces. As two of the largest metropolitan forces (the Metropolitan Police Service and Greater Manchester Police) have been inspected, the inspection has already covered approximately 60 percent of the reviews to be done. While the inspection has yet to be completed in the remaining 30 forces, we can report on a number of emerging themes.

Details: London: HMIC, 2014. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/crime-data-integrity-interim-report.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.hmic.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/crime-data-integrity-interim-report.pdf

Shelf Number: 132594

Keywords:
Crime Statistics

Author: Holmes, Jessie

Title: NSW Police Recorded Female Persons of Interest: Has there been an increase in the 10 years to June 2013?

Summary: Aim: To investigate characteristics and trends from 2003/04 to 2012/13 in female persons of interest (POIs) recorded by NSW Police. Method: The number of female and male POIs were informed by data on POIs proceeded against by police from the NSW Police Force Computerised Operational Policing System. Characteristics of female POIs are described and trends over the 10 years to June 2013 were analysed using Kendall's rank-order correlation test. Results: Over the decade ending June 2013 both adult female and male POIs increased in number. However the number of adult female POIs increased at a greater rate than their male counterparts. Adult females were most likely to be apprehended by police for shoplifting and assault. Unlike adult female POIs, juvenile female POIs have not generally increased over the past decade. Instead they rose, stabilised, then fell, so that by 2012/13 the number of juvenile female POIs were only slightly higher than in 2003/04. Over the most recent three years there were no significant increases for juvenile females for any of the offences examined. The offences committed by juvenile females were very similar to those committed by adult females, with shoplifting having the largest proportion of juvenile female POIs associated, followed by assault, breach of bail conditions and then malicious damage. Conclusion: Females are still in the minority among POIs but their numbers are growing.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2014. 9p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue paper No. 94: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb94.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb94.pdf

Shelf Number: 132598

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Female Juvenile Offenders
Female Offenders
Shoplifting

Author: International Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation

Title: Healthcare Crime Survey

Summary: The International Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation (IHSSF) is the philanthropic arm of the International Association for Healthcare Security & Safety (IAHSS). The 2014 IHSSF Crime Survey was commissioned under the Research and Grants Program of the International Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation (IHSSF). The purpose of the 2014 IHSSF Crime Survey is to provide healthcare security professionals with an understanding of crimes that impact hospitals as well as the frequency of these crimes. IAHSS members who serve in security leadership roles in hospitals in both the United States and Canada were invited to participate. Specifically, we asked that the highest ranking hospital security professional (or their designee) at each hospital respond to the survey. Those responding would ideally be responsible for maintaining the security incident management records. We also asked that if the respondent was responsible for more than one hospital that one survey be completed for each hospital. The 2014 IHSSF Crime Survey collected information on ten (10) different types of crimes that were deemed relevant to hospitals and included: Murder Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault Assault (Simple) Disorderly Conduct Burglary Theft (Larceny-Theft) Motor Vehicle Theft Vandalism To ensure that all hospitals were answering the questions consistently, regardless of state or province, the survey included the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Report definition (US) and the Criminal Code Definition (Canada). The definitions for each crime are located in the Appendices to this report. For analytical purposes, murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault were aggregated into a group called "violent crimes." We received 386 responses from both US (n=338) and Canadian (n=47) hospitals. Of those 386 responses, 242 provided usable responses. These 242 hospitals account for: - 209,818,780 square feet (including on-campus clinics, research space, medical office buildings, etc.) - Over 56,000 hospital beds - An average daily census of around 85,000 people

Details: Glendale Heights, IL: IHSSF, 2014. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 2, 2014 at: http://ihssf.org/PDF/crimesurvey2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://ihssf.org/PDF/crimesurvey2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 132609

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Hospital Security
Hospitals

Author: Allen, Mary

Title: Police-reported Hate Crime in Canada, 2012

Summary: Police-reported hate crime in Canada, 2012: highlights - In 2012, police reported 1,414 criminal incidents motivated by hate in Canada, 82 more incidents than in 2011. - About half (51%) of police-reported hate crimes in 2012 were motivated by hatred of race or ethnicity. Another 30% were motivated by religion and another 13% by sexual orientation. - Over two-thirds (69%) of hate crimes were non-violent. Mischief was the most commonly reported offence among police-reported hate crimes, making up over half of all hate crime incidents: 6% were hate mischief in relation to religious property and 51% were other types of mischief. - Almost one-third (31%) of police-reported hate crimes in 2012 involved violent offences, such as assault, uttering threats and criminal harassment. Hate crimes motivated by sexual orientation (67%) or race/ethnicity (32%) were the most likely to involve violent offences. Among religious hate crimes, 13% were violent. - The majority of police-reported hate crime incidents in 2012 were concentrated in major cities (CMAs). While the 10 largest Canadian cities account for just over half of the population (52%), they reported 63% of the hate crimes in 2012. - Among crimes motivated by hate, the accused were predominantly young and male. Among persons accused of hate crimes in 2012, 84% were male and 57% were under age 25. The majority (62%) of the youth accused of hate crimes who were under age 18 were accused of non-violent offences, with 48% accused of mischief.

Details: Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2014. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat: Accessed July 3, 2014 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14028-eng.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14028-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 132622

Keywords:
Bias-Motivated Crimes
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes

Author: Parker, Khristy

Title: Burglary in Alaska: 1985 -- 2012

Summary: This fact sheet presents Uniform Crime Report (UCR) statistics from the Alaska Department of Public Safety (DPS), Criminal Records & Identification Bureau (CRIB) for the period from 1985 to 2012. The data presented focuses exclusively on the property crime of burglary, and includes burglary rates, time and place of occurrence, and the value of property stolen during burglaries reported to police. These data were extracted from DPSs Crime in Alaska publications. According to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), approximately one-third of all burglaries are reported to the police. Therefore, data presented in this fact sheet should not be considered indicative of the true rate of burglary in Alaska. Rather, this fact sheet presents data only on burglaries reported to police.

Details: Anchorage: Alaska Justice Statistical Analysis Center, 2014. 6p.

Source: Internet Resource: Fact Sheet: Accessed July 17, 2014 at: http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/ajsac/2014/ajsac.14-01.burglary.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://justice.uaa.alaska.edu/ajsac/2014/ajsac.14-01.burglary.pdf

Shelf Number: 132703

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics

Author: Campo, Joe

Title: Firearm Deaths in Washington State

Summary: Mass murders - senseless semi-automatic assault-style rifle attacks in movie theaters, shopping malls and even elementary schools - have, sadly, become staples on the evening news. Seemingly before one town's mourning can come to a close, another town's begins anew. And yet the dark shadows cast by these horrific events may cloak other equally senseless - and much more prevalent - firearm-related deaths. In this research brief, we examine firearm deaths by magnitude and intent, gender and age, race and ethnicity, and by regional and small areas. We also identify potential risk factors, compare Washington's rates with those in British Columbia and our nation, and assess the trend in hand gun purchases within our state. Broadly we find that contrary to the general public's perception, firearm deaths are more of a rural than urban blight, and the victims are, in fact, overwhelmingly themselves the perpetrators. We also find that while males are more likely to be killed by a firearm than are females, it is the elderly males (those ages 65 and older) who have the highest rates of all.

Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Office of Financial Management, 2013. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief No. 71: Accessed July 17, 2014 at: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/researchbriefs/2013/brief071.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/researchbriefs/2013/brief071.pdf

Shelf Number: 132709

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Firearms
Gun-Related Violence
Guns
Homicides
Mass Murders

Author: Everytown for Gun Safety

Title: Analysis of Recent Mass Shootings

Summary: Using FBI data and media reports, Everytown for Gun Safety developed an analysis of mass shootings that took place between January 2009 and July 2014. The analysis found that there have been at least 110 mass shootings in this five and a half-year period. The FBI defines a "mass shooting" as any incident where at least four people were murdered with a gun. Below are some of the report's more surprising findings: - Mass shootings represent a small share of total US firearm homicides. - There is a strong connection between mass shooting incidents and domestic or family violence: at least 57% of mass shootings surveyed were related to domestic or family violence. - Perpetrators of mass shootings are generally older than perpetrators of gun violence in the US as a whole. While the median age of known overall gun murderers in the U.S. is 26, the median age of perpetrators of mass shootings was 34.

Details: Everytown for Gun Safety, 2014. 43p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 21, 2014 at: http://3gbwir1ummda16xrhf4do9d21bsx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://3gbwir1ummda16xrhf4do9d21bsx.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/analysis-of-recent-mass-shootings.pdf

Shelf Number: 132722

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Homicides
Mass Shootings (U.S.)
Violent Crime

Author: Bileski, Matthew

Title: The Reporting of Sexual Assault in Arizona, CY 2002-2011

Summary: Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) - 41-2406, which became law in July 2005, requires the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) to compile information obtained from disposition reporting forms submitted to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) on sexual assault (A.R.S. - 13-1406) and the false reporting of sexual assault involving a spouse (A.R.S. - 13-2907.03). Utilizing DPS disposition data, ACJC is mandated to provide an annual report briefing the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House, the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records on sexual assault in Arizona. The data used to complete this report were extracted from the Arizona Computerized Criminal History (ACCH) records system and provided to ACJC by DPS in January 2013. By statute, local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the courts are required to submit to the ACCH repository information on all arrests and subsequent case disposition information for felonies, sexual offenses, driving under the influence offenses, and domestic violence offenses. This report focuses on data from calendar years (CY) 2002 to 2011 and updates data reported in the CY2001-2010 report. The ACJC is required to report the law enforcement reporting, filings, and subsequent case disposition findings and sentencing of A.R.S. - 13-1406 sexual assault charges. The following summarizes some of the findings of the research on sexual assault arrest and disposition charges across Arizona: - The total number of arrests involving sexual assault increased from 265 arrests in CY 2002 to 275 in CY 2011, an increase of 3.8 percent. The total number of sexual assault charges increased by 23.1 percent from 442 in CY 2002 to 544 in CY - More than 98 percent of arrestees from CY 2002 to CY 2011 were male, and the proportion that was White ranged between 75.8 percent and 81.8 percent of the total number of sexual assault arrestees. - Convictions for sexual assault increased from 30.8 percent of all disposition findings for sexual assault in CY 2002 to 43.9 percent in CY 2011. - The percentage of convictions that resulted in a sentence of probation ranged from a high of 88.9 percent in CY 2007 to a low of 67.4 percent in CY 2009. The percentage of convictions that resulted in a sentence to prison fell from 62.6 percent in CY 2002 to 54.0 percent in CY 2011, and sentences to jail fell from 5.7 percent to 2.7 percent over the same period. One of the reporting requirements of A.R.S. - 41-2406.C is to identify sexual assault charges involving a spouse. In August 2005, the sexual assault involving a spouse statute (specifically A.R.S. - 13-1406.01) was repealed from the state statutes by Senate Bill 1040. Despite the repeal of A.R.S. - 13-1406.01 as a criminal code, three charges of sexual assault of a spouse were reported beyond CY 2005, two in CY 2007 and one in CY 2008. The following highlights the findings of A.R.S. - 13-1406.01 arrest and disposition charges: - From CY 2002 to CY 2005, the number of arrest charges increased from 17 to 24 charges. - Arrestees for sexual assault involving a spouse were male, more than 84 percent were white/Caucasian, and except in CY 2004, the greatest percentage was between the ages of 25 and 34. - The number of sexual assault involving a spouse finalized disposition charges was 12 in CY 2002 and increased to 18 in CY 2004 before dropping to two in CY 2008. From CY 2002 to CY 2008, the number of convictions ranged from five in CY 2003 down to zero in CY 2007 and CY 2008. - At least 50 percent of convictions for sexual assault involving a spouse resulted in a probation sentence from CY 2002 to CY 2006. The percentage of convictions resulting in a prison sentence ranged from 0.0 percent in CY 2002 and CY 2004 to 60.0 percent in CY 2003, and jail sentencing ranged from 0.0 to 100.0 percent. A.R.S. - 41-2406.C mandates that ACJC report whether the victim and offender were estranged at the time of the offense. Except for a general indication of domestic violence, there is no field on the disposition reporting form that describes the relationship between the victim and the offender or the status of the relationship at the time of the offense. Instead, arrest and disposition information for all sexual assault-related2 charges flagged for domestic violence is reported separately in the report. In order to more comprehensively understand sexual assault in Arizona, this report includes data on violent sexual assault (A.R.S. - 13-1423).

Details: Phoenix: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Statistical Analysis Center, 2013. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 28, 2014 at: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2013%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2013%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 132791

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Rape
Sex Crimes
Sex Offenders
Sexual Assault (Arizona)
Sexual Violence

Author: Males, Mike

Title: California's 58 Crime Rates: Realignment and Crime in 2012

Summary: California must reduce its prison population to 137.5 percent of rated capacity (approximately 110,000 individuals), due to a court-ordered mandate. One measure to achieve an institutional population reduction was the adoption of Public Safety Realignment, under Assembly Bill (AB) 109, in October 2011, whereby counties assumed responsibility for individuals convicted of low-level, nonviolent, non-sexual offenses who might have previously been sent to state prison. Counties also are responsible for managing said individuals who are released from prison on Post Release Community Supervision (PRCS). California's crime rate increased slightly in 2012. Previous CJCJ analysis found no correlation between the crime rate increase and Realignment (CJCJ, 2013a), and the purpose of this publication is to analyze newly available data for 2012. This report further addresses recent research by the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC, 2013) that concluded Realignment was associated with an increase in property offenses, particularly motor vehicle theft, but not violent offenses in the first year of the policy. The present analysis finds California's 58 counties vary dramatically in their implementation of Realignment and in their respective crime rates. There are no conclusive trends demonstrating a causal relationship between Realignment and crime, even among counties in close geographic proximity. Additionally, there may be non-Realignment factors that inform an increase in certain crimes. Given this varied implementation, some counties continue as models for innovative policies worthy of recognition and replication.

Details: Sacramento: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2014. 9p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2014 at: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/CJCJ_2014_Realignment_Report.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/CJCJ_2014_Realignment_Report.pdf

Shelf Number: 132851

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Policy
Criminal Justice Reform
Prison Overcrowding
Public Safety Realignment (California)

Author: Iannacchione, Vincent G.

Title: Evaluating the Effect of Within-Household Subsamplingon the Precision of Crime Victimization Rates

Summary: The decision to select a subsample of eligible members of a sampled household is influenced by a number of factors including burden on the household, data quality, cost, and the sampling variance of survey estimates. Design effects quantify the influence of a complex sampling design on the variance of survey estimates. Selecting a subsample of eligible persons within a sampled household can have counteracting impacts on design effects. On one hand, subsampling increases the design effects attributable to unequal weighting. On the other hand, subsampling could reduce the design effects attributable to clustering because the potential intra-household correlation among respondents in the same household may be reduced or eliminated. If the reduction in correlation is greater than the increase caused by unequal weighting, subsampling can achieve the same sampling variance as selecting all eligible household members, with less cost and burden. We present the results of a simulation study that evaluates the design effects associated with subsampling household members on personal victimization rates based on the 2008 National Crime Victimization Survey, which selected all persons 12 and older in a sampled household.

Details: Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI International, 2013. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Methods Report: Accessed August 29, 2014 at: http://www.rti.org/pubs/mr-0025-1307-iannacchione.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.rti.org/pubs/mr-0025-1307-iannacchione.pdf

Shelf Number: 119910

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey (U.S.)

Author: University of Leicester

Title: The Leicester Hate Crime Project: Findings and Conclusions

Summary: Over a two-year period from 2012 to 2014 the Leicester Hate Crime Project team conducted groundbreaking research into acts of hate, prejudice and targeted hostility. Funded by the Economic Social and Research Council, this research - Britain's biggest ever study of hate crime victimisation - uncovered new insights into the nature and forms of these acts and their impact upon victims, families and wider communities. The broad aims of the Leicester Hate Crime Project were to examine people's experiences of hate, prejudice and targeted hostility; to understand the physical and emotional harms suffered by individuals and their families; and to identify ways of improving the quality of support available to victims. The study used a deliberately broad and inclusive definition of hate crime in order to capture the experiences of anyone, from any background, who felt that they had been victimised specifically because of their identity or perceived 'difference'. This framework enabled us to expand upon the range of victim groups and experiences typically covered within conventional studies of hate crime. Rather than focusing solely upon the five strands of victim identity (race, religion, disability, sexual orientation and transgender status) which are monitored by criminal justice agencies, we wanted to give a voice to victims who have tended to be peripheral or 'invisible' within academic research and official policy but whose victimisation can often bear all of the hallmarks of recognised hate crimes. The city of Leicester has an extraordinarily diverse population. It is home to substantial minority ethnic populations that are both newly arrived and well-established, as well as a wide range of faith, sexual and other minority communities, and it is this rich diversity which made Leicester a highly appropriate site in which to explore experiences of hate, prejudice and targeted hostility. This is a study which clearly has relevance to local policy, practice and activism, but which also has broader implications for other multicultural environments within the UK and further afield. This report presents the findings from the Leicester Hate Crime Project and has been structured to outline victims' experiences and expectations collectively, although where significant variations between and within groups have emerged, these have been identified. In addition to the comprehensive findings and recommendations included in this report, we have produced an Executive Summary, a series of themed briefing papers and a Victims' Manifesto for organisations to pledge support to. The briefing papers include the following: Briefing Paper 1: Disablist Hate Crime Briefing Paper 2: Gendered Hostility Briefing Paper 3: Homophobic Hate Crime Briefing Paper 4: Racist Hate Crime Briefing Paper 5: Religiously Motivated Hate Crime

Details: Leicester, UK: University of Leicester, 2014. 86p., and five briefing papers

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 11, 2014 at: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/criminology/research/current-projects/hate-crime/our-reports-1

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/criminology/research/current-projects/hate-crime/our-reports-1

Shelf Number: 133279

Keywords:
Bias-Related Crimes
Crime Statistics
Discrimination
Hate Crime (U.K.)
Victims of Crime

Author: Rockwool Foundation

Title: Crime rates halved among second-generation immigrants

Summary: Crime rates among non-Western second-generation immigrants to Denmark have been more than halved in only 15 years. This is one of the findings of a new analysis from the Rockwool Foundation Research Unit, which reveals that ethnic minorities in Denmark today display significantly less criminality than was the case in the 1990s - and that in terms of crime, they are coming to resemble ethnic Danes ever more closely. This trend is very clear among non-Western second-generation immigrants. In 1990, 11% of male non-Western second-generation immigrants aged 15-45 committed at least one criminal offence of which they were convicted. In 2006 the proportion was under half of that; 5% committed at least one offence during the year which led to a conviction. The same trend, though from a lower starting point, was evident among first-generation non-Western male immigrants; in 1990 6% of them were convicted of committing at least one criminal offence, while the proportion in 2006 had fallen to 3%.

Details: Copenhagen: Rockwool Foundation Research Unit, 2012. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 17, 2014 at: http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/files/RFF-site/Publikations%20upload/Newsletters/Engelsk/Newsletter%20January%202012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: Denmark

URL: http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/files/RFF-site/Publikations%20upload/Newsletters/Engelsk/Newsletter%20January%202012.pdf

Shelf Number: 133372

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Immigrants and Crime (Denmark)
Immigration
Minority Groups

Author: Northern Ireland. Department of Justice

Title: First Time Entrants to the Criminal Justice System in Northern Ireland 2011/12

Summary: The bulletin presents information on first time entrants (first offences) to the criminal justice system disaggregated by age, gender, offence category and disposal type for 2011/12. Key findings - There were 13,225 first time entrants (first offences) to the criminal justice system in 2011/12. Of these, 11.8% (1,564) were in the 10 - 17 year old age group and 31.2% (4,130) in the 18 - 24 year old age group. - First offences made up 32.3% of all offences in 2011/12. Of all first offences, 40.1% (5,309) were dealt with by way of diversionary disposal, compared to 59.9% (7,916) which were dealt with by conviction. - First offences accounted for 42.5% of all instances where a conviction or diversion was issued to the 10 - 17 age group. - First offences accounted for 51.3% of all instances where a conviction or diversion was issued to females in 2011/12. By comparison, first offences accounted for only 28.4% of all instances where a conviction or diversion was issued to males in 2011/12. - 51.8% of all first offences in 2011/12 were for Motoring offences. Of all instances where a conviction or diversion was issued for offences in that category in 2011/12, 41.2% were for first offences. - First offences accounted for 57.6% of all instances where a diversionary disposal was issued in 2011/12. People in the 10 - 17 year old age group were most likely (90.9%) to receive a diversion for a first offence. - First offences accounted for 34.4% of all instances where a monetary penalty was imposed in relation to a conviction or diversion in 2011/12. However, of all instances where imprisonment was imposed as a penalty in 2011/12, first offences accounted for only 5.6%.

Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Department of Justice, 2014. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research and Statistical Bulletin 9/2014: Accessed October 1, 2014 at: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research/stats-research-publications/prosecutions-and-convictions/first-time-entrants-to-the-justice-system-in-ni2011-12.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research/stats-research-publications/prosecutions-and-convictions/first-time-entrants-to-the-justice-system-in-ni2011-12.pdf

Shelf Number: 133514

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice System
Criminal Statistics
Offenders (Northern Ireland)

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2012 Homicide Data

Summary: When Men Murder Women is an annual report prepared by the Violence Policy Center detailing the reality of homicides committed against females by single male offenders. The study analyzes the most recent Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The information used for this report is for the year 2012. Once again, this is the most recent data available. This is the first analysis of the 2012 data on female homicide victims to offer breakdowns of cases in the 10 states with the highest female victim/male offender homicide rates, and the first to rank the states by the rate of female homicides. The key findings in this year's release of When Men Murder Women include: - Nationwide, 1,706 females were murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents in 2012, at a rate of 1.16 per 100,000. - For homicides in which the victim to offender relationship could be identified, 93 percent of female victims nationwide were murdered by a male they knew. Of the victims who knew their offenders, 62 percent were wives, common-law wives, ex-wives, or girlfriends of the offenders. - Firearms - especially handguns - were the weapons most commonly used by males to murder females in 2012. Nationwide, for homicides in which the weapon used could be identified, 52 percent of female victims were shot and killed with a gun. Of the homicides committed with guns, 69 percent were killed with handguns. - The overwhelming majority of these homicides were not related to any other felony crime, such as rape or robbery. Nationwide, for homicides in which the circumstances could be identified, 85 percent of the homicides were not related to the commission of another felony. Most often, females were killed by males in the course of an argument between the victim and the offender. The study also ranks each state based on the homicide rate for women murdered by men. Below are the 10 states with the highest rate of females murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents in 2012.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2014. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2014 at: https://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 133643

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Family Violence
Gun-Related Violence
Homicide (U.S.)
Intimate Partner Violence
Murders
Violence Against Women

Author: Livingston, Stephen

Title: Africa's Information Revolution: Implications for Crime, Policing, and Citizen Security

Summary: Violent crime represents the most immediate threat to the personal security of most Africans. According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 36 percent of all homicides globally occur in Africa. With 17 deaths per 100,000, the homicide rate in Africa is double the global average. Rates of robberies and rape in Africa also exceed global norms. The problem is worse in urban areas, with many of Africa's urban-dwellers often worrying about crime. The risk of violent crime has implications for Africa's development, governance, and stability. Crime ranks as one of the major inhibitors to investment on the continent according to private business owners. Parents choose not to send children to school rather than put them at risk in high-crime areas. Countries with higher rates of violent crime tend to make less progress in reducing poverty and expanding development. Closely linked to the threat of violent crime is the weakness of many of Africa's police forces. They are often underfunded, understaffed, and undertrained. Surveys show that a majority of Africans see police only infrequently, and therefore do not view the police as a source of protection. In addition to being ineffective in combatting crime, inadequate police training contributes to unprofessional behavior. In some cases, police are active participants in criminal activity. In others, corruption permeates the force. In still others, police use extrajudicial violence to intimidate and coerce suspected criminals, potential witnesses, and even victims. This generates high levels of distrust of the police in many African countries. The acuteness of the crime challenge has grown with rapid urbanization and the expansion of slums lacking basic services, including police presence. In many urban centers, this vacuum has been filled by gangs and organized criminal organizations that profit from extortion, kidnappings, and violence against the local population. At times these gangs are protected by corrupt police or politicians. As these criminal groups expand into trafficking of illicit goods - drugs, cigarettes, medicines, and arms - they tend to link up with transnational criminal networks, posing an even more formidable security problem. Consistently high levels of violence have far-reaching implications for how youth learn to resolve conflict-perpetuating tolerance for higher levels of violence in a society. This, in turn, fosters the acceptability of political violence and threatens the viability of democratic governance, which relies on dialogue, free speech, tolerance of opposing perspectives, and protection for minorities. The rapid expansion and accessibility of mobile communications technology in Africa is creating new opportunities for combatting crime and strengthening police accountability. Twitter, SMS, and event-mapping technologies are being used to connect communities with police and security forces as never before. This is precedent setting for many citizens, especially those in rural areas who have grown accustomed to fending for themselves. Now at least they are more able to alert one another to potential threats, mobilize the community in self-defense, and inform security sector authorities in the interest of gaining protection. In urban areas, citizens who would not normally have many interactions with the police now have a number they can call in times of trouble. Information and communications technologies (ICTs) are also connecting societies horizontally in real time. This is forging cross-regional ties and linkages that may not have previously existed and historically have emerged only with the development of a national transportation infrastructure. In the process, both economic and social integration are facilitated. This enhanced cohesiveness can contribute directly to greater stability. ICTs, often tapping into their crowdsourcing capabilities, also offer opportunities to improve police responsiveness and accountability. Crime maps provide the basis for allocating resources to match prevailing threats. They also establish a benchmark from which to assess the effectiveness of police responses. Bribe-reporting websites create a record and pattern of illegal police behavior that raise the profile of what are often treated as isolated events into a broader, measurable phenomenon requiring a policy response. While opening opportunities to enhance security and accountability, ICTs are not a panacea for resolving crime and corruption. Information is solely a tool and not the driver of reform. ICTs can be used for nefarious purposes - both by criminal organizations as well as unaccountable police forces. Rather, ICT-generated change requires an organized body of committed individuals who can use the increased accessibility of information to educate the public, engender popular participation, and press authorities for reform. It is this sustained engagement of on-the-ground actors, typically in the form of civil society organizations, that transforms information accessibility into concrete improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens. By lowering information barriers, ICTs are bringing discussion and analysis of crime in Africa out of the shadows, enhancing the potential for oversight of the security forces, and elevating citizen security. ICTs, therefore, are contributing to improved security through both internal channels via the strengthening of the state's crime data gathering capacity as well as external mechanisms to monitor, critique, and hold the security sector accountable.

Details: Washington, DC: Africa Center for Strategic Studies, 2013. 60p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Paper No. 5: Accessed October 20, 2014 at: http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ARP5-Africas-Information-Revolution1.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Africa

URL: http://africacenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/ARP5-Africas-Information-Revolution1.pdf

Shelf Number: 131514

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gang Violence
Homicides
Organized Crime
Policing
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Violence
Violent Crime (Africa)

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2012 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24

Summary: Homicide is the second leading cause of death for California youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 years old. In 2011, the most recent year for which complete data is available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), homicides in California were outpaced only by unintentional injuries-the majority of which were motor vehicle fatalities-as the leading cause of death for this age group. Of the 633 homicides reported, 83 percent were committed with firearms. Nationally in 2011, California had the 15th highest homicide rate for youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. Broken out by gender, homicide retains its number-two ranking for males and drops to number four for females for this age group in California. For males, of the 581 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 84 percent of the killings. For females, of the 52 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 67 percent of the killings. When analyzed by race and ethnicity, however, the rankings become less uniform and the severe effects of homicide on specific segments of this age group increasingly stark. For blacks ages 10 to 24 in California in 2011, homicide was the leading cause of death. For Hispanics it was the second leading cause of death. For Asian/Pacific Islanders it was the third leading cause of death. For whites it was the fourth leading cause of death, and for American Indian and Alaska Natives it was the fifth leading cause of death.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2014. 61p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 23, 2014 at: https://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 133806

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gang Violence
Homicides (California)
Murders
Violent Crime
Youth Violence

Author: Sutherland, Rachel

Title: Motivations and substance use amongst property and violent offenders: Findings from the 2008 & 2013 Illicit Drug Reporting System

Summary: Key findings - The prevalence of property crime remained stable across 2008 & 2013, with 18% of PWID reporting that they had committed a property offence in the month preceding interview. Violent crime remained low and stable at 4% and 3% respectively. - In both 2008 and 2013, the majority of property offenders reported being under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol the last time they committed an offence (73% and 71% respectively). - In 2008, the largest proportion of drug-affected property offenders reported being under the influence of heroin (32%) and benzodiazepines (31%). Similarly, in 2013, they largely reported being under the influence of benzodiazepines (29%). - Property offenders most commonly reported that they had committed their last offence for financial reasons. - Amongst those who had committed a violent offence, almost three-quarters reported that they were under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol (73% respectively). - In 2008, the largest proportion of violent offenders reported being under the influence of alcohol (36%), followed by methamphetamine (29%). Similarly, in 2013, the largest proportion of violent offenders reported being under the influence of alcohol and heroin equally (32% respectively). - The largest proportion of violent offenders reported committing their last violent offence for 'opportunistic' reasons.

Details: Sydney: National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, 2014. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Drug Trends Bulletin: Accessed November 12, 2014 at: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/IDRSJuly2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: https://ndarc.med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/ndarc/resources/IDRSJuly2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 134056

Keywords:
Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder
Crime Statistics
Drug Abuse and Crime (Australia)
Property Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Harrell, Erika

Title: Household Poverty and Nonfatal Violent Victimization, 2008-2012

Summary: This report presents findings from 2008 to 2012 on the relationship between households that were above or below the federal poverty level and nonfatal violent victimization, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. This report examines the violent victimization experiences of persons living in households at various levels of poverty, focusing on type of violence, victim's race or Hispanic origin, and location of residence. It also examines the percentage of violent victimizations reported to the police by poverty level. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. During 2012, about 92,390 households and 162,940 persons were interviewed for the NCVS. Highlights: For the period 2008-12 - Persons in poor households at or below the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (39.8 per 1,000) had more than double the rate of violent victimization as persons in high-income households (16.9 per 1,000). Persons in poor households had a higher rate of violence involving a firearm (3.5 per 1,000) compared to persons above the FPL (0.8-2.5 per 1,000). The overall pattern of poor persons having the highest rates of violent victimization was consistent for both whites and blacks. However, the rate of violent victimization for Hispanics did not vary across poverty levels. Poor Hispanics (25.3 per 1,000) had lower rates of violence compared to poor whites (46.4 per 1,000) and poor blacks (43.4 per 1,000). Poor persons living in urban areas (43.9 per 1,000) had violent victimization rates similar to poor persons living in rural areas (38.8 per 1,000). Poor urban blacks (51.3 per 1,000) had rates of violence similar to poor urban whites (56.4 per 1,000).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2014. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2014 at: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5137

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5137

Shelf Number: 134167

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Poverty
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Victimization Surveys (U.S.)
Violent Crime

Author: Agnew-Pauley, Winifred

Title: x2

Summary: Aim: To determine whether there has been any change in the rate of reporting of assaults on licensed premises by staff in 2012-2013 in both the top 100 and unranked licensed premises for assaults. This paper also briefly examines the characteristics of both offenders and victims of assaults on licensed premises. Method: A random sample of 800 assaults (400 from top 100 premises and 400 from unranked premises) from January 2012 to December 2013 were tabulated and coded for relevant information. SPSS was then used to determine proportions of victims and offenders in various categories and any trends in reporting. Trend tests were carried out using x2. Results: There was no statistically significant trend in the proportion of reports of assaults emanating from staff on licensed premises.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2014. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issues Paper No. 99: Accessed December 8, 2014 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb99.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/agdbasev7wr/_assets/bocsar/m716854l4/bb99.pdf

Shelf Number: 134271

Keywords:
Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder (Australia)
Assaults
Crime Statistics

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: Black homicide victimization in the United States: An analysis of 2011 homicide data

Summary: The devastation homicide inflicts on black teens and adults is a national crisis, yet it is all too often ignored outside of affected communities. This study examines the problem of black homicide victimization at the state level by analyzing unpublished Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data for black homicide victimization submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The information used for this report is for the year 2011 and is the most recent data available. This is the first analysis of the 2011 data on black homicide victims to offer breakdowns of cases in the 10 states with the highest black homicide victimization rates and the first to rank the states by the rate of black homicides. It is important to note that the SHR data used in this report comes from law enforcement reporting at the local level. While there are coding guidelines followed by the law enforcement agencies, the amount of information submitted to the SHR system, and the interpretation that results in the information submitted (for example, gang involvement) will vary from agency to agency. While this study utilizes the best and most recent data available, it is limited by the quantity and degree of detail in the information submitted.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2014. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 10, 2014 at: https://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide14.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.vpc.org/studies/blackhomicide14.pdf

Shelf Number: 134300

Keywords:
African Americans
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Homicides (U.S.)
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics

Title: Family Violence in Canada: A statistical profile, 2013

Summary: Section 1 Overview of family violence - In 2013, police reported that there were 87,820 victims of family violence in Canada. This represents a rate of 252.9 victims of family violence for every 100,000 individuals in the population. In comparison, the rate of victimization for violent crimes that were not family-related was 712.8 per 100,000 population. - Spousal violence was the most common form of family violence in 2013, with nearly half (48%) of family violence occurring at the hands of a current or former spouse (married or common law). - Following spousal violence, victimization by a parent was the next most common form of police-reported family violence, representing 17% of family violence victims. - In 2013, more than two-thirds (68%) of all family violence victims were female. - The risk of family violence varies with age and overall, tends to be lowest for seniors, followed by young children (9 years and under), and highest for adults in their 30s. While this pattern was generally similar for male and female victims, female rates of family violence peaked at age 30 to 34, whereas for males, rates were highest from age 15 to 19. - Common assault was the most frequent form of family violence reported to police, experienced by over half (58%) of victims, followed by intimidation offences (17%), such as criminal harassment, indecent telephone calls or uttering threats. - More than half (55%) of family violence victims suffered no physical injury. For those that sustained injuries, the vast majority of these injuries were minor, calling for no professional medical treatment or first aid only. When injuries were sustained, they were much more likely the result of the use of physical force (84%) against the victim, rather than the use of a weapon (16%). - Charges were laid more often in police-reported family violence incidents (56%) than in violent incidents that were not family-related (46%). - Trend data indicate that police-reported incidents of family violence have decreased in recent years. From 2009 to 2013, rates for the most prevalent form of police-reported family violence, physical assault, dropped 14%, spousal victimization declined 17% and incidents involving other family members fell 10%. - Rates of homicides committed by family members continue to fall for both male and female victims. Family-related physical and sexual assaults have also declined modestly in recent years. Section 2 Intimate partner violence - In 2013, there were more than 90,300 victims of police-reported violence by an intimate partner (including spousal and dating partners) accounting for over one quarter of all police-reported victims of violent offences. - Dating violence accounted for 53% of police-reported incidents of intimate partner violence, while spousal violence represented 47%. - As with violent crime in general, adults in their twenties and thirties experienced the greatest risk of violent victimization by an intimate partner. In particular, rates of intimate partner violence were highest among 20- to 24-year olds. - Similar to previous years, common assault (level 1) was the most frequent type of police-reported intimate partner violence. Major assault (levels 2 and 3), uttering threats and criminal harassment were the next most frequent offences. - Charges were laid or recommended in the majority (71%) of intimate partner violence incidents reported to police. - Rates of intimate partner homicide have remained stable in recent years. In 2013, the rate of homicides committed against a female intimate partner stood at 3.74 per million population. The rate of intimate partner homicide was 4.5 times higher for female victims than for male victims. - Between 2009 and 2013, the rate of the most prevalent form of police-reported intimate partner violence, common assault (level 1), fell 11%. Section 3 Family violence against children and youth - According to police-reported data for 2013, about 16,700 children and youth, or 243.5 for every 100,000 Canadians under the age of 18, were the victims of family-related violence. This represented over one-quarter (29%) of all children and youth who were the victims of a violent crime. - Physical assault was the most common type of police-reported family violence against children and youth. Sexual offences were the second most common type of police-reported family violence against children and youth. - Parents (60%) were the family members most often accused of violence against children and youth, especially in incidents involving children under the age of four. - The rate of police-reported family violence committed against children and youth tends to increase with age of the victim. However, when younger children (i.e., under the age of four) were victimized, they were more likely to be victimized by a family member. - Overall, homicides against children and youth are relatively rare. When they do occur, unlike with other types of family violence, familial homicides were more common among younger age groups, with children under the age of one at greatest risk. - Girls were more likely than boys to be victims of police-reported family violence, especially sexual assault. In 2013, the overall rate of police-reported family violence victimization for girls was 1.5 times higher (298.2 per 100,000) than the rate for boys (191.5 per 100,000); and the rate of sexual victimization by a family member was four times higher for girls (125.0 per 100,000) compared to boys (30.2 per 100,000). - Physical injuries were reported for about 4 in 10 victims of family violence against children and youth; the vast majority of these were minor, requiring no medical treatment or requiring first aid. - Charges were laid in less than half (45%) of family violence incidents against children and youth, compared to 59% of police-reported family violence involving adult victims aged 18 years and over. Section 4 Family violence against seniors - Seniors represented a relatively small proportion of all family violence victims, out 3%, and had lower rates of family violence than any other age group. - Rates of police-reported family violence are generally highest among younger seniors and gradually decline with age. - In 2013, the police-reported rate of family violence for senior women (62.7 per 100,000) was higher (+26%) than the rate for senior men (49.7 per 100,000). Nevertheless, the difference between female and male rates of family violence among seniors is notably smaller than the gap observed between the sexes for younger victims. - Similar to previous years, family members made up one-third of those accused in police-reported incidents of violent crime against seniors (aged 65 and over) in 2013, with just over 2,900 seniors (56.8 victims per 100,000 seniors) victimized by a family member that year. In total, nearly 8,900 (173.9 victims per 100,000 seniors) of persons aged 65 and over were the victims of a violent crime in Canada in 2013. - Senior victims of family violence were most likely to be victimized by their own adult children. About 4 in 10 senior victims of police-reported family violence indicated that the accused was their grown child; spouses (28%) were the second most likely family members to be identified as perpetrators of family violence against seniors. - Common assault accounted for more than half (55%) of violence committed against seniors by family members. Weapons were involved in fewer than one in six (15%) family violence incidents against senior victims. Most incidents (85%) involved the use of physical force or threats. - A majority (61%) of senior victims of family violence did not sustain physical injuries. Among those who were injured, most sustained minor injuries requiring little or no medical attention (e.g., some first aid). - Family violence against seniors that escalates to homicide continues to be rare. In 2013, the overall rate of family-related homicides was 3.2 for every 1 million persons aged 65 and over.

Details: Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2015. 85p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat vol. 34, no. 1: Accessed January 21, 2015 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14114-eng.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14114-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 134432

Keywords:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Crime Statistics
Criminal Victimization
Elder Abuse and Neglect
Family Violence (Canada)
Gender-Related Violence
Homicides
Interpersonal Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
Sexual Violence
Spouse Abuse

Author: Cotter, Adam

Title: Homicide in Canada, 2013

Summary: Homicide continues to be a relatively rare event in Canada, accounting for about 0.1% of all police-reported violent crime and about 0.2% of all annual deaths. In a given year in Canada, there are about 4 times more deaths from motor vehicle accidents and about 7 times more deaths from suicide than there are deaths from homicide. While rare, homicide is the most serious criminal offence in Canada and can have devastating consequences for families, communities, and society more broadly. Homicides also require considerable police and criminal justice resources and, due to their visibility, can contribute to the public's perception of safety (Romer et al. 2003). Since 1961, police services have been reporting detailed information on homicides in Canada through Statistics Canada's Homicide Survey. In 1974, the survey was expanded to include manslaughter and infanticide. Using data from the Homicide Survey, this Juristat explores the characteristics of homicide incidents, victims, and accused persons in 2013 and compares these findings to short- and long-term trends.

Details: Ottawa: Minister of Industry, 2014. 33p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat vol. 34(1): Accessed January 22, 2015 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14108-eng.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2014001/article/14108-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 134439

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides (Canada)
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: Ross, Joshua

Title: Victimization in Indiana: Nature, Extent, and Related Services

Summary: In an effort to assist the Victim Services Division (VSD) in improving services to crime victims and prioritizing grant funding areas, the Research and Planning Division (RPD) undertook a project to perform data collection and analysis pertaining to victimization in Indiana. VSD identified two main objectives in outlining the parameters of this project: 1) learning more about the nature of victimization in Indiana, and 2) discovering where there might be gaps in victims-related services. This report describes victimization in Indiana and related services for the year 2011 for each of Indianas 92 counties. In compiling victimization data for this report, RPD turned to a number of sources, including the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reports (UCR), county prosecutor case filings from the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council (IPAC), the Indiana Community Asset and Inventory Rankings, the Statewide Epidemiological Profile, the Indiana Protection Order Registry, Kids Count, and ICJIs Victim Compensation. To better understand victims-related services, RPD consulted with VSD staff to devise a list of victimization-related service categories, which included prosecutors office victim advocates/assistants, law enforcement victim advocates/assistants, hospitals with sexual assault nurse examiners (SANE), child advocacy centers, rape crisis centers, counseling centers, and domestic violence shelters/non-residential programs. RPD compiled a comprehensive list of service providers in these categories and obtained relevant data through publicly available statistics or reports or via direct contact with individual providers. The assessment of statewide victimization was based on the comparison of 24 victimization indicators. These indicators are divided into six categories: 1) violent, 2) property, 3) domestic violence, 4) sex, 5) extralegal, and 6) children. Indicators within each category are assigned a score based on the relative position of individual data points to the high and low data point within the category. Higher scores indicate more victimization while lower scores indicate less victimization. Scores for each county were then compared to the victimization services available within that county to gauge broadly whether any gaps in victims-related services might exist. The counties exhibiting high relative victimization and few resources for victims included Cass, Clark, Clinton, Fayette, Jackson, Jennings, Knox, Rush, Scott, Union, and Wabash.

Details: Indianapolis: Indiana Criminal Justice Institute, 2013. 89p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 28, 2015 at: http://www.in.gov/cji/files/R_Victimization_in_Indiana.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.in.gov/cji/files/R_Victimization_in_Indiana.pdf

Shelf Number: 134477

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victim Services
Victimization Surveys (Indiana)
Victims of Crime

Author: Berzofsky, Marcus

Title: Measuring Socioeconomic Status (SES) in the NCVS: Background, Options, and Recommendations

Summary: The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) is the most important source of information on criminal victimization in the United States. Each year, data from a nationally representative sample of about 40,000 households comprising nearly 75,000 persons are obtained on the frequency, characteristics, and consequences of criminal victimization. The survey enables the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to estimate the likelihood of experiencing rape, sexual assault, robbery, assault, theft, household burglary, and motor vehicle theft victimization for the population as a whole as well as for segments of the population. One of BJS's goals for the NCVS is to continually improve its utility so that victimization can be better understood as crime and its correlates change over time. Recently, BJS has been interested in assessing the measurement of variables that have long been associated with victimization, including factors such as socioeconomic status (SES). The goals of this paper are to (1) understand how other studies have measured SES and identify variables within the NCVS that could be used to measure or be proxies for SES, (2) explore options for creating an SES index that could enhance BJSs analysis of victimization and its correlates, and (3) assess how components of a potential SES index are currently measured in the NCVS and consider ways in which they can be improved. Section 1 summarizes the literature on how SES has been measured in the scientific literature and how it relates to crime and victimization. Section 2 summarizes the recommended approach for creating a measure of SES via an index that includes imputed income data. Finally, Section 3 recommends changes to the NCVS that would address the current limitations and allow for better measurement of SES and its components.

Details: Research Triangle Park, NC: RTI International, 2014. 66p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 4, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/248562.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/248562.pdf

Shelf Number: 134534

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
National Crime Victimization Survey (U.S.)
Socioeconomic Status
Victimization Surveys

Author: Lakhani, Sadaf

Title: The socio-economic costs of crime and violence in Papua New Guinea : recommendations for policy and programs

Summary: At the request of the Prime Minister's office, between 2011‐2013, the World Bank conducted a study to understand the social and economic costs of crime and violence in Papua New Guinea. The purpose of the study was to feed a national conversation about crime and violence and inform policy directions and program interventions. The work has benefitted from extensive input from international partners and local stakeholders through a consultative and participatory methodology. The findings of the study are summarized separately in this Research and Dialogue Series on the Socioeconomic Costs of Crime and Violence in PNG. This brief outlines the policy and programming recommendations that emerge from the research. II. Key Findings of the Study Levels of crime and violence in PNG have remained high, although with annual fluctuations, and differences across regions. According to analysis of RPNGC data conducted for this study, the homicide rate-considered the most reliable indicator of overall crime-was 10.4 per 100,000 habitants in 2010, which is roughly the same as it was in 2000. The rate varies widely across regions, with an estimated rate of 66 per 100,000 in Lae and 33 in NCD, amongst the highest in the world. Robbery and assault are the most commonly reported crimes. Family and sexual violence (FSV) is also highly prevalent, and affects both females and males.

Details: Washington, DC: : The World Bank, 2014. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research and Dialogue series ; no. 5: Accessed February 4, 2015 at: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/06/06/000350881_20140606161204/Rendered/PDF/885450NWP0Box3050Policy0PNG06005014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Papua New Guinea

URL: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2014/06/06/000350881_20140606161204/Rendered/PDF/885450NWP0Box3050Policy0PNG06005014.pdf

Shelf Number: 134535

Keywords:
Costs of Crime (Papua New Guinea)
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Brown, Rick

Title: Explaining the property crime drop: The offender perspective

Summary: For more than a decade, Australia has witnessed a sustained reduction in property crime. Yet relatively little is known about what may have caused this decline. This study aimed to explore plausible explanations for the property crime drop by 'going to the source' and interviewing a sample of 994 police detainees as part of the Drug Use Monitoring in Australia (DUMA) Program. The results showed that less than half of police detainees were able to offer a reason for the property crime drop, highlighting the difficulties with asking for retrospective explanations for an observed event. Among those who gave a response, nine key themes were identified as potential reasons for the property crime drop. The most frequent of these related to improved security, improved policing and 'other' reasons. Less frequent responses related to increased affluence, increased imprisonment, improved community responses, changes in drug use, changes in the market for stolen goods and changes in crime recording. These findings provide a basis for future testing of hypotheses that might explain the property crime drop in Australia

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 7p.

Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice, no. 495: : Accessed February 12, 2015 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi495.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi495.pdf

Shelf Number: 134596

Keywords:
Crime Drop
Crime Prevention
Crime Statistics
Property Crime (Australia)

Author: Jalowiecki, P.

Title: 2013 Motorcycle Theft and Recovery (through 03/24/2014) Report

Summary: This ForeCAST Report analyzes motorcycle thefts for 2013 and recoveries for 2013 and 2014 (through 03/24/14) in the United States (U.S.), including the District of Columbia (D.C.). For the purposes of this report, the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) motorcycle theft data for 2013 and recovery data for 2013 and 2014 (through 03/24/14) were analyzed by NCIC Make, Model, and Style fields. This report is divided into two sections. The first section analyzes motorcycle thefts in the U.S. for 2013 by Theft: year, month, state, city, county, make, and motorcycle year. The second section analyzes motorcycle recoveries in the U.S. for 2013 and 2014 (through 03/24/14) by Recovery: year, month, state, and make. The appendix at the end of this report includes the methodology of the data edits. Overall, there were a total of 45,367 motorcycle thefts in the U.S. in 2013. From 2012 to 2013, motorcycle thefts decreased 1.5% even though motorcycle sales increased. According to the Motorcycle Industry Council1 (MIC), there was a 1.5% increase in motorcycle sales between 2012 (452,386) and 2013 (459,298); a difference of 6,912 units. Motorcycle thefts occur more frequently in the warmer months, where July and August had the most motorcycle thefts, while December and February had less frequent thefts. Motorcycle thefts were highest in the state of California (6,637) in 2013. The state of Montana had the largest percent increase (37%) in motorcycle thefts from 2012 to 2013, while Nebraska had the largest percent decrease (29.2%) in motorcycle thefts from 2012 to 2013. Analysis by city found New York City, NY to have the highest count of thefts (1,001) in 2013, a 10.9% increase from 2012. There were 2,060 U.S. counties identified in 2013 with a motorcycle theft. The top 25 counties accounted for 28.9% of motorcycle thefts in 2013, with Los Angeles, CA ranking 1st. The highest county rate (per 10k) of motorcycle theft in 2013 was Fairfax City, VA (63.68). Motorcycle thefts for 2012 - 2013 had substantial change in counts for 43 counties with greater than 3 standard deviations from the mean. Additionally, motorcycle thefts for 2012 - 2013 had substantial change in rates (per 10k) for 23 counties with greater than 3 standard deviations from the mean. Analysis found Honda to be the manufacturer with the most thefts (8,557) in 2013. Manufacturer Taotao Group had the highest percent change (84.9%) for 2012-2013 motorcycle thefts. The 2007 Suzuki's had the highest count (1,012) of thefts in 2013. Of the 45,367 motorcycle thefts in 2013, 16,864 or 37.1% of the motorcycles were recovered from 01/01/2013 through 03/24/2014. In 2013, August (2,120) and July (1,898) were months with the largest number of motorcycle recoveries while January (451) and February (509) had the fewest motorcycle recoveries. In 2013, California had the most (2,399) recoveries statewide. The highest rate of recovery (37.5%) for top 10 theft states was in Washington for 2013. Analysis found Honda to be the manufacturer with the most (3,186) recoveries. Manufacturer Triumph had the highest rate (57.4%) of recovery in 2013.

Details: Des Plaines, IL: National Insurance Crime Bureau, 2014. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 12, 2015 at: www.nicb.org

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: www.nicb.org

Shelf Number: 134614

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Motor Vehicle Theft
Motorcycle Theft (U.S.)

Author: Roeder, Oliver

Title: What Caused the Crime Decline?

Summary: What Caused the Crime Decline? examines one of the nation's least understood recent phenomena - the dramatic decline in crime nationwide over the past two decades - and analyzes various theories for why it occurred, by reviewing more than 40 years of data from all 50 states and the 50 largest cities. It concludes that over-harsh criminal justice policies, particularly increased incarceration, which rose even more dramatically over the same period, were not the main drivers of the crime decline. In fact, the report finds that increased incarceration has been declining in its effectiveness as a crime control tactic for more than 30 years. Its effect on crime rates since 1990 has been limited, and has been non-existent since 2000. More important were various social, economic, and environmental factors, such as growth in income and an aging population. The introduction of CompStat, a data-driven policing technique, also played a significant role in reducing crime in cities that introduced it. The report concludes that considering the immense social, fiscal, and economic costs of mass incarceration, programs that improve economic opportunities, modernize policing practices, and expand treatment and rehabilitation programs, all could be a better public safety investment.

Details: New York: Brennan Center for Justice, New York University School of Law, 2015. 139p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 12, 2015 at: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/Crime_rate_report_web.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/analysis/Crime_rate_report_web.pdf

Shelf Number: 134615

Keywords:
Crime Decline (U.S.)
Crime Statistics
Police Effectiveness
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime

Author: Kivivuori, Janne

Title: Homicide in Finland, 20022006. A Description Based on the Finnish Homicide Monitoring System (FHMS)

Summary: For decades, the Finnish homicide rate has been higher than the corresponding rate in other Nordic Countries. Every year, about three Finns per 100,000 are killed by interpersonal violence. It is, therefore, natural that homicide research has remained among the top priorities of Finnish criminology. Summary - In 2006, the Finnish Police reported 138 homicides. The crime rate was 2.6 victims per 100,000 population. - From the 1970s till the end of the 1990s, the homicide rate remained stable (about 3 per 100,000 population), but has decreased during the last five years. The majority of Finnish homicides occur in the context of drinking quarrels between unemployed, middle-aged male alcoholics. During the period 2002-2006, in 71% of all homicides all persons involved were intoxicated. In 85% of the crimes at least one of the persons involved was intoxicated. - In 2002-2006, 58% of male homicide offenders had prior convictions for violent crime and 37% had been in prison prior to the homicide. - Finnish homicide is regionally patterned: the northern and eastern parts of the country have higher homicide rates than the other regions. During the last decade, the gap has widened. Thus the overall drop in homicide occurrence reflects the decrease of lethal violence in the southern and western regions. - The Finnish homicide rate is one of the highest in the European Union. This is largely explained by the alcohol and drinking group related homicides of the socially marginalized men. The homicide rates of other socio-economic groups are roughly the same as in the other Scandinavian countries. - In 2002, Finland launched a national homicide monitoring system (FHMS) collecting detailed information about all homicides. This research brief is the first English-language report based on the FHMS.

Details: Helsinki: National Research Institute of Legal Policy, 2007. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief 3/2007: Accessed February 27, 2015 at: http://www.optula.om.fi/material/attachments/optula/julkaisut/verkkokatsauksia-sarja/KoRbDTYm7/hominfin2007.pdf

Year: 2007

Country: Finland

URL: http://www.optula.om.fi/material/attachments/optula/julkaisut/verkkokatsauksia-sarja/KoRbDTYm7/hominfin2007.pdf

Shelf Number: 134727

Keywords:
Alcohol Related Crime, Disorder
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Homicides (Finland)
Violent Crime

Author: British Retail Consortium

Title: BRC Retail Crime Survey 2014

Summary: The Annual BRC Retail Crime Survey provides valuable evidence about the impact of crime on UK retailers. A broad range of retailers participate in the survey, from large multiples to smaller retailers, representing around half of the retail sector by turnover. Key findings - There were an estimated 3m offences against UK retailers in 2013-14, directly adding $603m to retailers' costs. - Although the volume of shop theft offences declined by 4 per cent, the average value of each incident increased from $177 to $241, which was the highest average value recorded for a decade. This trend is thought to be in part a consequence of retailers being targeted by more organised, sophisticated criminal activity. - Fraud increased by 12 per cent in 2013-14 and accounts for 37 per cent of the total cost of retail crime. Retailers warned that they expect fraud to pose the single most significant threat to their business over the next two years. - Retailers reported that cyber attacks pose a critical threat to their business. - There were 32 incidents of violence and abuse per 1,000 employees in 2013-14.

Details: London: BRC, 2015. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 12, 2015 at: http://www.sbrcentre.co.uk/images/site_images/14591_BRC_Retail_Crime_Survey_2014.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.sbrcentre.co.uk/images/site_images/14591_BRC_Retail_Crime_Survey_2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 134909

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Cybercrime
Retail Crime (U.K.)
Theft

Author: Krekel, Christian

Title: The Effect of Local Crime on Well-Being: Evidence for Germany

Summary: This paper investigates the effect of local crime on well-being in Germany, using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP) and a novel data set constructed from official police crime statistics, covering both counties and urban districts for the time period between 1994 and 2012. We find that local area crime has a significantly negative impact on life satisfaction, makes residents worry more frequently, and worry more about crime in Germany. In particular, a 1% increase in the crime frequency ratio results in a 0.043 standard deviation decrease in life satisfaction. This effect is driven almost exclusively by violent crimes, while property crimes and other crimes have no significant impact on well-being.

Details: Zurich, SWIT: Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, 2014. 27p.

Source: Internet Resource: KOK Working Papers 358: Accessed march 16, 2015 at: http://www.kof.ethz.ch/en/publications/p/kof-working-papers/358/

Year: 2014

Country: Germany

URL: http://www.kof.ethz.ch/en/publications/p/kof-working-papers/358/

Shelf Number: 134928

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Fear of Crime (Germany)

Author: Burke, Cynthia

Title: Arrests 2013: Law Enforcement Response to Crime in the San Diego Region

Summary: The Criminal Justice Research Division of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) functions as the Clearinghouse for regional criminal justice information. On an annual basis, the Division prepares a report on local criminal justice agencies' response to crime in the region, as measured by arrest statistics. Because arrest statistics include information regarding whether the suspect is an adult or juvenile and includes a greater variety of crime types than are reported in regional crime reports (e.g., alcohol and other drug related offenses), this information provides an added dimension for understanding the nature of crime and an additional measure that can be used in justice system planning. This CJ Bulletin includes regional arrest rates per 1,000 adult and juvenile population, as well as numbers of arrests by offense type. In addition, 41 supplemental tables, which include statistics for individual jurisdictions, are presented. Some points to remember when interpreting these numbers include the following. - Similar to how the FBI counts reported crimes, the offense or charge attributed to an arrest may reflect only the most serious out of a number of violations included in the arrest. - Arrests are documented by the location at which the arrest occurred and cannot be assumed to have any relationship to the location of the crime incident or the residence of the alleged offender. - Arrest and crime rates and numbers should not be compared to one another. One reason is that the two events may occur in two entirely different periods of time, with an arrest made months or even years after the related crime was reported.

Details: San Diego: SANDAG, 2015. 51p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2015 at: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1915_18705.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_1915_18705.pdf

Shelf Number: 135107

Keywords:
Arrest and Apprehensive
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics

Author: Police Foundation

Title: The Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission: Final Report

Summary: The City of Wilmington is the largest and the most culturally and economically diverse city in Delaware. The ability of the City to grow and improve the lives of its residents depends on its ability effectively to provide public safety. The residents, employers, and civic and community leaders with whom we speak routinely cited public safety as a principal concern affecting their decisions about where to live, where to locate their business, and how to lead the City to a better future. Like many cities, Wilmington experiences a significant amount of crime, including crimes of violence, drug crimes and nuisance crimes. However, many cities across the country have experienced significant reductions in crimes in all categories in recent years - often attributed to improved policing strategies. Wilmington is not one of those cities. According to the FBI, Wilmington ranks third in violence among 450 cities of its size and sixth among all cities over 50,000. Crime in Wilmington - and particularly homicides - has reached record numbers in recent years. Over the past decade, the City of Wilmington has averaged 118 shooting victims per year, reaching a record high of 154 shootings victims in 2013. In 2014 alone, there were 127 shooting victims and 23 shooting deaths in the City. The principal questions facing the Wilmington Public Safety Strategies Commission are why the City of Wilmington has not experienced the same crime reductions enjoyed by similarly situated municipalities across the country and what Wilmington can do about that. This report offers our examination of the strategies currently being employed by the City and the WPD, and our proposal of strategies that might be employed to better address the WPD's core mission of creating a safer Wilmington. Improving public safety in Wilmington is challenging, but it is certainly not impossible. Wilmington has three built-in advantages. First and most significantly, Wilmington has a sufficiently large police force to bring appropriate resources to bear on this issue. While we make clear in this report that there are several areas of police work that deserve additional resources, and that a reorganization of some functions would assist the Department, the WPD begins this work with a force large enough to effectively patrol and fight crime in Wilmington. Second, as the Crime Analysis and CAD Incident Analysis done by Temple University's Jerry Ratcliffe, Ph.D. make clear, "[s]mall areas of the city account for a large proportion of the crime and community harm." As a result, if appropriate strategies are brought to bear on those small areas, significant reductions in crime can be obtained. Third, many people with whom we spoke in the WPD, from the leadership to rank-and-file officers, recognize that there is a need for and opportunity to change for the better. Significant cultural and organizational changes can be made only with buy-in from those tasked with the need to lead and implement those changes, and the recognition of the need for and inevitability of change was evident in many of the law enforcement professionals with whom we spoke. Generally, we found that WPD has a respond-and-react orientation and structure that focuses on resolving calls for service rather than proactively implementing crime reduction strategies. Although WPD is sufficiently staffed, the department does not deploy sufficient officers in patrol and key investigatory functions. WPD is behind other law enforcement agencies in its use of technology (some of which it already owns) to both analyze and predict crime, as well as to provide accountability of its officers as to there whereabouts and activities. The WPD's investigatory units do not solve a sufficient number of crimes - particularly homicides - and can improve its investigatory functions and victims' services. The Wilmington community appreciates the dedication and effort of the Department's officers, but some community relationships have become strained and can be improved. All of the issues identified in this report are fixable, and none is exclusive to Wilmington. Many of the building blocks for reform are already in place - a city and community that recognizes the need for change, a WPD administration that is open to new strategies, and supportive local partners.

Details: Washington, DC: Police Foundation, 2015. 200p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 6, 2015 at: http://www.policefoundation.org/sites/g/files/g798246/f/201504/WPSSC%20Final%20Report%203_31_15.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.policefoundation.org/sites/g/files/g798246/f/201504/WPSSC%20Final%20Report%203_31_15.pdf

Shelf Number: 135155

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Police Reform
Police Response
Police-Community Relations
Policing
Policing Strategies
Public Safety
Violent Crime

Author: Evans, Roger

Title: High Street Blues: Tackling Small Business Crime in London

Summary: Small businesses play a significant contributing role to London's economy and the general well-being of its local communities. According to the Federation of Small Businesses, 83 pence out of every pound spent goes directly back into the community. The British Retail Consortium found that the retail sector contributes 5% of Britain's GDP. The Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) states in their Business Crime Strategy that: "London collects L5.4 billion of business rates each year, a tax take 15 times larger than that of the UK's second city, Birmingham - the income generated by the city's businesses ensures funding for public services across not only London but the entire country. This makes MOPAC's mission - and the performance of the Metropolitan Police - of national significance". However, small businesses are suffering as a result of persistent crime plaguing London's high streets. According to the Metropolitan Police's Crime Mapping data tables, 28,889 crimes were recorded against businesses in London in the financial year, 2013-14. Qualitative research conducted for this report found that 94% of shop owners have been affected by crime in the past twelve months. 47% of those interviewed have been victims of severe crimes such as burglary, verbal and physical assault. There is a lack of faith in the police's ability to deliver justice for small business owners. I contacted shop owners across a wide range of boroughs in London including, Croydon, Richmond upon Thames and Camden. 64% of shop owners I spoke to stated that when they had chosen to report a crime they found the police unhelpful. These shop owners went on to state that in future they would not bother reporting crimes to the police. For too long some shop owners have felt that when they have chosen to report a crime committed on their premises to the police, their claim has not been taken seriously. The Metropolitan Police should take an innovative approach to improving the level of information sharing between small business owners and Business Crime Reduction Partnerships to directly address the issue of under-reporting. The Metropolitan Police should take a proactive approach to tackling small business crime, focusing on crime prevention by engaging business owners as a cost effective means of addressing the issue.

Details: London: Greater London Authority Conservatives, 2014. 14p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 20, 2015 at: http://glaconservatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/High-Street-Blues.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://glaconservatives.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/High-Street-Blues.pdf

Shelf Number: 135281

Keywords:
Anti-Social Behavior
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses (U.K.)
Shoplifting
Theft

Author: Yocco, Victor

Title: Gun Violence in Ohio

Summary: Gun violence is an issue that touches communities across the United States. Ohio's communities are no exception. Capturing data on the nature, extent, and frequency of gun violence is a vital first step to conducting research and developing strategies and policies aimed at gun violence prevention. Data on gun violence are collected by a number of criminal justice and non-criminal justice sources. Some of the data are specific to Ohio or regions within Ohio and some are representative of the U.S. as a whole. This report pulls together statistics from numerous sources to present a snapshot of gun violence in Ohio and the United States.

Details: Columbus, OH: Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, 2013. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 29, 2015 at: http://www.ocjs.ohio.gov/GunViolence_Ohio_2013.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ocjs.ohio.gov/GunViolence_Ohio_2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 135412

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Gun-Related Violence (Ohio)
Homicides
Violent Crime

Author: Wolff, Kevin T.

Title: The Concentration of Crime in Cities Across the U.S.

Summary: Prior empirical research has shown that a large proportion of a city's total crime arises from a relatively small number of locations within its jurisdiction. Drawing from results of research on the distribution of crime in a handful of cities, scholars have suggested that this dramatic "concentration" of crime is likely to be comparable in cities across the U.S. Although evidence from existing research is compelling, there are theoretical reasons to believe that the concentration of crime may not be as invariant as suggested in the past. Additionally, the traditional measures of concentration utilized in prior research fail to account for how tightly clustered these high-crime places are within space, leading to a relatively ambiguous definition of the term concentration. Finally, there are theoretical reasons to believe that accounting for the concentration of crime may add to our knowledge on the factors which contribute to the between-city difference in crime. To date, this possibility has not been explored in prior research. Thus, our knowledge of the concentration of criminal activity and its consequences remains relatively limited. To expand our knowledge on the concentration of crime, this dissertation addresses two primary research questions: (1) Does the concentration of crime vary across cities?, (2) Does variation in the concentration of crime have a significant impact on between-city differences in crime? These questions are answered by first exploring the variation revealed from two measures that reflect slightly different dimensions of concentration (i.e. evenness and clustering), disaggregated by crime-type, for a relatively large sample of American cities. Subsequently, the study assesses the effects of these measures on between-city difference in city crime rates. Tract-level crime data drawn from the National Neighborhood Crime Survey, a multicity database on crime in 91 cities from across the country, provided the information from which the measures of concentration and clustering were created. In combination with city-level data on socioeconomic and demographic characteristics drawn from a number of sources, the impact of crime's concentration on city crime rates was then examined in an empirical context. Results indicate that the concentration of crime is not as invariant as suggested in prior research. Additionally, multivariate analyses indicate that greater concentration of homicide is associated with lower homicide rates. Similar findings are observed for robbery, though in this instance conclusions are sensitive to model specification and sample composition. No significant link is found between concentration and crime rates for assault and burglary. The implications of the results of this dissertation for theory and research on the concentration of crime and aggregate crime rates are discussed.

Details: Tallahassee: Florida State University, 2013. 230p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 4, 2015 at: http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/etd/9116/

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/etd/9116/

Shelf Number: 135505

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Urban Crime (U.S.)
Violent Crime

Author: Cussen, Tracy

Title: Indigenous and non-Indigenous homicide in Australia

Summary: Indigenous people (Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Australians) are disproportionately victims and offenders in homicide incidents both in relation to their relative proportion of the Australian population and in comparison with their non-Indigenous counterparts. In 201112, Indigenous people comprised three percent of the Australian population (ABS 2009; ABS 2012) yet constituted 13 percent of homicide victims (n=35) and 11 percent of homicide offenders (n=32; Bryant & Cussen 2015). The rate of both victimisation and offending by Indigenous people was approximately five times higher than that of non-Indigenous people (Bryant & Cussen 2015). Available research suggests that victims and offenders may be exposed to, or experience, a number of vulnerabilities that increase the likelihood they will be involved in a violent offence and further, that these factors may be more pronounced for Indigenous people. Research undertaken by Wundersitz (2010), Bryant (2009) and Bryant and Willis (2008) has linked substance abuse, personal history (such as sexual abuse as a child), housing mobility, and social stressors (such as witnessing violence, gambling addiction, mental illness or serious accident) to an increase in offending and victimisation risk. A previous comparative analysis of Indigenous and non-Indigenous homicides in Australia (Mouzos 2001) also identified that the majority of Indigenous homicides occurred between family members in the context of domestic conflict. This paper describes selected characteristics of Indigenous and non-Indigenous homicides as recorded within the AICs National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) from 1 July 1989 to 30 June 2012. Over this time period, the NHMP has recorded: 6,744 homicide incidents (1,096 involving at least one Indigenous person); 7,217 victims (of whom 951 or 13% were Indigenous people); and 7,599 identified offenders (of whom 1,234 or 16% were Indigenous). Both the total number of victims and offenders is greater than the total number of homicide incidents over the 23 year period because some incidents involve multiple offenders and/or the death of multiple victims. Homicides contained within the NHMP are reported to the AIC by police services and data are augmented with information from the National Coronial Information System, media reports and/or publicly available sentencing remarks from relevant court proceedings. Victim and offender Indigenous status is principally identified by the police and is likely derived from subjective assessments based on appearance and/or offender self-reported status. It is therefore likely that the number of victims and offenders identified as Indigenous within the NHMP is under-estimated and this limitation should be considered with reference to the data presented in this report. It should also be noted that there were 1,126 homicides (17%) where the Indigenous status of victims and/or offenders was not recorded.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research in Practice, no. 37: Accessed May 13, 2015 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rip/rip37/rip37.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/rip/rip37/rip37.pdf

Shelf Number: 135630

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicide
Indigenous Peoples
Violent Crime

Author: Australia. Attorney-General's Department

Title: Improving the Measurement of Identity Crime and Misuse in Australia: Recommendations from the National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework Project

Summary: Traditional identity crime methodologies are continually being adapted to evolving technologies such as mobile devices, social media and cloud computing. This provides criminals with improved capabilities and opportunities to steal or manipulate personal and financial data, and can increase the number of potential victims of identity crime. On 21 October 2014, the Minister for Justice, the Hon Michael Keenan MP, released a report from the National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework pilot. The report was developed by the Attorney-General's Department and brought together available data from over 50 different Commonwealth, state and territory agencies as well as the private sector. The report found that identity crime is one of the most common crime types in Australia, affecting between 750 000 to 900 000 people each year, with an estimated annual cost of at least $1.6 billion. This project marks one of the first attempts by any government worldwide to systematically measure the incidents and impacts of identity crime. Identity crime has become one of the fastest growing and most common crimes affecting Australians each year - more people report being a victim of identity crime than assault, robbery, motor vehicle theft or household break-ins. In addition to the key findings of the project, a companion report has been developed containing recommendations for improving the quality and availability of data for measuring identity crime. These recommendations are primarily focussed on the systems of government agencies - reflecting the scope of the initial pilot exercise - but also recognise the need to further engage the private sector as a critical source of information and insights into the nature of identity crime and its impacts. The National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework report includes the results of community survey on identity crime that was commissioned by the Attorney-General's Department. This survey was conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) in 2013 and found that 9.4 per cent of 5000 respondents reported having their personal information stolen or misused in the previous 12 months, with 21 per cent reporting they were a victim at some point in their life. Of those reporting misuse in the previous 12 months, five per cent lost money as a result, at an average of just over $4000 per incident. As incidents may be underreported, the true extent of identity crime victimisation is likely to be much higher.

Details: Barton, ACT: Attorney-General's Department, 2014. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/ImprovingMeasurementIdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/ImprovingMeasurementIdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf

Shelf Number: 135441

Keywords:
Computer Crimes
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Cybercrime
Identity Theft

Author: Australia. Attorney-General's Department

Title: Identity crime and misuse in Australia: Key findings from the National Identity Crime and Misuse Measurement Framework Pilot

Summary: Efforts to combat identity crime require a reliable evidence base that quantifies the complete nature and extent of the problem. In Australia and also internationally, there are limited sources of comprehensive, reliable data about identity crime and its consequences. To address this gap in knowledge, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed in 2012 that work should be undertaken to develop a national measurement framework for identity crime to better inform efforts to implement the National Identity Security Strategy (NISS). This report presents the key findings from a pilot data collection exercise that was undertaken as part of the project established to develop this measurement framework. Key finding: Each year around 4 to 5% of Australians (around 750,000 to 937,000 people) experience identity crime resulting in a financial loss. However, the true extent of identity crime is likely to be unknown, as a considerable proportion of incidents go unreported. The Australian Institute of Criminology conducted a 5,000-person online community survey (the AIC Survey) in 2013 as part of this pilot. They found that 9.4 percent of respondents reported having their personal information stolen or misused in the previous 12 months, with five percent reporting that they suffered financial losses as a result (Smith & Hutchings 2014). Identity crime is likely under-reported by both individual victims and organisations. For example, recent research has shown that only 50 percent of credit card fraud victims and 66 percent of identity theft victims reported the incident to a formal institution, such as law enforcement or a financial institution (ABS 2012). Key finding: Compared with other personal and theft-related crimes (i.e. assault, robbery, break-ins and motor vehicle theft), identity crime is one of the most prevalent crime types affecting Australians each year. Key finding: The price of fraudulent identity credentials suggests they are relatively cheap and easy to obtain. This is reflected in the variety of ways that these credentials are used to commit identity fraud. Information on data breaches (many of which go unreported) also suggests that the personal information needed to create fraudulent identity documents is also available to those willing to seek it out. Key finding: State and territory police detect up to an estimated 30,000 identity crimes each year, with around 24,000 offences proven guilty in a court of law. As identity crimes are often recorded under other related offences such as fraud, the actual number of identity crimes is likely much higher. Key finding: The majority of identity victims lose relatively small amounts of money (up to $1,000), although in some cases losses can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. A significant proportion of victims also experience demands on their time or other adverse impacts to their mental or physical health, reputations or general wellbeing. Key finding: Only a small proportion of victims of identity crime report the incident to relevant organisations. Court-issued victims' certificates appear significantly underutilised as a mechanism to assist victims in recovering from the consequences of identity crime. Key finding: There are an increasing number of identity credentials that can be verified through the Document Verification Service (DVS), as well as a growing demand for the service amongst government and private sector organisations. Key finding: The estimated economic impact of identity crime in Australia is likely to exceed $1.6 billion per year. In light of the limited data available and the underreporting of identity crime, by both individuals and organisations, this is likely to be a conservative estimate. Key finding: Aside from underreporting, the single biggest limitation on efforts to measure identity crime is the lack of standardisation between organisations over definitions and how incidents are recorded.

Details: Barton, ACT: Attorney-General's Department, 2014. 92p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/IdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.ag.gov.au/RightsAndProtections/IdentitySecurity/Documents/IdentityCrimeAndMisuseInAustralia.pdf

Shelf Number: 135442

Keywords:
Computer Crimes
Credit Card Fraut
Crime Statistics
Crimes Against Businesses
Cybercrime
Financial crimes
Identity Theft

Author: Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services

Title: Virginia Crime Trends: 2003-2012

Summary: This document presents Virginia index crime and drug arrests rates from two different sources: Crime in the United States (U.S.), by the U.S. Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) Criminal Justice Research Center. Both agencies use criminal incident reports submitted by local law enforcement agencies to the Incident-Based Crime Reporting Repository System managed by the Virginia Department of State Police (VSP) to calculate Virginia crime and arrest rates, but the rates reported by each differ slightly. The differences are largely attributed to: (1) Different methodologies used to estimate missing or underreported crime or arrest data. (2) The FBI may "freeze" the crime data later than DCJS resulting in small differences in the number of crimes used to calculate the rates. (3) Population estimates used to calculate rates may be of a differing vintage due to FBI publishing deadlines.

Details: Richmond, VA: Virginia Department of criminal Justice Services, 2014. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/research/documents/VirginiaCrimeTrends-2003_2012.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.dcjs.virginia.gov/research/documents/VirginiaCrimeTrends-2003_2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 135700

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Rates (Virginia)
Crime Statistics

Author: Smith, Erica L.

Title: Homicide in the U.S. Known to Law Enforcement, 2011

Summary: In 2011, an estimated 14,610 persons were victims of homicide in the United States, according to FBI data on homicides known to state and local law enforcement (figure 1). This is the lowest number of homicide victims since 1968, and marks the fifth consecutive year of decline. The homicide rate in 2011 was 4.7 homicides per 100,000 persons, the lowest level since 1963. This homicide rate was also 54% below its peak of 10.2 per 100,000 persons in 1980 and 17% below the rate in 2002 (5.6 homicides per 100,000). These findings are based on analyses conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) using data from the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR). The SHR collects detailed information on each homicide reported to state and local law enforcement in the United States, including victim and suspected offender demographic characteristics, the type of weapon used during the incident, and the number of victims killed during the incident. This report describes homicides known to law enforcement in 2011, the most recent year for which detailed data are available, and examines homicide trends from 1992 to 2011, with selected findings from 1960.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 18, 2015 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hus11.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/hus11.pdf

Shelf Number: 135704

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Violent Crimes

Author: Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services

Title: Homicides in Ohio 2000-2012

Summary: Since 1930, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has annually collected data on crime in the United States through its Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program. The UCR Program collects only those data that come to the attention of law enforcement through victim reports or observation. Reporting is voluntary for law enforcement agencies active in the UCR Program. Data are collected on the eight Index offenses of murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson. In addition to collecting summary data on the eight Index crimes, the FBI collects detailed data on homicides. Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) provide incident-based information on criminal homicides, including information describing the victim(s), the offender(s), the relationship between victim and offender, when the incident occurred, the weapon used, and the circumstances leading to the homicide incident. Law enforcement agencies in Ohio voluntarily report SHR data directly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of the UCR Program. The following report is based on Ohio homicides reported by law enforcement to the FBI from 2000 to 2012. Unless otherwise stated, data come from SHR.

Details: Columbus, OH: Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services, 2014? 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 20, 2015 at: http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/ocjs-Homicides-in-Ohio2000-2012.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.publicsafety.ohio.gov/links/ocjs-Homicides-in-Ohio2000-2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 135735

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: Duncan, L.

Title: Adult Reoffending in Northern Ireland (2011/12 Cohort)

Summary: This bulletin provides information on the one year proven reoffending rate for the cohort of adults who received a non-custodial disposal at court, a diversionary disposal or were released from custody during 2011/12. An adult is defined as anyone aged 18 or over at the time of disposal or release from custody. Of the 28,751 adult offenders included in the 2011/12 cohort, 5,116 (18%) committed a proven reoffence within a year following being released from custody, receiving a non-custodial disposal at court or receiving a diversionary disposal. Overall, 41% of the 5,116 who reoffended committed their first reoffence within the first three months following court sentencing, receiving a diversionary disposal or release from custody. The number of reoffences within the year ranged from one to 30 per person. In terms of offending history, 60% had committed previous offences, ranging from 1 to 576 distinct offences. Reoffending rates largely increased with the number of previous offences. Overall, 11% of females and 19% of males or other genders had reoffended. The one year proven reoffending rate for adults released from custody was 48%. The one year proven reoffending rate for adults who received a community disposal at court requiring supervision was 33%. The one year proven reoffending rate for adults who received a community disposal at court not requiring supervision was 18%. The one year proven reoffending rate for adults who received a diversionary disposal was 14%. The highest reoffending rates were found amongst those who had committed a baseline offence in the "Robbery" category (44%), followed by "Burglary" (37%).

Details: Belfast: Department of Justice, Analytical Services Group, 2014. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research and Statistical Bulletin 18/2014: Accessed May 29, 2015 at: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research/stats-research-publications/reoffending-stats-and-research/18-2014-adult-reoffending-in-northern-ireland-_2011-12-cohort_.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.dojni.gov.uk/index/statistics-research/stats-research-publications/reoffending-stats-and-research/18-2014-adult-reoffending-in-northern-ireland-_2011-12-cohort_.pdf

Shelf Number: 135804

Keywords:
Adult Offenders
Crime Statistics
Recidivism
Reoffending

Author: Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Public Administration Select Committee (PASC)

Title: Caught red-handed: Why we can't count on Police Recorded Crime statistics. Thirteenth Report of Session 2013-14

Summary: Crime statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are central to our understanding of the nature and prevalence of crime in England and Wales. They provide crucial information for the police which helps them to decide how to deploy their manpower resources. Lax supervision of recorded crime data risks reducing the police's effectiveness in their core role of protecting the public and preventing crime. Measurement of crime is based on two main statistical sources: (i) the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW, formerly the British Crime Survey) and (ii) Police Recorded Crime (PRC). The CSEW and PRC provide strong evidence that the overall volume of crime has been falling. However, there is an accumulation of substantial and credible evidence indicating that the PRC data do not represent a full and accurate account of crime in England and Wales. Of most importance, we have strong evidence that PRC under-records crime, and therefore the rate of decrease in crime may be exaggerated, and this is due to lax police compliance with the agreed national standard of victim-focussed crime recording. As a result of PASC's inquiry and the evidence we have exposed, the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) decided in January 2014 to strip PRC data of its designation as National Statistics. We conclude that the Home Office, ONS and UKSA have been far too passive in the face of concerns raised about PRC; they have repeatedly missed opportunities to ensure the integrity and quality of PRC data. The cessation of regular external audit of police force crime recording in 2007 was a mistake. We recommend the re-instatement of annual audits of crime recording practices. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary's inspection in 2013 into the Kent Police found clear evidence that targets are detrimental to the integrity of crime data. Numerical targets for individual police officers and police forces as a whole, based on PRC data, and set by senior police officers or Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs), drive perverse incentives to misrecord crime, tend to affect attitudes and erode data quality. Some PCCs consider the perverse incentives created by targets to be so serious that they have dropped all targets. We applaud them. The attitudes and behaviour which lead to the misrecording of crime have become ingrained, including within senior leadership. This leads to the subordination of data integrity to target-chasing. This can present officers with a conflict between achievement of targets and core policing values. We deprecate the use of targets in the strongest possible terms. The Home Office, which claims credit for abolishing national numerical targets, should also be discouraging the use of such targets. The Home Office must also take responsibility and accept accountability for the quality of PRC statistics. Senior police leaders must ensure that emphasis is placed on data integrity and accuracy, not on the achievement of targets. We regard such practice as a flawed leadership model, contrary to the policing Code of Ethics. The quality of leadership within the police, and its compliance with the core values of policing, including accountability, honesty and integrity, will determine whether the proper quality of PRC data can be restored. We are convinced that this requires leadership in many police forces to place new emphasis on values and ethics, especially in the Metropolitan Police Service. We recommend that the Committee on Standards in Public Life conducts a wide-ranging inquiry into the police's compliance with the new Code of Ethics; in particular the role of leadership in promoting and sustaining these values in the face of all the other pressures on the force.

Details: London: The Stationery Office Limited, 2014. 58p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 1, 2015 at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubadm/760/760.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201314/cmselect/cmpubadm/760/760.pdf

Shelf Number: 135840

Keywords:
Crime Measurement
Crime Statistics
Police Accountability
Police Behavior
Police Ethics
Police Integrity
Police Performance

Author: Males, Mike

Title: The Plummeting Arrest Rates of California's Children

Summary: A new research report by CJCJ's Mike Males documents a pronounced decline in arrests of California's children over the past 30 years. The absence of specific, statewide policy aimed at reducing the arrest of children, coupled with favorable trends in youth issues suggest the decrease in childhood arrests may reflect a real decrease in child crime, rather than a shift in arrest practices. Key findings: - In 1978, nearly 14,000 children under age 12 were arrested, 4,400 of whom were under age 10. But in 2013, with a pre-teen population 40 percent larger, arrests for children under 12 fell to 1,394, and arrests of children under 10 fell to 219 - leading to a 92 percent drop in arrest rates. - Forty-seven of the 58 counties (including all major ones) experienced dramatic drops in child arrests between 1980 and 2013. In Los Angeles County, the number of arrests of children under 10 dropped from 485 to 17; in Fresno County, from 132 to four; and in Alameda 321 to six. - The decline in youth arrests is in striking contrast to arrests of older ages: While people under age 25 experienced large declines in felony arrests, those ages 25-29 saw a modest increase, and those ages 30 and older saw large increases. - A supplemental report reveals one exceptions to California's decline in child arrests: Stockton, which along with the city of San Bernardino allows school district officers to arrest students and have arrest rates 24 times higher than the rest of California. Stockton, with one percent of California's youth under age 10, now accounts for 26 percent of the state's arrests of children that age. The dramatic and sustained declines in child arrests, combined with other positive youth outcomes, provide California the opportunity to research what lies behind the trends, adjust youth crime forecasts, and reexamine investments in new juvenile facilities.

Details: San Francisco: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2015. 10p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2015 at: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/final_child_crime_report.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/final_child_crime_report.pdf

Shelf Number: 135845

Keywords:
Arrests
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Great Britain. Her Majesty's Iinspectorate of Constabulary

Title: Joint Review of Disability Hate Crime Follow-Up

Summary: 1.1 This joint follow-up review considered how the police, Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and probation service providers (National Probation Service (NPS)/Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs)) have responded to the seven recommendations contained in the Criminal Justice Joint Inspection (CJJI) March 2013 review of disability hate crime. Key findings Awareness of disability hate crime 1.2 The 2013 review highlighted the need for the three agencies to quickly (within three months) take the appropriate steps to ensure that the public and those who work in the criminal justice system (CJS) understood disability hate crime. This is a fundamental step in ensuring (a) that the level of under reporting is reduced and (b) once recognised by the CJS, that the appropriate level of service is provided to victims of disability hate crime. The casework examination undertaken as part of this review reveals continuing difficulties by the police, CPS and probation staff in identifying disability hate crime. 1.3 There are examples of good practice relating to awareness raising at national level, such as the guidance to police forces contained within the Framework for Implementation of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) recommendations published jointly by the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and the College of Policing in 2013, and the subsequent publication by the College of Policing of the National Policing Hate Crime Strategy in 2014. At the local level awareness-raising events have taken place in different parts of England and Wales. However, neither the police nor the CPS have succeeded in significantly improving performance at operational level. Recognising this, the CPS Chief Executive has now assumed personal responsibility for driving improvement by the Service and a CPS national action plan was launched in November 2014. 1.4 Similarly, although the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) has provided direction and some probation trusts have worked with local partners to improve awareness of disability hate crime, it is still seen as a very small part of their work and is not dealt with effectively. Increased reporting of disability hate crime to the police 1.5 The number of reports of disability hate crimes to the police recorded by the Home Office remains low, at only 1,985 in 2013-145 and the gap between this and the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) estimated figure of 62,000 disability motivated hate crimes6 remains significant. It is particularly concerning that in the Home Office reporting figures for disability hate crime for 2013-14, nine police force areas had less than ten reports. 1.6 Disappointingly, inspectors found that the police forces visited had not conducted a formal review of the different methods by which information is received from the public to ensure that every opportunity is being taken to identify victims of disability hate crime. This represents a lost opportunity. Embedding disability hate crime processes within the working practices of the police, CPS and probation staff 1.7 Unfortunately, the approach to delivering effective training by the agencies has been inconsistent and slow. Without the required impetus it is not surprising that performance has not improved significantly. 1.8 The 2013 review highlighted errors in the recording of data relating to disability hate crime by the police and CPS. This follow-up reveals that whilst there have been some improvements, further progress is required. Highlights include: - Case file examination undertaken as part of this review reveals an improvement in the number of files accurately identified to the CPS as disability hate crimes by the police (when they seek charging advice from the CPS) to 20%7 (compared to 7% in the 2013 review). However, further improvement is required. - In around a third of recorded disability hate crimes the crime reports lacked information to show they complied with the agreed definition of disability hate crime, usually because it was not made explicit who had perceived the crime to be motivated by hostility or prejudice against the victim's disability or perceived disability. - Of the 107 CPS files examined inspectors were of the view that 76 (71%) were correctly identified as disability hate crime in accordance with the CPS policy (compared to 69% in 2013), 19 files (18%) involved a disabled victim but the case did not fall within the CPS definition of flagging as a disability hate crime (compared to 12%) and 12 files (11%) were flagged incorrectly as administrative or other error (previously 19%). 1.9 Whilst the CPS has reduced the number of files flagged as administrative/other errors, there is a continuing need for improvement, as the data reveals only a small improvement in the accuracy of recording disability hate crime files. 1.10 The CPS case management system has the capacity to record those disability hate crimes where the court uplifted the sentence for the aggravated element (section 146 Criminal Justice Act 2003) and the number of recorded 'uplifts' is unacceptably low. 1.11 This review also examined 21 pre-sentence reports and there was little or no evidence that disability hate crime had been awarded a higher priority within the work of those agencies delivering probation services than in 2013. There was little evidence that disability hate crime forms all but a very small part of the work of NPS/CRCs. In part this is due to the lack of reporting of these cases. However, even in those cases where there was clear evidence that they met the disability hate crime definition, in the majority there was no recognition by those providing probation services that these were disability hate crimes. Conclusion 1.12 The 2013 review highlighted that disability hate crime is a complex area with a number of unique features. It called for a new impetus that focussed on (a) improving awareness of disability hate crime, (b) increasing the reporting of disability hate crime and (c) embedding disability hate crime processes within the routine working practices of police, CPS and probation staff. The seven recommendations, if implemented effectively, would have made a substantial contribution to achieving these overarching aims. 1.13 This follow-up reveals that there has been insufficient progress made against the recommendations. An opportunity to achieve improvements in the criminal justice system for all members of society has not yet been taken.

Details: London: Criminal Justice Joint Inspection, 2015. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 2, 2015 at: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/joint-review-of-disability-hate-crime-review.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/wp-content/uploads/joint-review-of-disability-hate-crime-review.pdf

Shelf Number: 135099

Keywords:
Bias Crimes
Crime Statistics
Disability
Hate Crimes

Author: Gutierrez, Michel Estefan

Title: Violence, In Mexico? Homicide in a Democratizing Society

Summary: Scholars who study Mexico have recently argued that the process of democratization the country went through in the past three decades contributed to the upsurge in violence we are currently witnessing. As one regime collapsed and the other emerged, change begot violence. Amid the flood of unequivocal assertions, however, a simple question remains: exactly how violent is Mexico? So far, the academic literature has failed to paint a systematic picture of patterns of violence in Mexico. In this thesis, I set the record straight regarding violence in Mexico and its connection to the country's transition to democracy. I make two empirical contributions that are theoretically consequential. First, I show that regardless of the data source used, violence in Mexico as measured by homicide rates decreased steadily since the early 1990s until 2007. Second, using a series of multiple regression models to determine the effect of political competition and voting participation on homicide rates, I show that democracy has not made Mexico more violent, but less. These findings force us to revisit our understanding of late twentieth century Mexico as a violent, unruly society, as well as debates on the causes of violence in the last few years. They also open new paths for theoretical reflection, raising the puzzle of change without disruption.

Details: Berkeley, CA: University of California, Berkeley, 2011. 95p.

Source: Internet Resource: Thesis: accessed June 3, 3015 at: http://www.cdeunodc.inegi.org.mx/articulos/doc/tesis2estefan.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Mexico

URL: http://www.cdeunodc.inegi.org.mx/articulos/doc/tesis2estefan.pdf

Shelf Number: 129729

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: Males, Mike

Title: California's Urban Crime Increase in 2012: Is "Realignment" to Blame?

Summary: For nearly two decades, California's violent crime rate has been falling steadily, with a 63% decrease from 1993 to 2011. However, preliminary reports released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI, 2013) show violent and property crimes increased slightly in most large California cities in the first six months of 2012, while remaining among the lowest recorded in more than 40 years. The 2012 figures are the first comprehensive crime data reported since the implementation of Public Safety Realignment (AB 109) in October 2011. Realignment effectively divided the state's felon population into two categories: those legally-defined as violent, serious, and/or sex offenders (around 207,000 as of June 30, 2012) who continue to be sent to state prison and be supervised by state parole officers upon release, and those lower-level offenders (approximately 46,000) who formerly were managed by the state prison and parole system but now must be managed by local justice systems and supervised by local probation officers. This publication analyzes whether Realignment - in this case, the 46,000 offenders diverted to local management - contributed to the increase in urban offenses in the first half of 2012. The data analyzed did not demonstrate any relationship between the implementation of Realignment and increases in violent or property crime.

Details: San Francisco: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2013. 10p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief: Accessed June 4, 2015 at: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/california_urban_crime_increase_2012.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/california_urban_crime_increase_2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 135906

Keywords:
California Realignment
Crime Statistics
Urban Crime

Author: Gavrilova, Evelina

Title: Uncovering the Gender Participation Gap in the Crime Market

Summary: Using data from the U.S. National Incident Based Reporting System we document a gender gap in the number of crimes committed in the property crime market: only 30% of the crimes are committed by women. Starting from the classical Becker's model on crime we investigate some potential reasons for the participation gap looking at the differential incentives, measured in terms of earnings and probability of arrest. We observe that women obtain on average 32% less criminal earnings and face a 10% higher probability of arrest with respect to males. Once we account for type of crime and the attributes of offending, such as weapons, we find that the earnings gap is zero on average, while females still face a 1% higher probability of arrest than males. We also observe that females sort into offense types, characterized by a lower variation in the earnings risk, which reveals that females in the crime market are more risk averse than males. Furthermore, we analyze the participation gap by looking at the perceived incentives. We estimate the elasticities of crime with respect to the expected earnings and to the expected probability of not being arrested for both genders. We find that males respond to both these incentives, while females respond less to the incentive for higher earnings than males and they do not respond to the probability of arrest. Finally, we use a Blinder-Oaxaca type decomposition technique to measure crime differentials between females and males that arise due to different responses to incentives. We find that, in a counter factual scenario where the female elasticities increase to the level of the male ones, women would commit 40% more crimes than they actually do, reducing the male-female participation gap by almost 50%.

Details: Bonn: Institute for the Study of Labor, 2015. 39p.

Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper No. 8982: Accessed July 20, 2015 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp8982.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp8982.pdf

Shelf Number: 136111

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Female Offenders
Proceeds of Crime
Property Crimes

Author: University of Pennsylvania, Wharton School, Center for Studies in Criminology and Criminal Law

Title: Understanding the "Whys" Behind Juvenile Crime Trends

Summary: By examining national trends in serious violence, one gains a better understanding of why juvenile crime dropped so dramatically during the 1990s and remained relatively low for at least a decade. While most would agree that the decrease actually occurred, there still are those who contend that the drop (or its continuation) is largely an artifact of manipulation of crime statistics by some police departments and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) (Karmen, 2000). Measuring the decrease through multiple lenses should put this speculation to rest. Disaggregating overall trends in serious juvenile crime informs the use of more rigorous analytical methods for identifying and isolating factors that preceded or accompanied the drop in crime. To the extent that the decrease was greater for some types of crime than others, greater among some populations, or greater in some specific places, that helps narrow the range of possible explanations. If the crime drop occurred disproportionately in large central cities, for example, then the search for explanations could focus on those places and determine what it is about them that could have precipitated their more pronounced decreases. Finally, the crime trends can be used to check on the adequacy of the explanations emerging from more sophisticated analysis. Factors identified from theory and more fine-grained analysis as the likely causes of crime drop must be shown to fit the national crime trends during that period. That is, these factors must be shown to (1) have a likely effect on crime; (2) be of sufficient magnitude or prevalence that changes in them could account for a substantial portion of the drop; and (3) be distributed in the population, over time, and across places in a manner that would account for the observed trends. The description of crime trends presented here, then, will not only suggest where to look for explanations but also test whether the factors identified in other analyses could have produced the decreases observed. The intent of this project is to meet a specific need in juvenile justice policy analysis rather than provide a comprehensive review of all scientific literature on causes of juvenile crime. This book has five chapters, Chapters 2-5, which will be summarized in the remainder of this chapter: - Chapter 2 establishes the groundwork for the subsequent three, using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) to describe Nation-level trends in serious juvenile crime. - Chapter 3 accounts for trends in measurable conditions and processes in communities which, combined, contribute to national trends in serious and violent juvenile delinquency. - Chapter 4 focuses primarily on the cultural processes that influence families and, in turn, children's involvement in delinquency. It examines both risk and protective cultural factors related to family, school, religiosity, the legitimacy of the criminal justice system, violence in the media, use of firearms, and gang membership. - Chapter 5 includes evaluations of the impact of various public policies and practices on juvenile crime trends.

Details: Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania, 2012. 170p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 23, 2015 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/248954.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/248954.pdf

Shelf Number: 136133

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Delinquency Prevention
Juvenile Crime Trends
Juvenile Justice Policy
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Jorna, Penny

Title: Fraud against the Commonwealth: Report to Government 2010-11 to 2012-13

Summary: Public sector fraud continues to be of concern to the Commonwealth Government. Not only does it reduce funds available for government programs, but it also creates a negative and counterproductive atmosphere within affected workplaces. Fraud can destroy working relationships, reduce productivity and lead to loss of staff, with immeasurable direct and indirect harms being suffered both by the public sector and the community at large. Understanding the nature and extent of the problem is the first step in devising workable preventive strategies and effective solutions. This report presents the results of a longitudinal census of fraud incidents experienced by Commonwealth entities and the ways in which fraud risk has been managed and controlled. Previous Commonwealth fraud surveys published by the Australian Institute of Criminology have presented data for single financial years. In this report, an opportunity has been taken to present trend information for the first time in respect of the three most recent years for which census data were available - 2010-11 to 2012-13. Of the 154 or more Commonwealth entities that responded to the Australian Institute of Criminology's census each year, almost 40 percent experienced one or more suspected incidents of fraud. Unfortunately, between 2010-11 and 2012-13, both the number of suspected incidents of fraud and the funds at stake increased. In total, 265,866 incidents of suspected fraud involving losses of $530m were reported over the three years. Each year, more than 1,000 defendants have been prosecuted for fraud against the Commonwealth in respect of charges involving, on average, approximately $50m each year. Of those convicted, most received non-custodial sentences, with approximately 10 percent being sentenced to terms of immediate imprisonment. Only a small proportion of funds are recovered each year.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 76p.

Source: Internet Resource: AIC Monitoring Reports 24> Accessed August 8, 2015 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/mr/mr24/mr24.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/mr/mr24/mr24.pdf

Shelf Number: 136366

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Dishonesty
Financial Crimes
Fraud and Corruption

Author: Fuller, Georgina

Title: The serious impact and consequences of physical assault

Summary: In 2012, there were 116,105 recorded victims of physical assault in New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory combined (ABS 2013); equating to a victimisation rate of 969 per 100,000 population. This reflects a trend that has been consistent for the last 18 years of police recorded crime statistics, where physical assault has had the highest rate of victimisation of any of the four major types of violent crime (ie homicide, physical assault, sexual assault and robbery; AIC 2014). Estimates provided by the ABS' Crime Victimisation Survey provide further insight into the nature of physical assault in Australia. In 2012-13, there was an estimated 498,000 people over the age of 15 years who were the victim of a physical assault. An estimated 60 percent (n=294,100) of these were male, while individuals aged less than 34 years were more likely to have been assaulted compared with any other age group (ABS 2014). Females were more likely to be victimised in the home by a family member, whereas males were more commonly assaulted by a stranger in place of recreation (ie pubs or nightclubs) or on the street (ABS 2014). Yet despite these statistics, the narrow focus of academia and policy on particular types of violence has resulted in the impact of some forms of physical assault being somewhat overlooked. For example, the negative consequences of experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault have been extensively studied. Briefly, the experience of domestic or intimate partner violence has been associated with the development of a wide range of negative outcomes including mental health issues, feelings of shame or guilt and difficulties relating to men (see Ansara & Hindin 2011; Coker et al. 2002; Roberts et al 1998). Similar negative consequences have been found for sexual abuse, as well as other effects such as difficulties in interpersonal relationships, particularly around sexual functioning (see Cashmore & Shackel 2013; Colman & Widom 2004; Watson & Halford 2010). This type of information is particularly relevant, as it has been used to inform the types of services available to support victims of these types of violence. Yet victims of non-domestic, non-sexual physical assault have not received the same level of attention. In order to address this knowledge gap, the consequences of physical assault victimisation in isolation from other types of violent crime are explored in this paper. The purpose is to discover the impact of physical assault on both the victim and their family. This includes the effect of this type of violence on the victim's physical and psychological health, as well as their social, educational and occupational functioning

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2015. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Trends and Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice, no. 496: Accessed August 13, 2015 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi496.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/tandi_pdf/tandi496.pdf

Shelf Number: 136386

Keywords:
Assaults
Crime Statistics
Victimization
Victims of Crime
Violence

Author: White, Nicole

Title: Violent Crime Against Youth, 1994-2010

Summary: Publication Violent Crime Against Youth, 1994-2010 Janet L. Lauritsen, Ph.D., Nicole White, Ph.D., University of Missouri December 20, 2012 NCJ 240106 This report presents patterns and trends in violent crime against youth ages 12 to 17 from 1994 to 2010. The report explores overall trends in violent crime against youth and examines patterns in serious violent crime and simple assault by the demographic characteristics of the victim, the location and time of the incident, weapon involvement and injury, the victim-offender relationship, and whether police were notified. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), which collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Highlights: In 2010, male (14.3 victimizations per 1,000) and female (13.7 per 1,000) youth were equally likely to experience serious violent crimerape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault. In comparison, male youth (79.4 per 1,000) were nearly twice as likely as female youth (43.6 per 1,000) to experience serious violent crime in 1994. Among racial and ethnic groups, black youth experienced the highest rates of serious violent crime in 2010. From 2002 to 2010, rates of serious violent crime declined among white (down 26%) and Hispanic (down 65%) youth, but remained the same among black youth. From 1994 to 2010, youth living with an unmarried head of household were generally more likely than youth living with a married head of household to be victims of violent crime. During this period, the decline in serious violent crime was greater for youth in married households (down 86%) than the decline among youth in unmarried households (down 65%).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2012. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 18, 2015 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/vcay9410.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/vcay9410.pdf

Shelf Number: 136807

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: National Rural Crime Network

Title: The True Cost of Crime in Rural Areas: Report and Recommendations

Summary: Our survey of over 17,000 people living and working in rural areas throughout England and Wales suggests the true cost of crime in rural areas could exceed $800m. This figure is 21 times higher than previous figures, dwarfing earlier estimates. The survey also indicates that hard-pressed young families and farmers are the most frequent victims of crime, with the average cost of those crimes to a household being over $2,500 and for a business over $4,000. Moreover, there appears to be a vicious circle of low expectations, leading to chronic under-reporting, anger, frustration and worry. The result is increasing fear of crime and significantly lower satisfaction levels in the police than the national average. As a consequence of these findings, we are making seven recommendations including fair funding for rural areas; more joined up working with partners and communities, building on rural resilience; embedding best practice; developing new policies and ways of working; and ensuring a more targeted approach within rural communities. The key survey results are: - Financial impact of crime on rural economy is significant - the cost of crime to rural communities is estimated to be $800 million equivalent to $200 for every household in the countryside. The average cost to rural households who are victims of crime is $2500 and $4100 for rural businesses. - Fear of crime is increasing - 39% of rural people are very or fairly worried about becoming a victim of crime, compared to 19% nationally. Even more worryingly, 32% of respondents are more fearful of becoming victims of crime than five years ago, compared to only 3% who are less fearful. Rural businesses are the most fearful of becoming victims of crime, with 51% very or fairly fearful, closely followed by younger families. - Low satisfaction rates of police performance in rural areas - just 39% of rural people rate the police as good (32.4%) or excellent (6.3%). Among rural businesses this figure was just 32%. Those figures compare to 63% nationally who think the police is doing a good job (53% Good and 10% Excellent), showing rural communities have a significantly lower satisfaction rate than their urban counterparts. - The survey showed satisfaction levels drop to just 23% when it comes to the rural public's perceptions of the police's ability to solve crime. - Crime is under reported in rural areas - more than one in four (27%) did not report the last crime of which they were a victim. This means Home Office figures of 294,000 rural crimes between April 2014 and May 2015 could be incorrect and the actual number of crimes could be as high as 403,000. - Rural communities are resilient - community spirit is clear to see in our rural communities. The vast majority feel they very or fairly strongly belong in their community, with 27% feeling that sense of belonging has increased in the last five years. 25% of people also felt that their community pulled together to improve their neighbourhood - Lessons for Local Authorities and other partners - two issues of greatest concern to the rural community were road safety (63%) - which the police play a crucial part in, but which they cannot resolve without working with partners - and fly-tipping, which is now a civil offence (61%).

Details: Tavistock, Devon, UK: National Rural Crime Network, 2015. 73p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 18, 2015 at: http://www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net/content/uploads/2015/09/NRCN-National-Rural-Crime-Sur...pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.nationalruralcrimenetwork.net/content/uploads/2015/09/NRCN-National-Rural-Crime-Sur...pdf

Shelf Number: 136808

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Crime Statistics
Crime Survey
Rural Areas
Rural Crime

Author: United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Title: The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS)

Summary: The International Classification of Crime for Statistical Purposes (ICCS) is a classification structure of criminal offences. On the basis of internationally agreed concepts and principles, the ICCS consists of a framework to assign criminal offences to hierarchical categories that have a certain degree of similarity in relation to conceptual, analytical and policy areas. The purpose of the ICCS is to enhance consistency and international comparability of crime statistics and improve analytical capabilities at both the national and international levels. The United Nations Statistical Commission, at its 46th session in March 2015, and the Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice at its 24th session in May 2015 have endorsed the ICCS as an international statistical standard for data collection, both from administrative records and survey generated data, and as an analytical tool to elicit unique information on crime drivers and factors. The two Commissions have also confirmed UNODC as the custodian of the ICCS and have confirmed the draft implementation plan for the classification at national, regional and international levels, including the creation of a technical advisory group to provide substantive advice to the maintenance of the ICCS.

Details: Vienna: UNODC, 2015. 132p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 24, 2015 at: https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/ICCS/ICCS_final-2015-March12_FINAL.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: International

URL: https://www.unodc.org/documents/data-and-analysis/statistics/crime/ICCS/ICCS_final-2015-March12_FINAL.pdf

Shelf Number: 136867

Keywords:
Crime Classification
Crime Statistics

Author: Sutherland, Clare

Title: The nature of online offending: Explored from Crown Prosecution Service case files

Summary: Evidence regarding online offenders is limited and there are key gaps in knowledge around offender demographics, backgrounds and criminal careers. However, online offences and offenders are not easily identified through traditional data sources such as police recorded crime. This report therefore aims to help build understanding of online offenders and the nature of their offending by outlining findings from an analysis of case files held by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). The research involved analysis of offences prosecuted and convicted under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 (CMA); the Fraud Act 2006; s.127 of the Communications Act 2003 (CA); and the Malicious Communications Act 1998 (MCA). Random samples of cases were taken in December 2012 to explore: the proportion of cases that could retrospectively be identified as committed online; and the information that was held in those online cases regarding the characteristics of offenders and the nature of their offences.

Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 82: Accessed October 15, 2015 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468067/horr82.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/468067/horr82.pdf

Shelf Number: 136988

Keywords:
Computer Crimes
Crime Statistics
Internet Crimes

Author: ACAPS

Title: Other Situations of Violence in the Northern Triangle of Central America

Summary: The aim of this study is to: Improve understanding of the key humanitarian impacts of violence on the lives of the affected population, using a multi-sectoral approach and considering both direct and indirect effects. Identify and propose specific sectoral indicators to measure these impacts, identifying available sources at national or regional level. io Provide an analytical framework that will help humanitarian actors decide the relevance of a humanitarian response based on the situation of the affected population, humanitarian access, and existing response capacities at the national and international level.

Details: Geneva, SWIT: ACAPS, 2014. 68p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 30, 2015 at: http://www.acaps.org/img/documents/o-2014-07-31-osv-hum-impact.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Central America

URL: http://www.acaps.org/img/documents/o-2014-07-31-osv-hum-impact.pdf

Shelf Number: 137179

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: James, Nathan

Title: Is Violent Crime in the United States Increasing?

Summary: On August 31, 2015, the New York Times ran an article with the headline "Murder Rates Rising Sharply in Many U.S. Cities." The story highlighted double-digit percentage increases in homicide rates in several cities, and came on the heels of reports from other media outlets of recent spikes in violent crime in cities across the country. Accounts of rising violent crime rates in some cities have generated speculation about whether the United States is in the midst of a new crime wave. Overall, homicide and violent crime rates have been trending downward for more than two decades, and both rates are at historic lows. An analysis comparing 2014 and 2015 homicide data from the nation's 60 most populous cities suggests that violent crime is not increasing. Overall, reported homicides were up 16% in 2015, but a majority of cities (44 of 60) have not seen a statistically significant increase in homicides. The general consensus is that it is too early to draw any conclusions about the reversal of long-term trends. Also, even if homicide and violent crime rates do increase this year, it may not portend a break in the long-term trend. Even though both rates have been on a downward trend since 1990, there were years where either the homicide rate or violent crime rate increased. There are several short-term factors that might help explain some of the reported upticks in violent crime across the country. - Year-to-year changes in crime rates can be subject to random fluctuations. - Crime rates are subject to seasonal effects. - Many cities are experiencing increases from historically low levels of crime. - Percentage change in reported crimes is a relative measure and is sensitive to magnitude. While it might be too early to make any definitive conclusions about whether violent crime is on the rise, several commentators have speculated as to why some cities are experiencing spikes in violent crimes. Suggested explanations include the following: - The "Ferguson effect" (i.e., in the wake of a spate of high-profile officer-involved deaths, police have become reluctant to engage in proactive policing, thereby emboldening criminals). - Law enforcement is facing a legitimacy problem in some communities where residents feel that they are not treated fairly by the police, and this may mean that people are more likely to take matters into their own hands when conflicts arise. - The increase in violence can be attributed to battles between gangs for control of drug turf or released violent offenders committing new crimes. The recent discussion about the increases in violent crime in some cities might raise the question of whether there is a need for more "real time" nationwide crime statistics. More frequent and consistent crime data might be able to provide greater insight into crime trends. However, there are logistical issues involved with collecting and reporting timely and accurate crime statistics from the nation's approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies.

Details: Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2015. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource: R44259: Accessed November 6, 2015 at: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44259.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: https://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R44259.pdf

Shelf Number: 137211

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Violent Crime

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: When Men Murder Women: An Analysis of 2013 Homicide Data

Summary: Intimate partner violence against women is all too common and takes many forms. The most serious is homicide by an intimate partner. Guns can easily turn domestic violence into domestic homicide. One federal study on homicide among intimate partners found that female intimate partners are more likely to be murdered with a firearm than all other means combined, concluding that "the figures demonstrate the importance of reducing access to firearms in households affected by IPV [intimate partner violence]." Guns are also often used in non-fatal domestic violence. A study by Harvard School of Public Health researchers analyzed gun use at home and concluded that "hostile gun displays against family members may be more common than gun use in self-defense, and that hostile gun displays are often acts of domestic violence directed against women." The U.S. Department of Justice has found that women are far more likely to be the victims of violent crimes committed by intimate partners than men, especially when a weapon is involved. Moreover, women are much more likely to be victimized at home than in any other place. A woman must consider the risks of having a gun in her home, whether she is in a domestic violence situation or not. While two thirds of women who own guns acquired them "primarily for protection against crime," the results of a California analysis show that "purchasing a handgun provides no protection against homicide among women and is associated with an increase in their risk for intimate partner homicide." A 2003 study about the risks of firearms in the home found that females living with a gun in the home were nearly three times more likely to be murdered than females with no gun in the home. Finally, another study reports, women who were murdered were more likely, not less likely, to have purchased a handgun in the three years prior to their deaths, again invalidating the idea that a handgun has a protective effect against homicide. While this study does not focus solely on domestic violence homicide or guns, it provides a stark reminder that domestic violence and guns make a deadly combination. Firearms are rarely used to kill criminals or stop crimes. Instead, they are all too often used to inflict harm on the very people they were intended to protect According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports, in 2013 there were only 270 justifiable homicides committed by private citizens. Of these, only 23 involved women killing men. Of those, only 13 involved firearms, with 11 of the 13 involving handguns. While firearms are at times used by private citizens to kill criminals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that the most common scenarios of lethal gun use in America in 2013, the most recent final data available, are suicide (21,175), homicide (11,208), or fatal unintentional injury (505). When Men Murder Women is an annual report prepared by the Violence Policy Center detailing the reality of homicides committed against females by single male offenders. The study analyzes the most recent Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR) data submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The information used for this report is for the year 2013. Once again, this is the most recent data available. This is the first analysis of the 2013 data on female homicide victims to offer breakdowns of cases in the 10 states with the highest female victim/male offender homicide rates, and the first to rank the states by these rates. This study examines only those instances involving one female homicide victim and one male offender. This is the exact scenario-the lone male attacker and the vulnerable woman-that is often used to promote gun ownership among women. This is the 18th edition of When Men Murder Women. From 1996 to 2013, the rate of women murdered by men in single victim/single offender incidents dropped from 1.57 per 100,000 women in 1996 to 1.09 per 100,000 women in 2013, a decrease of 31 percent.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Institute, 2015. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 24, 2015 at: http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/wmmw2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 137331

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Family Violence
Gun-Related Violence
Homicide
Intimate Partner Violence
Murders
Violence Against Women

Author: Langley, Marty

Title: Lost Youth: A County-by-County Analysis of 2013 California Homicide Victims Ages 10 to 24

Summary: Homicide is the second leading cause of death for California youth and young adults ages 10 to 24 years old. In 2013, the most recent year for which complete data is available from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), homicides in California were outpaced only by unintentional injuries-the majority of which were motor vehicle fatalities-as the leading cause of death for this age group. Of the 613 homicides reported, 86 percent were committed with firearms. Nationally in 2013, California had the 17th highest homicide rate for youth and young adults ages 10 to 24. Broken out by gender, homicide retains its number-two ranking for males and drops to number four for females for this age group in California. For males, of the 553 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 87 percent of the killings. For females, of the 60 homicides reported, firearms were the weapon used in 72 percent of the killings. When analyzed by race and ethnicity, however, the rankings become less uniform and the severe effects of homicide on specific segments of this age group increasingly stark. For blacks ages 10 to 24 in California in 2013, homicide was the leading cause of death. For Hispanics it was the second leading cause of death. For American Indian and Alaskan Natives it was the third leading cause of death. For whites and Asian/Pacific Islanders it was the fourth leading cause of death.

Details: Washington, DC: Violence Policy Center, 2015. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 24, 2015 at: http://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/cayouth2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 137332

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gang Violence
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime
Youth Violence

Author: Jehle, Jorg-Martin

Title: Criminal Justice in Germany. Sixth Edition

Summary: Public perception of crime and law enforcement is dominated by headline news. Sensational cases attract media coverage; they are the topic of discussion on social networks. But the real picture is different: The day-to-day fight against crime is largely a story of minor to moderately serious property offences. This publication uses selected statistical data to present a realistic picture of punishable behaviour and the prosecution of criminal offences. Beyond this, it aims to provide an insight into how our criminal justice system works. All stages of criminal justice are described, from the work of police, prosecutors and judges, to sentencing, corrections and probation. Criminal Justice in Germany contains a dedicated section with figures on offender-victim mediation. It has been rounded off with a chapter on reoffending and some comparative statistics for Europe. However, a publication of this sort can only paint a picture of selected areas. It would go beyond the scope of this publication to cover all branches of criminal procedure and all available penalties together with the relevant figures. The figures presented in the following chapters have been taken from current statistics, which naturally refer to previous years.

Details: Berlin: Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection, 2015. 88p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 1, 2015 at: https://www.bundesjustizamt.de/DE/SharedDocs/Publikationen/Justizstatistik/Criminal_Justice_Germany_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

Year: 2015

Country: Germany

URL: https://www.bundesjustizamt.de/DE/SharedDocs/Publikationen/Justizstatistik/Criminal_Justice_Germany_en.pdf?__blob=publicationFile

Shelf Number: 137370

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Systems

Author: Williams, Rick

Title: Evaluation of Direct Variance Estimation, Estimate Reliability, and Confidence Intervals for the National Crime Victimization Survey

Summary: Examines the feasibility of using direct variance estimation for the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). It compares generalized variance function (GVF) estimates to two direct variance estimation methods (Taylor Series Linearization and Balanced Repeated Replication). It also provides recommendations for calculating confidence intervals and identifying unstable estimates. A companion user's guide has been developed to describe how to implement the direct variance techniques detailed in this report using different software packages. Access to GVF User's Guides and other documentation is available online.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2015 55p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research and Development Series: Accessed January 22, 2016 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/edveercincvs.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/edveercincvs.pdf

Shelf Number: 137649

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys
Crime Victimization Survey

Author: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics

Title: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile, 2014

Summary: Family Violence in Canada: A Statistical Profile is an annual report produced by the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics under the Federal Family Violence Initiative. Since 1998, this annual report has provided the most current data on the nature and extent of family violence in Canada, as well as trends over time, and has been used to monitor changes that inform policy makers and the public. The layout of the Family Violence report has changed, and presents sections in a fact sheet format allowing readers to find data points quickly. Using 2014 police-reported data from the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR) and Homicide Survey, each section contains detailed data tables accompanied by highlights of the key findings. This year's report also features an in-depth analysis of self-reported incidents of spousal violence, using data from the 2014 General Social Survey on victimization. This featured section examines the nature and prevalence of self-reported spousal violence in Canada. The analysis examines rates of spousal violence from 2004 to 2014, and because the information provided in this section is collected from individuals (self-reported), it includes incidents that were reported to police as well as those that were not. The featured section also provides analysis of the socio-demographic risk factors linked to spousal violence, the impacts and consequences for victims and the police reporting behaviour of victims. In this report, 'family' refers to relationships defined through blood, marriage, common-law partnership, foster care, or adoption; 'family violence' refers to violent criminal offences, where the perpetrator is a family member.

Details: Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2016. 77p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat: Accessed January 27, 2016 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14303-eng.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14303-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 137663

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Family Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
Violence Against Women

Author: Curtis, Irene

Title: The use of targets in policing

Summary: Policing needs to change to respond to the challenges of the future, including the changing nature of crime, the increasing range and complexity of demand, continued financial constraints and the rapid pace of technological change. As forces adapt to changing circumstances, performance frameworks will also need to adapt to help the police make decisions to meet these challenges - and to understand whether or not they are succeeding. Numeric targets have seen extensive use in policing for many years, as part of both local and national police performance frameworks. The Public Service Agreements (PSAs) of the 1990s in particular created a slew of national targets in policing and across the public sector more widely. Since then, problems associated with targets such as 'gaming' and 'perverse incentives' have been well documented and targets have gradually been dropped by many forces. The last of the national targets in policing (for increasing public confidence and targets for response times, included in the policing pledge) were removed by the Home Secretary in 2010. This review aims in the first instance to understand the extent to which targets - and their associated behaviours - persist and has involved desk research, interviews, force visits and a survey of police officers and staff. Over 6,000 people completed the survey and, while methodological limitations mean the results needs to be interpreted with caution, the fact that so many officers and staff took the time to respond is telling of how strongly many feel about this subject.

Details: London: Home Office, 2015. 80p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 8, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/466058/Review_Targets_2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/466058/Review_Targets_2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 137802

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Decision-Making
Evidence-Based Practices
Police Legitimacy
Police Performance
Police Problem-Solving
Police Reform
Policing

Author: Great Britain. Office for National Statistics

Title: Crime Statistics: Focus on Violent Crime and Sexual Offences, year ending march 2015

Summary: This release is a collaboration between ONS and Home Office analysts. It explores a variety of official statistics on violent crime and is based on interviews carried out on the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) in the year to March 2014 and crimes recorded by the police period over the same period. Trend analysis from both sources is included. This release is split into five chapters, each covering a different aspect of violent crime. The first chapter provides an overview of violent crime, summarising the extent and range of violent crime together with an analysis of long term trends. It also explores information such as the characteristics of the victim and the offender, as well as where and when incidents took place. The second chapter presents analyses of data gathered from the Home Office Homicide Index which includes murder, manslaughter and infanticide. The chapter discusses trends in homicide and puts the latest figures in the context of international comparisons. It also provides details on the characteristics of victims and suspects. The third chapter presents findings on the use of weapons in selected offences recorded by the police including firearms, knives and sharp instruments. It includes information on how they are used, and the injuries caused, as well as describing the geographical distribution of these offences. The fourth chapter uses data from a self-completion section on the 2013/14 CSEW which asks about experience of sexual and domestic violence. It describes offences occurring in the 12 months before the interview as well as those taking place since age 16. The chapter explores aspects of serious sexual assault and attitudes to sexual violence. The final chapter presents findings from the 2013/14 CSEW on violent incidents where alcohol has been a factor. Additional analysis on the nature of alcohol-related violence is also provided from the combined datasets of the 2012/13 and 2013/14 CSEW. This chapter also presents some information on alcohol-related violent crime recorded by the police. Key points - The Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) continues to show steady declines in violent crime over the last 20 years. Between the 1995 and the 2013/14 surveys, the number of violent crime incidents has fallen from 3.8 million in 1995 to 1.3 million in 2013/14. - Violent crime victimisation rates have fallen by more than half since peak levels of crime in the mid-1990s. In 1995 4.8% of adults aged 16 and over were a victim of violent crime in the previous year, compared with 1.8% in the 2013/14 survey. - Homicide has also shown a general downward trend since 2002/03. The number of currently recorded homicides for 2013/14 (526) and 2011/12 (528) were the lowest since 1989 (521). The number of homicides in 2013/14 was equivalent to 9.2 offences per million population. - As in previous years, children under one year old had the highest rate of homicide (23.9 offences per million population) compared with other age groups. With the exception of those aged under one year, adults generally had higher incidence rates of being a victim of homicide than children. - The numbers of sexual offences (64,205) in 2013/14 was the highest recorded by the police since 2002/03. As well as improvements in recording, this is thought to reflect a greater willingness of victims to come forward to report such crimes. The CSEW has not seen a rise in the prevalence of sexual assault. The latest estimates show a small fall in sexual assault victimisation rates compared with the previous year. - In 2013/14, there were 7,709 offences in which firearms were involved, a 5% decrease compared with 2012/13. Offences involving knives or sharp instruments fell by 2% between 2012/13 and 2013/14 (to 25,972). These falls follow a sustained downward trend over a number of years. - The profile of victims of violent crime and sexual violence varied according to the type of offence. The CSEW showed that young men were most likely to be the victims of violence, while in contrast young women were more likely to have experienced sexual assault (including attempts). - Women were also more likely to be a victim of domestic abuse, with 8.5% of women and 4.5% of men having experienced domestic abuse in the last year, equivalent to an estimated 1.4 million female victims and 700,000 male victims. - In 2013/14, as in previous years, around two-thirds of homicide victims (65%) were male. In contrast, victims killed by a partner or ex-partner were more likely to be women. - Victims perceived the offender(s) to be under the influence of alcohol in 53% of violent incidents. This is equivalent to an estimated 704,000 'alcohol-related' violent incidents. While the volume of violent incidents that were 'alcohol-related' has fallen over time the proportion has remained relatively steady over the last ten years. Alcohol was a particularly prevalent factor in violent incidents between strangers, 64% of which were perceived to be alcohol-related.

Details: London: Office of National Statistics, 2016. various pagings

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 16, 2016 at: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Crime+and+Justice#tab-sum-pub

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/taxonomy/index.html?nscl=Crime+and+Justice#tab-sum-pub

Shelf Number: 137883

Keywords:
Alcohol-Related Crime
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys
Domestic Violence
Firearms
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Sexual Assault
Sexual Offenses
Sexual Violence
Victimization
Violent Crime
Weapons

Author: Perreault, Samuel

Title: Criminal Victimization in Canada, 2014

Summary: Criminal victimization has serious impacts on the well-being of victims, their families and friends, their community and on society as a whole (Justice Canada 2013). Impacts can be both direct and indirect and can include financial, physical, psychological as well as emotional consequences. Overall, crime can impact a community's sense of well being, and can result in heightened costs for policing, victim services and additional prevention measures adopted by businesses and communities. In addition to collecting police-reported data annually through the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR), every five years Statistics Canada conducts the General Social Survey (GSS) on Victimization which asks Canadians to self-report victimization for eight offence types. Data from the GSS inform us on the victimization experiences of Canadians aged 15 years and older, including incidents not brought to the attention of the police. This information is used by various justice stakeholders to guide victim services, policing, family violence initiatives, and crime prevention programs (Government of Canada 2012). This Juristat article presents the first results from the 2014 GSS on Victimization. The analysis provides insight on the nature and extent of criminal victimization in the 10 provinces. The report also examines the factors associated with the risk of being the victim of a crime, the consequences of victimization, and the reporting of incidents to police. While the rates presented in the first part of this report include data on spousal violence, the sections on the characteristics of incidents, consequences of victimization and reporting to police exclude data on spousal violence. Data on spousal violence were collected using a different methodology and will be analysed in a separate report.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2015. 42p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat, 35(1): Accessed February 25, 2016 at; http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2015001/article/14241-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 137968

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Duncan, L.

Title: Northern Ireland Reofffending Methodology: Methodology and Glossary Part 1

Summary: The purpose of this bulletin is to provide a detailed methodology of how recidivism is calculated in Northern Ireland. This will aid users of this information to better understand both what is meant by the findings and how to interpret them.

Details: Belfast: Northern Ireland Department of Justice, 2014. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 8, 2016 at: https://www.dojni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/doj/4-2014-ni-reoffending-methodology-methodology-and-glossary-part-1.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.dojni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/doj/4-2014-ni-reoffending-methodology-methodology-and-glossary-part-1.pdf

Shelf Number: 138123

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Recidivism
Reoffending

Author: South Australia. Attorney-General's Department. Office of Crime Statistics and Research

Title: Graffiti Control Act 2001: All Sections

Summary: This report provides an analysis of crime statistics for offences under the South Australian Graffiti Control Act 2001 for the period 2010-11 to 2013-14. These statistics include offences recorded by police, charges on police apprehension reports, and court outcomes and penalties for offences prosecuted under this legislation.

Details: Adelaide: South Australia, Attorney-General's Department, 2015.

Source: Internet Resource: Legislation Profile: Accessed March 12, 2016 at: http://www.ocsar.sa.gov.au/docs/other_publications/Legislation_Profile_2013-14_-_Graffiti_Control_Act_2001.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.ocsar.sa.gov.au/docs/other_publications/Legislation_Profile_2013-14_-_Graffiti_Control_Act_2001.pdf

Shelf Number: 138199

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Graffiti
Vandalism

Author: Granath, Sven

Title: Lethal violence in Sweden 1990-2014: A description of trends with a specific focus on firearm violence

Summary: Lethal violence is a central type of offence in studies of crime trends in Sweden and in other countries. The rate of unreported cases, i.e. events which never come to the police's attention, is believed to be low for such offences and there is relatively consistent data over time. This report analyses all cases of completed murder, manslaughter, and assault with a lethal outcome of which the police were aware from 1990-2014. The purpose is to describe lethal violence in Sweden, both with a focus on the general trends and with a specific focus on lethal violence with firearms. The latter type of lethal violence has been given a great deal of attention during recent years, not the least in connection with reports of shootings in major cities while, at the same time, there has not yet been a detailed analysis of lethal firearm violence. In addition to information from the criminal justice system regarding cases of lethal violence (police investigations, sentences, etc.), the report also uses data from the National Board of Health and Welfare's cause of death register and patient register.

Details: Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra), 2015. 10p.

Source: Internet Resource: English summary of Bra report 2015:24: Accessed March 14, 2016 at: https://www.bra.se/download/18.47fa372d1520dfb2fc51b888/1452503671860/2015_Lethal_violence_in_Sweden_1990_2014.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: Sweden

URL: https://www.bra.se/download/18.47fa372d1520dfb2fc51b888/1452503671860/2015_Lethal_violence_in_Sweden_1990_2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 138213

Keywords:
Alcohol Related Crime
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Firearms
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Hvitfeldt, Thomas

Title: Swedish Crime Survey 2015

Summary: This report presents the overall results of the 2015 Swedish Crime Survey (Swedish abbreviation: NTU). Approximately 12,400 persons responded to the questions; this was a 63 per cent response rate to the survey. Most participated through telephone interviews, but a smaller percentage participated through posted questionnaires or Internet questionnaires. The results of the report are summarised below, divided into the following areas of enquiry: exposure to crime, insecurity, trust in the criminal justice system, and victims' contacts with the justice system.

Details: Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra), 2016. 10p.

Source: Internet Resource: English summary of Bra report 2016:1: Accessed March 14, 2016 at: https://www.bra.se/download/18.47fa372d1520dfb2fc572961/1454313352735/2016_NTU_summary_2015.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Sweden

URL: https://www.bra.se/download/18.47fa372d1520dfb2fc572961/1454313352735/2016_NTU_summary_2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 138215

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
National Crime Survey

Author: Lum, Kristian

Title: Estimating Undocumented Homicides with Two Lists and List Dependence

Summary: Homicides tend to be hidden from public view. Perpetrators are often motivated to conceal the crime, and victims' families may be afraid to denounce the violence; concealment and the families' fear may be most acute when the perpetrators of the crime are state authorities, like the police. Consequently, lists of homicides tend to be partial, and they tend to emphasize victims with high social visibility: victims who are relatively well-known, and whose killing occurs in daylight, in urban areas, and in view of bystanders motivated to report the crime. Other killings without these aspects more frequently remain hidden from public knowledge. When two or more groups provide lists of victims of homicide, it is possible to estimate the total population of victims, including those who were not documented on any of the lists being used. The technique is called capture-recapture or multiple systems estimation (MSE; an introduction to the method is here). Intuitively, the more overlaps among the lists, the more plausible it is that the population they are drawing from is small. A standard assumption in MSE is that the lists are statistically independent (see Q13, here), i.e. that an incident being recorded on one list makes the incident no more or less likely to be recorded on the other lists. Another standard assumption is homogeneity of recording probabilities (see Q11, here), i.e. that the probability of recording patterns does not vary across the population being estimated. Heterogeneity in recording probabilities can induce list dependence (International Working Group for Disease Monitoring and Forecasting, 1995). Thus, the independence assumption is rarely true, but with three or more lists we can estimate the dependence among subsets of the lists, following the method proposed by Bishop et al. (1975). In estimates made by the Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG), we use three or more lists to take advantage of the additional lists to estimate the list dependence rates. Whether estimates produced under the assumption of independence over-or underestimate the true population size depends on correlations between inclusion in different lists. Lists are positively correlated if the appearance of an incident on one list makes it more likely that the incident appears on the other list. One mechanism through which this can occur is if the both lists are compiled using some of the same underlying data sources. Positive list correlation also occurs between lists collected by projects that share similar social constituencies, for example, lists of victims collected by police and by municipal social workers may tend to draw from communities that trust the government, while communities that do not trust the government may avoid both police and government social service projects. Lists are negatively correlated if the appearance of an incident on one list makes it less likely that the incident was recorded on the other list. This can occur if the groups gathering data tend to focus their efforts on different geographic regions or periods of time, or if one documentation group draws from one political party while another documentation group draws from a competing party. When dependence between two lists is positive, the two-list independence estimator will be biased downward, and when list dependence is negative, this estimate will be biased upward. In practice, we have found that most list dependence is positive. In this document, we propose a method to include a correction for list dependence in the two list case, producing a range of estimates. In essence, we propose performing a sensitivity analysis to the independence assumption. For the values we use in the correction, we derive list dependence measures from contextually similar projects where we believe the underlying data generating processes was similar to the data collection done by the two groups recording from our target population. That is, we select other data sets that we believe exhibit similar list dependence properties to the two lists of records from our target population. Thus, we can estimate a population total using only two lists that accounts for list dependence. This approach assumes that the list dependence in the two lists from our target population is comparable to the list dependence in other projects (and populations) where we have three or more lists.

Details: San Francisco?: Human Rights Data Analysis Group, 2015. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 21, 2016 at: https://hrdag.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015-hrdag-estimating-undoc-homicides.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: International

URL: https://hrdag.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/2015-hrdag-estimating-undoc-homicides.pdf

Shelf Number: 138348

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders

Author: Males, Mike

Title: Is Proposition 47 to Blame for California's 2015 Increase in Urban Crime?

Summary: In November 2014, nearly 60 percent of California's electorate voted to pass Proposition 47. This proposition made substantial sentencing reforms by reducing certain nonviolent, non-serious offenses, such as minor drug possession and shoplifting, from felonies to misdemeanors (CJCJ, 2014). Because the changes made by the new law applied retroactively, incarcerated people serving felony sentences for offenses affected by Proposition 47 were eligible to apply for resentencing to shorten their sentences or to be released outright. Those who already completed felony sentences for Proposition 47 offenses could also apply to change their criminal records to reflect the reforms. Critics of Proposition 47 contended it would increase crime by releasing those convicted of dangerous or violent felonies early. Opponents also suggested that reducing the severity of sentences for certain felonies would fail to deter people from committing crimes or completing court-ordered probation requirements. In the initial months following the passage of Proposition 47, California's jail population dropped by about 9,000 between November 2014 and March 2015 (the most recent date for which county jail figures are available at this time) (BSCC, 2016). State prisons reported over 4,500 releases attributed to Proposition 47 (CDCR, 2016), for a total incarcerated population decline of more than 6 percent - a substantial decrease. Similar to the initial year after Public Safety Realignment took effect, January-June 2015 saw general increases in both violent and property crime in California's cities with populations of 100,000 or more (Table 1). During this period, homicide and burglary showed slight declines, while other Part I violent and property offenses experienced increases. Is Proposition 47 to blame for the increases in reported urban crimes? This report tests this question by comparing changes in crime rates, from January-June 2014 and January-June 2015, in California's 68 largest cities to changes in: (a) county jail populations and (b) Proposition 47-related discharges and releases from prison to resentencing counties.

Details: San Francisco: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2016. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2016 at: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/proposition_47_and_urban_crime_2015.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/proposition_47_and_urban_crime_2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 138458

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Neighborhoods and Crime
Proposition 47
Urban Crime

Author: Dumont, Robyn

Title: 2015 Maine Crime Victimization Report

Summary: The purpose of the Maine Crime Victimization Survey (MCVS) is to understand the extent of criminal victimization in Maine. This study includes findings from the most recent MCVS and features comparisons with other MCVS surveys done in 2006 and 2011. Several states do their own crime victimization surveys because findings from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), cannot be analyzed at the state level. As of July 2014, 14 states had developed and administered their own crime victimization surveys. Utah and Idaho have administered their surveys six and four times respectively. The MCVS supplements other crime findings, most notably the Department of Public Safety's annual Crime in Maine reports. What sets the MCVS report apart from other crime reports in Maine is that it includes both reported and unreported crimes and the characteristics of both victims and offenders. The following is a summary of key findings from the 2015 survey: Crime Perceptions 􀂃 Most Mainers felt safe in their communities: A total of 91.0% of survey respondents indicated that they felt safe in the communities in which they lived. Likewise, 86.3% of survey respondents stated they were not fearful of being the victims of a violent crime. 􀂃 Victims of crime felt less safe in their communities: Only 67.6% of those who were victims of violent crime in the past 12 months felt safe in their communities. Also, 78.1% of respondents who reported being the victim of a property crime in the last 12 months felt safe. 􀂃 More than two-thirds of survey respondents indicated that law enforcement was doing a good job in their communities: 69.1% of respondents indicated that law enforcement was doing a good job. This figure falls to 34.3% for victims of violent crime in the past 12 months and 48.0% for victims of property crime in the past 12 months. 􀂃 One out of five respondents (20.0%) believed that crime had increased over the past three years: Among crime victims, however, the rate was higher-41.7% of violent crime victims believed crime in their communities had increased. 􀂃 Mainers feel that drug abuse contributes most to crime: Over three-quarters of survey respondents (79.2%) held this view. After drugs, respondents identified exposure to domestic violence, lack of parental discipline, alcohol, poverty, and the breakdown of family life as contributors. Respondents reported the highest victimization rates for identity theft, property crime, and stalking. Identity Theft 36.4% of respondents reported being victimized by identity theft in the previous 12 months. Property Crime 15.1% of respondents reported being victimized by property crime in the previous 12 months. Stalking 14.4% of respondents reported being the recipient of unwanted behavior that constitutes stalking in the previous 12 months.

Details: Portland, ME: Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, 2015. 66p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 31, 2016 at: http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/justiceresearch/Publications/Adult/2015_Maine_Crime_Victimization_Survey.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://muskie.usm.maine.edu/justiceresearch/Publications/Adult/2015_Maine_Crime_Victimization_Survey.pdf

Shelf Number: 138516

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Survey
Victimization Survey
Victims of crime

Author: Addington, Lynn A.

Title: Animal Cruelty Crime Statistics: Findings from a Survey of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs

Summary: Animal cruelty is a crime throughout the United States, and certain forms of animal cruelty are felonies in 47 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Islands. The connection between animal cruelty and other forms of violence is well established (Ascione, 2001; Vaughn, et al., 2009; Walton-Moss, et al., 2005). Taken together, these facts support the need to include animal cruelty data in national crime statistics. In 2003, an effort began to have the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) collect and code animal cruelty crimes as part of its Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR). The motivation for this change is two-fold. First, obtaining animal cruelty data would allow for annual estimates as well as identification of trends over time. Second, these data would be available to researchers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to promote a better understanding of animal cruelty and develop evidence-based policy. At first, this effort sought to obtain a legislative remedy compelling the collection of animal cruelty data. After a series of exchanges with the FBI, staff from the Animal Welfare Institute (AWI) met with personnel from the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) to discuss the dimensions of this proposal. One issue that arose from these meetings was a lack of knowledge regarding what, if any, animal cruelty data were being collected by state UCR programs. To better understand the collection of animal cruelty data as well as interest among state UCR programs in such data, AWI, with consultant Dr. Lynn Addington of American University, surveyed members of the Association of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs (ASUCRP). This report discusses the findings from that survey.

Details: Washington, DC: Animal Welfare Institute, 2012. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 16, 2016 at: https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/products/ca-12fbireportfinal040312_0.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: https://awionline.org/sites/default/files/products/ca-12fbireportfinal040312_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 138689

Keywords:
Animal Cruelty
Animal Welfare
Crime Statistics

Author: Shrader, Elizabeth

Title: Methodologies to Measure the Gender Dimensions of Crime and Violence

Summary: The prevalence rate of violence - as measured by such indicators as domestic assault, homicide, and crime victimization - varies widely locally and worldwide, suggesting that violent behavior is modifiable and preventable. Developing standardized, accurate ways to measure and map violence across communities and countries is the first step toward developing programs to prevent it. Recent studies have used homicide rates, police statistics, and crime victimization surveys to pinpoint violent areas. Shrader argues that these useful measures of crime and violence underestimate certain types of violence (especially noneconomic violence) and key dimensions of violence (especially age and gender). A composite index based on monitoring and surveillance of homicides, crime statistics, and victimization surveys can provide invaluable "first round" snapshots of urban violence - information to monitor crime trends, warn against incipient crime waves, and indicate areas where more in-depth "second round" studies are needed to explore causality, the impact of interventions, and public opinion. But a composite index of municipally generated information about trends depends heavily on the quality of the data collected and will not explain why trends or changes occur. Other indicators are needed to strengthen surveillance and to facilitate the planning of interventions and evaluation. It would be helpful, for example, to distinguish between social, economic, and political violence, and to provide items on autopsy reports, crime statistics, and victimization surveys to gain insight into what motivates violence. Information useful for analyzing causes of violence might include: - Individual: Socioeconomic data about victims and perpetrators and information about their use of alcohol, drugs, or firearms. - Interpersonal: Whether victim and perpetrator belonged to the same family or household, had an affective relationship, were acquaintances or were strangers. - Institutional: Crime characteristics (physical injuries sustained, weapons used, value of property lost, where crime occurred); characteristics of victim and perpetrator; whether the crime was reported; per capita police and private security; presence of gangs in community; estimated number of gangs and gang members; level of gang organization (low, medium, high); and other measures of social capital. - Structural: Levels of impunity (number of convictions as a ratio of number of arrests); levels of corruption; indices of social exclusion, such as racism, gender discrimination, or area stigma; the dynamics between violence and access to (and control of) such resources as land, water, and wealth. Crime mapping, to provide visual confirmation of noted trends, might be combined with information about the relative locations of battered women's shelters, police stations, and the distribution of family violence in residential areas.

Details: Washington, DC: The World Bank, 2001. 39p.

Source: Internet Resource: World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 2648 : Accessed May 2, 2016 at: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=632716

Year: 2001

Country: International

URL: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=632716

Shelf Number: 138846

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gender-Based Violence
Violence
Violence Against Women, Girls
Violent Crime

Author: Allen, Mary

Title: Young Adult Offenders in Canada, 2014

Summary: Young adult offenders in Canada, 2014: highlights - Police-reported data show that young adults aged 18 to 24 have the highest rates of criminal offending of any age group. In 2014, there were over 183,000 young adults accused of crimes by police, representing a rate of 5,428 individuals accused per 100,000 young adults. In comparison, the rates of accused for youth aged 12 to 17 (4,322 per 100,000 youth) as well as for adults aged 25 to 29 (4,712) and 30 to 34 (4,022) were notably lower. - Between 2009 and 2014, the rate of all individuals accused of crime by police in Canada fell 22%. Over this timeframe, the overall rate for young adults accused declined 31%. However, the drop was greatest among young adults aged 18 and 19 (-37%), similar to that for youth aged 12 to 17 (-39%). The drop among 20- to 24-year-old young adults accused of crime was slightly smaller (-24%), but still greater than for adults aged 25 to 29 (-10%) and those aged 30 and older (-10%). - The criminal offences most frequently committed by young adults were theft of $5,000 or under (727 per 100,000 young adults), common assault (682 per 100,000 young adults), and mischief (585 per 100,000 young adults). Almost one quarter of young adults accused of crime were accused in offences against the administration of justice (1,286 per 100,000 young adults)- primarily failure to comply with the conditions of a sentence, breach of probation and failure to appear. In addition, rates of individuals accused of cannabis possession were also high among young adults (747 per 100,000). - Rates of individuals accused of homicide and attempted murder, as well as assault (levels 1, 2 and 3), were highest among young adults compared to older adults and youth. In addition, young adults had the highest rates of mischief, disturbing the peace, Criminal Code traffic violations (primarily impaired driving), and "other" Criminal Code offences. - As a group, young adults had the highest rates of drug offences under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Two-thirds (67%) of all young adults accused in drug crimes were accused of cannabis possession. While cannabis possession peaked at age 18 in 2014, the rates of individuals accused of non-cannabis drug offences peaked later at age 21. - Although property crimes, such as theft of $5,000 or under, were common among young adults, they were generally more frequent among youth. Youth aged 12 to 17 had higher rates than young adults for many property crimes, most notably break and enter and theft of $5,000 or under. Youth also had higher rates than young adults for robbery and uttering threats. In addition, youth had the highest accused rates for sexual assault level 1 and sexual violations against children. - Police-reported data show that, in 2014, overall criminal offending in Canada peaked at age 17 and then declined steadily with age, but the nature of the age-crime distribution differed by type of offence. For some offences, most notably theft of $5,000 or under, break and enter, uttering threats, robbery, motor vehicle theft, and sexual offences, accused rates peaked among youth before age 18, and were considerably lower by age 25. - Rates of homicide and attempted murder as well as major assault, mischief, and cannabis possession peaked among young adults, but were notably lower by age 30. For other crimes, offending declined with age, but the aging-out process appeared to be more gradual. These include common assault, criminal harassment, impaired driving, non-cannabis drug offences, as well as disturbing the peace. - The Territories show a notable variation from the association between criminal offending and age shown nationally. Instead, the rate of individuals accused of crime in the territories in 2014 peaked at age 24 and continued to remain high until about age 50. This is mainly the result of high rates of non-violent offences, primarily mischief and disturbing the peace.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2016. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat, 36(1): Accessed May 18, 2016 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14561-eng.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14561-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 139068

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Offenders
Young Adult Offenders

Author: International Association for Healthcare Security and Safety Foundation (IAHSS)

Title: 2016 Healthcare Crime Survey

Summary: The 2016 Healthcare Crime Survey was commissioned under the IAHSS Foundation's Research and Grants Program. The purpose of the 2016 Healthcare Crime Survey is to provide healthcare professionals with an understanding of the frequency and nature of crimes that impact hospitals. Hospital security leaders in both the United States and Canada were invited to participate. Specifically, we asked that the highest ranking hospital security professional (or their designee) at each hospital to respond to the survey. The 2016 Healthcare Crime Survey collected information on ten (10) different types of crimes deemed relevant to hospitals: Murder Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault Assault (Simple) Disorderly Conduct Burglary Theft (Larceny-Theft) Motor Vehicle Theft Vandalism For the 2016 Healthcare Crime Survey, we received 366 responses from both U.S. (n = 326) and Canadian (n = 40) hospitals. Of those 366 responses, 302 were usable responses. This represents an increase in usable responses compared to the 2015 Healthcare Crime Survey. A response was considered usable if the respondent provided data for each of the crime questions and the hospital's bed count. Bed counts were necessary as the Healthcare Crime Survey has used bed count as a surrogate indicator of hospital size and more specifically to calculate crime rates for each of the ten crimes studied.

Details: Glendale Heights, IL: IACHSS, 2016. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: IAHSS-F CS-16: Accessed June 13, 2016 at: http://ihssf.org/PDF/2016crimesurvey.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://ihssf.org/PDF/2016crimesurvey.pdf

Shelf Number: 139401

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Healthcare Facilities
Hospital Security
Hospitals
Workplace Crime

Author: Rosenfeld, Richard

Title: Documenting and Explaining the 2015 Homicide Rise: Research Directions

Summary: The debate over the size, scope and causes of the homicide increase in 2015 has been largely free of systematic evidence. This paper documents the scale of the homicide increase for a sample of 56 large U.S. cities. It then examines three plausible explanations of the homicide rise: an expansion of urban drug markets fueled by the heroin epidemic, reductions in incarceration resulting in a growing number of released prisoners in the nation's cities, and a "Ferguson effect" resulting from widely publicized incidents of police use of deadly force against minority citizens. The paper concludes with a call for the more frequent and timely release of crime information to address crime problems as they arise. The homicide increase in the nation's large cities was real and nearly unprecedented. It was also heavily concentrated in a few cities with large African-American populations. Empirical explanations of the homicide increase must await future research based on year-end crime data for 2015. Several empirical indicators for assessing the explanations under consideration here are discussed. For example, if the homicide increase resulted from an expansion in urban drug markets, we should observe larger increases in drug-related homicides than those committed under other circumstances. If returning prisoners fueled the homicide increase, that should be reflected in growing numbers of homicides committed by parolees. It will be more difficult to empirically evaluate the so-called Ferguson effect on crime increases, depending on the version of this phenomenon under consideration. The dominant interpretation of the Ferguson effect is that criticism of the police stemming from widely publicized and controversial incidents of the use of force against minority citizens caused the police to disengage from vigorous enforcement activities. Another version of the Ferguson effect, however, switches the focus from changes in police behavior to the longstanding grievances and discontent with policing in African-American communities. In this interpretation, when activated by controversial incidents of police use of force, chronic discontent erupts into violence. The de-policing interpretation of the Ferguson effect can be evaluated with data on arrests and other forms of self-initiated activity by the police. De-policing should be reflected in declining arrest rates in cities experiencing homicide increases. Tracing the pathways from chronic levels of discontent to an escalation in homicide will ultimately require ethnographic studies in minority communities that reveal, for example, whether offenders believe they can engage in crime without fear that residents will contact the police or cooperate in police investigations. Such studies could also disclose other linkages between discontent, police use of force and criminal violence. In summary, the following research questions for documenting and explaining the 2015 homicide rise, at a minimum, should be pursued when the requisite data become available: - How large and widespread was the homicide increase in 2015? Did other crimes also increase? - What conditions drove the homicide increase? Candidate explanations must account for the timing as well as the magnitude and scope of the increase. - What role, if any, did the expansion of drug markets play in the 2015 homicide increase? Was there a relative increase in drug arrests and drug-related homicides? - Did declining imprisonment rates contribute to the 2015 homicide rise? Was the increase greater in cities with more returning prisoners and among parolees? - What role did the Ferguson effect play in the homicide rise? If de-policing contributed to the increase, arrest rates should have declined in cities experiencing the largest homicide increases. An open question is how to evaluate the role, if any, of community discontent with the police. Ethnographic studies, among other methods, should be high on the list of research approaches to identify the mechanisms linking police legitimacy and escalating levels of violence. Researchers would have been in a better position to begin addressing the 2015 homicide rise, with evidence rather than speculation, if timely crime data had been available as the increase was occurring. We would have known whether the homicide rise was confined to large cities, whether other crimes were also increasing, and whether arrest rates were falling. The debate over the homicide increase would have been better informed. Technical impediments to the monthly release of crime data no longer exist. A large and worrisome increase in homicide should be the catalyst to finally bring the nation's crime monitoring system into the 21st century.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, 2016. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 28, 2016 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249895.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/249895.pdf

Shelf Number: 139525

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: New York City Department of Investigation

Title: An Analysis of Quality-of-Life Summonses, Quality-of-Life Misdemeanors Arrests, and Felony Crime in New York City, 2010-2015

Summary: Between 2010 and 2015, the New York City Police Department (NYPD) issued 1,839,414 "quality - of- life" summonses for offenses such as public urination, disorderly conduct, drinking alcohol in public, and possession of small amounts of marijuana. There are a number of legitimate reasons to issue such summonses, most notably to address community concerns and police the offenses in question. Further, maintaining order is a goal in and of itself. Addressing disorder is a basic government function, and writing summonses may be a necessary tool toward that end. However, NYPD has claimed for two decades that quality-of-life enforcement is also a key tool in the reduction of felony crime, most recently in the 2015 report, Broken Windows and Quality- of-Life Policing in New York City. Whether there is systemic data to support the effectiveness of quality-of-life summonses and misdemeanor arrests for this particular purpose is a question of considerable importance. New York City is a safer city today than it was in years past. In the period reviewed, 2010 through 2015, felony rates continued to decline and remain at historic lows. What factors contributed to this safer city is a worthy inquiry because identifying what works will help the Department become more strategic and more efficient. It is equally important to identify which factors are not supported by evidence. Issuing summonses and making misdemeanor arrests are not cost free. The cost is paid in police time, in an increase in the number of people brought into the criminal justice system and, at times, in a fraying of the relationship between the police and the communities they serve. So that future discussion of this issue can take place in the clear light of objective data, the Department of Investigation's Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD (OIG-NYPD) undertook to examine what, if any, data-driven evidence links quality- of-life enforcement - defined narrowly for purposes of this Report as quality- of-life criminal summonses and quality- of-life misdemeanor arrests - to a reduction in felony crime.

Details: New York: New York City Department of Investigation, Office of the Inspector General for the NYPD, 2016. 85p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 13, 2016 at: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/oignypd/downloads/pdf/Quality-of-Life-Report-2010-2015.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www1.nyc.gov/assets/oignypd/downloads/pdf/Quality-of-Life-Report-2010-2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 139632

Keywords:
Arrests
Broken Windows Theory
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Felonies
Misdemeanors
Summonses

Author: Perouse de Montclos, Marc-Antoine, ed.

Title: Violence in Nigeria: A qualitative and quantitative analysis

Summary: Most of the academic literature on violence in Nigeria is qualitative. It rarely relies on quantitative data because police crime statistics are not reliable, or not available, or not even published. Moreover, the training of Nigerian social scientists often focuses on qualitative, cultural, and political issues. There is thus a need to bridge the qualitative and quantitative approaches of conflict studies. This book represents an innovation and fills a gap in this regard. It is the first to introduce a discussion on such issues in a coherent manner, relying on a database that fills the lacunae in data from the security forces. The authors underline the necessity of a trend analysis to decipher the patterns and the complexity of violence in very different fields: from oil production to cattle breeding, radical Islam to motor accidents, land conflicts to witchcraft, and so on. In addition, they argue for empirical investigation and a complementary approach using both qualitative and quantitative data. The book is therefore organized into two parts, with a focus first on statistical studies, then on fieldwork. The book is a co-publication of the ASCL and IFRA (Institut Francais de Recherche en Afrique).

Details: Leiden: African Studies Center, 2016. 218p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 29, 2016 at: http://www.ascleiden.nl/news/violence-nigeria-qualitative-and-quantitative-analysis

Year: 2016

Country: Nigeria

URL: http://www.ascleiden.nl/news/violence-nigeria-qualitative-and-quantitative-analysis

Shelf Number: 139893

Keywords:
Cattle Raiding
Crime Statistics
Oil
Terrorism
Violent Crime

Author: Violence Policy Center

Title: Firearm Justifiable Homicides and Non-Fatal Self-Defense Gun Use: An Analysis of Federal Bureau of Investigation and National Crime Victimization Survey Data

Summary: In 2012, across the nation there were only 259 justifiable homicides involving a private citizen using a firearm reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program as detailed in its Supplementary Homicide Report (SHR). That same year, there were 8,342 criminal gun homicides tallied in the SHR. In 2012, for every justifiable homicide in the United States involving a gun, guns were used in 32 criminal homicides . And this ratio, of course, does not take into account the tens of thousands of lives ended in gun suicides or unintentional shootings that year. This report analyzes, on both the national and state levels, the use of firearms in justifiable homicides. It also details, using the best data available on the national level, the total number of times guns are used for self-defense by the victims of both attempted and completed violent crimes and property crimes whether or not the use of the gun by the victim resulted in a fatality.

Details: Washington, DC: VPC, 2015. 18p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 2, 2016 at: http://www.vpc.org/studies/justifiable15.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.vpc.org/studies/justifiable15.pdf

Shelf Number: 139937

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Firearms
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Self-Defense

Author: Bileski, Matthew

Title: The Reporting of Sexual Assault in Arizona, CY 2003-2012

Summary: Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) - 41-2406, which became law in July 2005, requires the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission (ACJC) to compile information obtained from all Arizona disposition reporting forms on sexual assault (A.R.S. - 13-1406) and the false reporting of sexual assault involving a spouse (A.R.S. - 13-2907.03). The Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides the ACJC with the necessary records to meet the requirement. Utilizing DPS arrest and disposition data, ACJC is mandated to provide an annual sexual assault report to the Governor, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Secretary of State, and the Director of the Arizona State Library, Archives, and Public Records. The data used to complete this report are extracted by DPS from the Arizona Computerized Criminal History (ACCH) records system and provided to ACJC in January on an annual basis. By statute, local law enforcement agencies, prosecutors, and the courts are required to submit to the ACCH repository information on all arrests and subsequent case disposition information for felonies, sexual offenses, driving under the influence offenses, and domestic violence-related offenses. This report focuses on data from calendar years (CY) 2003 to 2012 and updates data reported in the CY2002 to 2011 report. The ACJC is required to report on law enforcement reporting, charge filings, and subsequent case disposition findings (specifically convictions) and sentencing of A.R.S. - 13-1406 sexual assault charges, A.R.S. - 13-1406.01 sexual assault involving a spouse charges, and - 13-2907.03 false reporting of sexual assault of a spouse charges. In addition to the mandatory sexual assault statutes, data in the report include A.R.S. - 13-1423 violent sexual assault arrest and disposition information reported to ACCH. The following summarizes some of the latest findings in year-over-year change from CY 2011 to CY 2012 for all sexual assault-related2 arrest and disposition information available in the ACCH: - The total number of arrests involving sexual assault increased from 277 in CY 2011 to 306 in CY 2012, and arrest charges also increased from 562 to 584 over the same period. A total of two arrests were made involving violent sexual assault in CY 2012, accounting for 14 violent sexual assault charges. - Over 99 percent of sexual assault-related arrestees in CY 2012 were male, an increase from 98.1 percent reported in CY 2011. The majority of arrestees continued to be white/Caucasian and under the age of 25. - Sexual assault-related arrests flagged for domestic violence increased from 33 arrests in CY 2011 to 42 arrests in CY 2012. - Convictions for sexual assault-related charges decreased from 219 in CY 2011 to 126 in CY 2012. Also in CY 2012, court dismissals outnumbered convictions at 132. - Convictions for sexual assault charges involving domestic violence remained unchanged at eight in CY 2011 and CY 2012; however, court dismissals rose from 10 to 28 during the same period. No convictions were reported for violent sexual assault and sexual assault involving a spouse charges in CY 2011 and CY 2012. - The percentage of sexual assault convictions that resulted in a sentence of probation fell from 85.4 percent in CY 2011 to 73.8 percent in CY 2012. The percentage of convictions that resulted in a sentence to prison fell from 51.1 percent in CY 2011 to 50.8 percent in CY 2012, and sentences to jail fell from 3.7 percent to 2.4 percent over the same period. Further, sentences were all, or in part, suspended for 45.2 percent of convictions in both CY 2011 and CY 2012.

Details: Phoenix: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, 2014. 43p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2016 at: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2014%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report%20Final.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United States

URL: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/2014%20ARS%2041-2406%20Report%20Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 140089

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Rape
Sex Crimes
Sex Offenders
Sexual Assaults
Sexual Violence

Author: Great Britain. Crown Prosecution Service

Title: Violence against Women and Girls: Crime Report, 2013-2014

Summary: This report is an analysis of the key prosecution issues in each Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) strand - domestic violence (DV), rape, sexual offences, stalking, harassment, forced marriage, honour based violence, female genital mutilation, child abuse, human trafficking, prostitution and pornography. We recognise that most of these offences are targeted at male victims as well as female victims. A number of case studies are used to illustrate some good practice from Areas.

Details: London: Crown Prosecution Services, 2014. 91p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 15, 2016 at: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/cps_vawg_report_2014.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/cps_vawg_report_2014.pdf

Shelf Number: 147889

Keywords:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Forced Marriage
Honour-Based Violence
Human Trafficking
Pornography
Prostitution
Sex Offenses
Violence Against Women, Girls

Author: Oudekerk, Barbara A.

Title: Co-Offending Among Adolescents in Violent Victimization, 2004-2013

Summary: Presents estimates of nonfatal violent victimizations perceived by the victim to be committed by adolescents ages 12 to 17 during 2004-13. This report compares the characteristics of violent victimizations committed by adolescents acting alone, with other adolescents, and with young adults ages 18 to 29. Victim, offender, and incident characteristics are highlighted, including the type of crime, weapon use, victim injury, and whether reported to police. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey, a self-report survey administered every 6 months to persons age 12 or older from a nationally representative sample of U.S. households. Highlights: Adolescent offenders who acted alone or with others committed 50.0 nonfatal violent victimizations per 1,000 adolescents. Adolescent offenders committed 22% of all violent victimizations, while making up 10% of the U.S. population age 12 or older during this period. In violent victimizations committed by adolescents who acted with at least one other person, co-offenders were most commonly other adolescents (59%) or young adults (28%). More violent victimizations were committed by adolescents who acted alone (64%) than those who acted with co-offenders (36%). Simple assaults made up a greater percentage of violent victimizations committed by adolescents acting alone (77%) or with other adolescents (71%), compared to victimizations by adolescents acting with young adults (53%).

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2016. 19p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 19, 2016 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/caavv0413.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/caavv0413.pdf

Shelf Number: 140356

Keywords:
Adolescents
Co-Offending
Crime Statistics
Victimization
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime
Violent Crime

Author: Mallik-Kane, Kamala

Title: What is Elder Abuse? A Taxonomy for Collecting Criminal Justice Research and Statistical Data

Summary: This report presents a working definition of elder abuse so research and statistical data may be collected uniformly across states and localities with different legal and programmatic definitions of elder abuse. Consistent definitions and counting rules are needed to permit comparisons across jurisdictions and over time. At present, there is no uniform, national-level definition of elder abuse because the social response to elder abuse has mostly occurred at the state and local levels. However, broadly speaking, "elder abuse" and its many variants are understood to encompass a range of violations against vulnerable older adults perpetrated by individuals whom the victim may be expected to trust. For example, the National Research Council has described elder abuse as "(a) intentional actions that cause harm or create a serious risk of harm to a vulnerable elder by a caregiver or other person who stands in a trust relationship to the elder, or (b) failure by a caregiver to satisfy the elder's basic needs or to protect the elder from harm" (Bonnie and Wallace 2003, 1). Correspondingly, not all victimizations of older adults constitute elder abuse. Similar acts without particular victim attributes or victim-perpetrator relationship dynamics might more simply be characterized as assault, rape, theft, or fraud. The taxonomy we present here defines elder abuse along three dimensions - (1) the acts that constitute elder abuse, (2) the characteristics of the victim, (3) the relationship between the victim and perpetrator- and incorporates a fourth dimension to distinguish between criminal and noncriminal acts based on their severity. This taxonomy builds on work conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014) to define the acts that constitute elder abuse and is supplemented by extant reviews of states' APS laws, policies, and practices, as well as information that the Urban Institute gathered directly from state APS representatives. However, APS agencies may have difficulty reporting statistical data according to this taxonomy because (1) their operational scopes often extend beyond elder abuse and (2) they may lack the data system capacity to distinguish between elder abuse and other types of cases. In the coming months, the Urban Institute will be assessing APS agencies' capacity to collect statistical data on elder abuse. Consequently, this report also presents recommendations on aspects of APS operations and data capacity to assess in support of potential future statistical and research data collection from APS agencies

Details: Washington, DC: Urban Institute, 2016. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 22, 2016 at: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/2000813-What-Is-Elder-Abuse-A-Taxonomy-for-Collecting-Criminal-Justice-Research-and-Statistical-Data.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/alfresco/publication-pdfs/2000813-What-Is-Elder-Abuse-A-Taxonomy-for-Collecting-Criminal-Justice-Research-and-Statistical-Data.pdf

Shelf Number: 146056

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Elder Abuse
Family Violence

Author: Friedman, Matthew L.

Title: Crime in 2016: A Preliminary Analysis

Summary: Earlier this year, the Brennan Center analyzed crime data from the 30 largest cities in 2015, finding that crime overall remained the same as in 2014. It also found that murder increased by 14 percent, with just three cities - Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. - responsible for half that increase. All told, 2015's murder rate was still near historic lows. The authors concluded that reports of a national crime wave were premature and unfounded, and that "the average person in a large urban area is safer walking on the street today than he or she would have been at almost any time in the past 30 years." This report updates those findings. It collects midyear data from police departments to project overall crime, violent crime, and murder for all of 2016. Its principal findings are: Crime: The overall crime rate in 2016 is projected to remain the same as in 2015, rising by 1.3 percent. Twelve cities are expected to see drops in crime. These decreases are offset by Chicago (rising 9.1 percent) and Charlotte (17.5 percent). Nationally, crime remains at an all-time low. Violence: The violent crime rate is projected to rise slightly, by 5.5 percent, with half the increase driven by Los Angeles (up 13.3 percent) and Chicago (up 16.2 percent). Even so, violent crime remains near the bottom of the nation's 30-year downward trend. Murder: The murder rate is projected to rise by 13.1 percent this year, with nearly half of this increase attributable to Chicago alone (234 of 496 murders). Significantly, other cities that drove the national murder increase in 2015 are projected to see significant decreases in 2016. Those cities include Baltimore (down 9.7 percent) and Washington, D.C. (down 12.7 percent). New York remains one of the safest large cities, even with the murder rate projected to rise 1.2 percent this year. Nationally, the murder rate is projected to increase 31.5 percent from 2014 to 2016 - with half of additional murders attributable to Baltimore, Chicago, and Houston. Since homicide rates remain low nationwide, percentage increases may overstate relatively small increases. In San Jose, for example, just 21 new murders translated to a 66.7 percent increase in the city's murder rate. Based on this data, the authors conclude there is no evidence of a national murder wave, yet increases in these select cities are indeed a serious problem. Chicago Is An Outlier: Crime rose significantly in Chicago this year and last. No other large city is expected to see a comparable increase in violence. The causes are still unclear, but some theories include higher concentrations of poverty, increased gang activity, and fewer police officers. Explanations for Overall Trends: Very few cities are projected to see crime rise uniformly this year, and only Chicago will see significant, back-to-back increases in both violent crime and murder. The authors attempted to investigate causes of these spikes, but ultimately were unable to draw conclusions due to lack of data. Based on their research, however, the authors believe cities with long-term socioeconomic problems (high poverty, unemployment, and racial segregation) are more prone to short-term spikes in crime. Because the pattern across cities is not uniform, the authors believe these spikes are created by as-of-yet unidentified local factors, rather than any sort of national characteristic. Further, it is normal for crime to fluctuate from year-to-year. The increases and decreases in most cities' murder rates in 2015 and 2016, for example, are within the range of previous two-year fluctuations, meaning they may be normal short-term variations. These findings undercut media reports referring to crime as "out of control," or heralding a new nationwide crime wave. But the data do call attention to specific cities, especially Chicago, and an urgent need to address violence there. Notably, this analysis focuses on major cities, where increases in crime and murder were highest in preliminary Uniform Crime Reporting data for 2015, so this report likely overestimates any national rise in crime. It also represents a projection based on data available through early September 2016.

Details: New York: New York University (NYU) - Brennan Center for Justice, 2016. 30p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 27, 2016 at: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/Crime_2016_Preliminary_Analysis.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/Crime_2016_Preliminary_Analysis.pdf

Shelf Number: 146147

Keywords:
Crime Statistics

Author: Jehle, Jorg-Martin

Title: Defining and Registering Criminal Offences and Measures Standards for a European Comparison

Summary: The study presented in this book is a direct response to the needs for defining and registering criminal and judicial data on the European level. Based upon work done by the European Sourcebook experts group in creating the European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics (ESB), the project intended to improve and complement the standards developed so far for definitions and statistical registration in four fields, in order to contribute to the picture of criminal justice in Europe. It utilized questionnaires filled by an established European network. Possibilities to improve the offence definitions used so far in the ESB context were explored. Also, further crime types, especially those subject to EU-harmonized definition, were tested and introduced. Based on the results of recent projects of one of the editors (Jorg-Martin Jehle), the prosecution chapter of the ESB questionnaire was changed and expanded. Data collection possibilities regarding compulsory measures in the investigatory stage were tested, and a more sophisticated approach for recording sanctions and measures had been developed, as well as for prison data. As overarching issues, ways to collect data on pre-trial detention and its surrogates and on aliens stemming from EU member states compared to those from other states were sought. The study explored how far national statistics can provide such data and developed a concept for collation on European level. The offence definitions and data collection instruments introduced and revised during the course of this project were tested and most of them were - albeit modified sometimes - included in the 4th edition ESB questionnaire. Thus, the 4th edition ESB is based on a questionnaire developed during this project. The ESB is publicized parallel to this book (Aebi et al, European Sourcebook of Crime and Criminal Justice Statistics, 4th edition, 2010, The Hague: Boom).

Details: Gottingen, Germany, Universitatsverlag Gottingen, 2010. 302p.

Source: Internet Resource: Gottingen Studies in Criminal Law and Justice: Accessed September 28, 2016 at: http://www.univerlag.uni-goettingen.de/bitstream/handle/3/isbn-978-3-941875-53-1/GSK10_jehle.pdf?sequence=1

Year: 2010

Country: Europe

URL: http://www.univerlag.uni-goettingen.de/bitstream/handle/3/isbn-978-3-941875-53-1/GSK10_jehle.pdf?sequence=1

Shelf Number: 148779

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Statistics

Author: Freeman, Linda

Title: Arrest Rates: Maya's Place Place Clients 2005-2011 and Crossroads Clients 2001-2011

Summary: In fall 2014, the New Mexico Sentencing Commission (NMSC), Crossroads and Mayas Place began a partnership to understand criminal justice involvement of clients of both programs. Staff from Crossroads and Mayas Place provided NMSC with client lists. Using these lists, NMSC staff removed any duplicated clients and identified clients who had been both Mayas Place and Crossroads clients. If a client had been in both programs, we tracked them from their start date at Mayas Place. In our initial analysis, we discovered that only 9.8% of Crossroads clients and 19.6% of Mayas Place clients had ever been to prison in New Mexico. Additionally, 31.4% of Crossroads clients and 50.6% of Mayas Place clients had been on New Mexico Corrections Department Probation and Parole Probation supervised probation anytime in the time period 2004-2014. Rather than focus our analysis on return to prison outcomes, we decided to focus our efforts on New Mexico arrests and bookings in the Bernalillo County Metropolitan Detention. In this report we will focus on New Mexico arrests. The source of the data is the New Mexico Department of Public Safety Arrest database that is provided to NMSC on a quarterly basis. The data contains all arrests in the state from January 2000 to December 2014.

Details: Albuquerque: New Mexico Sentencing Commission, 2015. 1p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2015/arrest-rates-mayas-place-clients-2005-2011-and-crossroads-clients-2001-2011.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://nmsc.unm.edu/reports/2015/arrest-rates-mayas-place-clients-2005-2011-and-crossroads-clients-2001-2011.pdf

Shelf Number: 146130

Keywords:
Arrests
Crime Statistics
Hispanics

Author: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, Statistical Analysis Center

Title: Arizona Crime Trends: A System Review, 2004-2013

Summary: On a biennial basis, the Arizona Criminal Justice Commission is tasked with preparing for the governor a criminal justice system trends report. Available resources, the size and complexity of the criminal justice system and the availability of relevant data influence the scope of the issues addressed in the report. In support of data-driven decision making, this report uses publicly available data to describe the activity of Arizona's criminal justice system from law enforcement agencies description of the offenses reported to their agencies to the population of the Arizona Department of Corrections. More specifically, in this edition of Arizona Crime Trends: A System Review, up to 10 years of data from law enforcement, the courts, corrections, and the juvenile justice system are compiled to give readers a decade overview of crime and criminal and juvenile justice system activity from 2004 to 2013 in Arizona. An analysis of the data included in this report reveals the following: Crime  In 2013, the number of violent index offenses reported to the police in Arizona was 19.5 percent lower than in 2004 and 20.9 percent lower than the decade high in 2005. Arizona remains higher than the national rate.  Although the rate of violent index offenses reported to the police decreased over the decade, the rate of forcible rape in Arizona increased 24.0 percent. Arizona remains higher than the national rate.  The rate of property index offenses reported to the police in Arizona was 36.4 percent lower in 2013 than in 2004 and 4.4 percent lower than the decade high in 2009. Arizona remains higher than the national rate.  Arizona has had a reduction in the percentage of violent crimes committed with a firearm over the decade. Cumulative decreases for murder, robbery and aggravated assault declined 16.1 percent, 23.3 percent and 12.1 percent, respectively. Arizona has consistently had a lower percentage of murders committed with a firearm compared to the national percentage since 2009. Courts  Statewide, the number of felony case filings decreased by 13.7 percent over the decade.  From state fiscal year 2004 to 2013, the number of individuals on standard probation remained similar; however, the number of individuals on intensive probation decreased 24.4 percent.  From 2004 to 2013, the courts collected $116 million in restitution from offenders on standard probation. In 2013, the amount of restitution collected from standard probationers was 6.0 percent higher than the amount of restitution collected in 2004.  From 2004 to 2013, the number of community service hours completed by standard probationers decreased by 50.7 percent from 813,823 hours in 2004 to 401,613 hours in 2013. At the 2013 minimum wage in Arizona ($7.80/hour), standard probationers performed community service work worth approximately $3.1 million in 2013.  The number of community service hours performed by intensive probationers declined by 47.9 percent over the decade from 615,182 hours in 2004 to 320,357 hours in 2013. At the 2013 minimum wage in Arizona ($7.80/hour), intensive probationers performed community service work worth approximately $2.5 million in 2013. Corrections  From 2004 to 2013, the number of individuals incarcerated in the Arizona Department of Corrections increased by 26.0 percent. The rate of increase was close to five times higher than the national increase.  At the end of calendar year 2013, 32.1 percent of inmates in the Arizona Department of Corrections were in prison for the violent offenses1 , 16.0 percent for property offenses,2 24.8 percent for drug and driving under the influence offenses, and 27.0 percent for other types of offenses. Juvenile Justice System  From 2004 to 2007, the number of juveniles referred to juvenile court remained relatively stable at approximately 49,000 youth. From 2007 to 2010, the number of juveniles referred to juvenile court decreased by 15.7 percent and continued to decline between 2010 and 2013, representing an overall cumulative decline of 40.8 percent across the decade.  From 2004 to 2013, the number of juveniles held in detention in Arizona decreased by 47.9 percent, from 12,688 to 6,610.  The number of juveniles transferred to criminal court decreased 45.4 percent across the decade.  The number of new commitments to the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections decreased 42.7 percent between 2004 and 2013.  There was a 36.3 percent increase across the decade in the percentage of new commitments to the Arizona Department of Juvenile Corrections for youth with three to five prior adjudications of delinquency and a 49.4 percent decrease for youth with six or more prior adjudications of delinquency.

Details: Phoenix: Arizona Criminal Justice Commission, 2015. 115p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/Arizona_Crime_Trends_Report_2004-2013.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: http://www.azcjc.gov/ACJC.Web/Pubs/Home/Arizona_Crime_Trends_Report_2004-2013.pdf

Shelf Number: 147761

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Criminal Justice Systems

Author: Phelps, William

Title: Domestic Violence in Idaho: 2008-2013

Summary: The purpose of this report on domestic violence in Idaho is to inform the criminal justice community and other interested parties about the prevalence and characteristics of intimate partner violence and court cases often associated with domestic violence within the state of Idaho. This report presents information on police-reported violence between intimate partners and domestic violence related court cases during 2008 through 2013. Information on intimate partner violence comes from police incidents reported to the Idaho Incident Based Reporting System (IIBRS). Within this section, Intimate partner violence (IPV) refers to violent crimes reported to the police where the victim was an offender's spouse, ex-spouse, common-law spouse, or boy/girlfriend, as provided in police incident reports. As a result, data from IIBRS does not necessarily reflect the statutory definition of domestic violence in the state of Idaho. Within the Idaho Supreme Court Records section of this report, domestic violence is defined by statute as a battery or assault of another household member (i.e., spouse, former spouse, child in common, or a cohabitant). Included in the analysis of court data are crimes associated with domestic violence: stalking, attempted strangulation, protection order violations, violations of no contact orders, as well as domestic violenceassault/battery. Highlights Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) from the Idaho Incident Based Reporting System (IIBRS) - Simple assaults make up 76% of all IPV crime and 67% of all violent crime. - The majority of violent crimes are by someone known to the victim (80.4%). - Crimes involving intimates most frequently occurred on Sunday (18.4%) and Saturday (16.7%). - Bannock County (5.34), Clearwater County (5.31), and Kootenai County (5.23) had the highest average rates of IPV victims per 1,000 residents between 2008-2013, - Violent crimes involving intimate partners were more likely to result in an arrest, however, prosecution was more likely to be declined. Domestic Violence Related Court Cases - A total of 72,383 violent offenses (aggravated assault, homicide, rape, harassment etc.) were filed from 2008 through 2013. Of those, 45% were domestic violence related charges (n=32,761). - Domestic assault/battery was the leading charge for 2008-2013 with 59% of charges falling within that category. - Of the cases where age was included, more than one third (37.3%) of the defendants were between the ages of 25 and 34. This group accounted for 7,097 domestic violence related charges. - Almost half of the charges involving domestic assault/battery were amended to another charge before the case was closed.

Details: Meridian, ID: Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, Idaho State Police, 2015. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 29, 2016 at: https://www.isp.idaho.gov/pgr/inc/documents/DomesticViolenceinIdaho2015.pdf

Year: 2015

Country: United States

URL: https://www.isp.idaho.gov/pgr/inc/documents/DomesticViolenceinIdaho2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 140513

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Intimate Partner Violenc

Author: Bouchard, Martin

Title: Proportion of Criminal Incidents Associated with Organized Crime

Summary: The current report provides: 1) a measure of the proportion of criminal incidents that are associated with organized criminal activities (overall and for each offence type) in Montreal; 2) situates potential organized crime offenders within the wider population of co-offenders, that is, beyond the region under study and; 3) gauges the various types of resources allocated by law enforcement agencies in responding to and combating activities associated with organized crime. The estimates of criminal incidents associated with organized criminal activities are based on three different, yet complementary, models: 1) the wide net model (2 co-offenders); 2) the standard definition model (3+ co-offenders); and 3) the post hoc flag model (modified 3+ co-offenders). Each of these models is subjected to three different thresholds based on the seriousness of offences: A) none (all offences); B) broad (offences classified as serious plus "unclassified offences"; and C) strict (offences classified as serious). Depending on the model and threshold applied to data, the proportion of incidents that fit the definition of organized crime range between 1.6 and 6.9 percent for the first model; 3.9 and 22.8 percent for the second; and 0.26 and 2.93 percent for the third. It was found that roughly half of these organized crime (OC) offenders are connected to the wider provincial OC network in one way or another. Also, combining estimates across units with mandates to only combat OC and those that deal primarily with OC incidents, suggests that there are approximately 250 law enforcement officials at Service de Police de la Ville de Montreal (SPVM) who are directly involved in combating OC.

Details: Ottawa: Public Safety Canada, 2016. 55p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 30, 2016 at: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2015-r023/2015-r023-en.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Canada

URL: https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/rsrcs/pblctns/2015-r023/2015-r023-en.pdf

Shelf Number: 140523

Keywords:
Co-offending
Crime Statistics
Criminal Statistics
Organized Crime

Author: Campo, Joe

Title: Violent Crime Trends and Geographic Variations

Summary: The Office of Financial Management's Health Care Research Center and its criminal justice Statistical Analysis Center have begun collaborating on the development of an online geographic information system. Once completed, that system will allow users to map various measures using both criminal justice and health-related data. In this research brief we use data compiled for that system to focus on violent crimes in Washington state. These data allow us to identify trends seen nationally, statewide and by county; to assess variations in violent crime rates seen among the counties; and, by in-depth examination of health-related data, to better understand the variation in the severity of injury among those violent crimes. For this brief, arrest data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Programs Summary Reporting System (SRS) are used as the primary source of crime data. Vital statistics death data are used in comparing murder arrests and deaths, and inpatient and observation unit stays are used in comparing aggravated assault arrests and hospital stays. Joinpoint is used in identifying trends and, unless otherwise noted, 95 percent confidence intervals are used in determining if differences seen are statistically significant.

Details: Olympia, WA: Washington State Office of Financial Management, 2016. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief No. 079: Accessed October 12, 2016 at: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/researchbriefs/2016/brief079.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.ofm.wa.gov/researchbriefs/2016/brief079.pdf

Shelf Number: 140670

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Geographical Analysis
Violent Crime

Author: Truman, Jennifer L.

Title: Criminal Victimization, 2015

Summary: In 2015, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced an estimated 5.0 million violent victimizations, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS).* There was no statistically significant change in the rate of overall violent crime, defined as rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault, from 2014 (20.1 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 and older) to 2015 (18.6 per 1,000) (figure 1). However, the rate of violent crime in 2015 was lower than in 2013 (23.2 per 1,000). From 1993 to 2015, the rate of violent crime declined from 79.8 to 18.6 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. The rates of violent and property crime largely followed similar trends over time. Households in the U.S. experienced an estimated 14.6 million property victimizations in 2015 (see table 3). The overall property crime rate (which includes household burglary, theft, and motor vehicle theft) decreased from 118.1 victimizations per 1,000 households in 2014 to 110.7 victimizations per 1,000 in 2015. A decline in theft accounted for most of the decrease in property crime

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2016. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 26, 2016 at: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv15.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv15.pdf

Shelf Number: 140830

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys
Criminal Victimization
Victimization Surveys

Author: Wasik, Mateusz

Title: Hate Crime in Poland 2012-2016

Summary: This report has been prepared for the 3rd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review and covers the issue of protection from hate crimes (racist, xenophobic, homophobic and disablist violence) and hate speech in Poland in the years 2012- 2016. Authors refer to the recommendations accepted by Poland in the 2nd cycle of the Universal Periodic Review which have not been implemented yet. Main reasons for lack of their implementation are also presented. The report raises key issues and provides indications of some areas of concern. Specifically the report highlights:  gaps in the protection of LGBT people and people with disabilities due to a lack of gender identity, disability and sexual orientation in the list of protected grounds in the hate crime provisions of the Polish Criminal Code;  gaps in protection of refugees and people perceived to be refugees due to narrow understanding of the protected grounds related to race, national and ethnic origin and religion;  under-reporting and under-recording of hate crimes due to low confidence in Police, low capacity of Police officers to recognize hate crimes and lack of coordination between different authorities responsible for collecting data on cases that are Policed, prosecuted and sentenced;  gaps in victim rights and victim support system as there is no developed specific, publicly-funded support addressed to victims of hate crimes;  lack of effective bodies which would provide forum for regular discussion and exchange of information between all stakeholders involved in countering hate crimes, i.e. authorities, Police, prosecution services, and victim support service providers. 2. To further improve the work on countering hate crime in Poland and ensure compliance of the Polish Criminal Code, other laws and relevant policies with international human rights standards and good practices, the authors make the following key recommendations to the Polish government: a. add sex, gender identity, disability and sexual orientation to the list of protected grounds in hate crime and hate speech provisions in the Criminal Code; b. amend the Criminal Code to ensure that all types of offences committed with a bias motive are investigated ex officio and attract higher penalties than crimes committed without such a motive; c. conduct awareness-raising campaign about hate crimes, particularly those based on sexual orientation, gender identity and disability; d. set up publicly funded third-party and online hate crime reporting facilities; e. introduce a system in the National Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Justice where hate crime data are captured based on motivation and not legal qualification; f.conduct regular hate crime victimization surveys; g. provide a regular, well-grounded and funded consultation forum on hate crime with participation of government officials, Police, prosecutors, judges and NGOs h. ensure sufficient grounding, funding and staffing for the unit within the Ministry of Interior and Administration responsible for hate crime policy and data collection, as well as the Commissioner for Human Rights.

Details: Warsaw: Lambda Warsaw, 2016. 38p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 2, 2016 at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-M0IV58Ues6OTBxN0R3am5WTmc/view

Year: 2016

Country: Poland

URL: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-M0IV58Ues6OTBxN0R3am5WTmc/view

Shelf Number: 146789

Keywords:
Bias-Related Crime
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes

Author: Mulligan, Leah

Title: Homicide in Canada, 2015

Summary: Homicides continue to account for a small proportion of all police-reported violent Criminal Code offences in Canada, representing 0.2% in 2015.Note 1 While homicide continues to be a relatively rare occurrence in Canada, rates of homicide are considered benchmarks for levels of violent activity both in Canada and internationally (Ouimet 2014). Further, perceptions of safety within communities may be influenced by their homicide rates (Romer et al. 2003). Since 1961, police services have been reporting detailed information on homicide occurrences in Canada through Statistics Canada's Homicide Survey. Using data drawn from the Homicide Survey, this Juristat article explores prevalence and characteristics of homicide incidents, victims, and accused persons reported in 2015, and compares these findings to short and long term trends. A special analysis of the circumstances surrounding homicides of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal females committed by ‘casual acquaintances’ from 1980 to 2015 is also presented (see Text box 1). Number and rate of homicides at their highest point since 2011 •Police reported 604 homicide victims in Canada in 2015, 83 more than the previous year and the highest number of homicides reported since 2011.Note 2 The homicide rate (1.68 per 100,000 population) increased 15% from the previous year marking the highest homicide rate since 2011 (Chart 1). This was also the largest percentage increase in the annual homicide rate reported in Canada since 1975. The 2015 homicide rate however was 2% lower than the average for the previous decade (Chart 2). •Attempted murders also grew in 2015 (Allen 2016). Police reported 144 more attempted murders compared to 2014 (from 630 in 2014 to 774 in 2015), and the rate increased 22% from the previous year (2.16 per 100,000 population compared to 1.77). The rate of attempted murder has remained consistently higher than the homicide rate since the 1980s, and these offences have often shown similar trends over time (Chart 1). •In 2015, police reported 572 incidents of homicide, the majority involving a single victim (95%). There were 21 incidents involving two victims (4%), and the remaining 5 incidents involved either three or four victims (less than 1%). This pattern has been consistent since homicide data collection began in 1961. •In 2015, police reported solving 75% (451) of the total 604 reported homicides (see Text box 2). There were a reported total of 525 accused persons identified in these homicides. Among the provinces Saskatchewan reported the highest homicide rate in 2015 •The higher number of homicides for 2015 was primarily due to increases in Alberta (+27 homicides), Saskatchewan (+19), and Ontario (+18) (Table 1a). The increased number of reported homicides in Alberta and Saskatchewan occurred primarily outside of census metropolitan areas (CMAs).Note 3 Within Ontario, however, half of the increase occurred within various CMAs. •Saskatchewan recorded the highest homicide rate among the provinces (3.79 homicides per 100,000 population). The next two highest provincial rates were recorded in Manitoba (3.63) and in Alberta (3.17) (Table 1b). •Nova Scotia recorded a large increase in their homicide rate (+100%) with 12 homicides reported in 2015. It should be noted, however, that the large increase is due to the record low rate that was recorded in 2014 with 6 homicides that year (Table 1b). •The rate of homicides per 100,000 population tends to be more variable from year to year within the Territories, in part due to their smaller population counts. This was true in 2015 with 5 homicides in the Northwest Territories (11.34 per 100,000 population), two homicides in Nunavut (5.42), and one homicide in Yukon (2.67) (Table 1b). Of note, the 2015 homicide rate in Nunavut was the lowest reported rate since becoming a territory in 1999. •The lowest homicide rates in 2015 were reported in Newfoundland and Labrador (0.57 per 100,000 population), Prince Edward Island (0.68), and Quebec (0.93) (Table 1b). Regina records the highest homicide rate among census metropolitan areas •With a total of 8 homicides in 2015, Regina recorded the highest homicide rate among the 33 CMAs (3.30 homicides per 100,000 population).Note 4 Saskatoon (with 10 homicides) and Edmonton (with 39 homicides) recorded the next highest homicide rates (at 3.22 and 2.87 per 100,000 population, respectively). Brantford was the only CMA to report no homicides in 2015 (Table 2). Homicide rates continue to be higher for Aboriginal people than for non-Aboriginal people •Aboriginal people accounted for 25% of homicide victims in 2015, compared to 23% in 2014Note 5 (see CANSIM table 253-0009). In total, police reported 148 Aboriginal victims of homicide in 2015 compared to 120 in 2014 (Table 3). Aboriginal people represented an estimated 5% of the Canadian population in 2015 (Statistics Canada 2015). •In 2015, the rate of homicide for Aboriginal people increased by 20% to 8.77 Aboriginal victims per 100,000 Aboriginal people, from 7.30 in 2014Note 6 (Table 3). In comparison, the rate of homicide among non-Aboriginal people increased 13% from 1.17 non-Aboriginal victims per 100,000 non-Aboriginal people to 1.31. Overall, the rate of homicide for Aboriginal people in 2015 was about seven times higher than for non-Aboriginal people. •Aboriginal males were more frequently victims of homicide compared to non-Aboriginal males. In 2015, the rate of homicide for Aboriginal males was seven times that for non-Aboriginal males (12.85 per 100,000 population compared to 1.87). Further, the rate for Aboriginal males was three times that for Aboriginal females (12.85 compared to 4.80). •Amongst female victims, the rate of homicide of Aboriginal females was six times that of non-Aboriginal females (4.80 per 100,000 compared to 0.77). Of note, the rate for Aboriginal females was higher than the rate for non-Aboriginal males (4.80 compared to 1.87) (Table 3). These findings are consistent with those reported in 2014. •In 2015, police reported solving a higher proportion of homicides of Aboriginal victims within the reporting year, than those of non-Aboriginal victims (85% compared to 71%). The proportion of homicides solved by police were comparable between Aboriginal male and Aboriginal female victims (86% and 83%). Within non-Aboriginal homicides however, police reported solving two thirds (66%) of male homicides, while solving 85% of female homicides. •Where the Aboriginal identity of the accused was reported for the 525 accused identified in solved homicide cases, 33% were identified as Aboriginal persons, and 67% were non-Aboriginal personsNote 7 (see CANSIM table 253-0010). Further, the rate of Aboriginal persons accused of homicide was 10.13 persons for every 100,000 Aboriginal people. This rate was 10 times higher than the rate of accused among non-Aboriginal people (1.01) (Table 3). This is equal to the finding for the rate of accused persons by Aboriginal identity reported in the previous year. •In 2015, there were 61 female persons accused homicide, and 37 were Aboriginal (61%) while 24 were non-Aboriginal (39%). The rate of Aboriginal females accused of homicide was 31 times higher than rate of non-Aboriginal female accused (4.33 per 100,000 population compared to 0.14). For the 464 males accused persons, 134 (29%) were Aboriginal and 321 (69%) were non-Aboriginal. For rate for Aboriginal male accused was about 8 times higher than the rate for non-Aboriginal male accused (16.09 per 100,000 compared to 1.90) (Table 3). Female homicide victims more likely than male victims to have been reported as a missing person •In 2015, police services were asked for the first time to report the missing person status of homicide victims to the Homicide Survey (see Text box 3). Of the 604 homicides reported in 2015, 63 (10%) were on record as a missing person at the time the homicide became known to the police. •Female victims were reported as a missing person prior to the discovery of their death two and half times more often than their male counterparts (18% of female victims, compared to 7% of male victims). Those less than 12 years old were most frequently previously reported as a missing person (30% of victims under 12), while those least frequently reported as missing were those aged 65 and older (2% of victims aged 65 and older). •Proportions of victims previously reported as missing were similar regardless of whether the victim was Aboriginal or non-Aboriginal. Overall, 10% of Aboriginal victims were previously reported as missing compared to 11% of non-Aboriginal victims. This was true for 17% of Aboriginal female victims and 18% of non-Aboriginal female victims. For males, 7% of Aboriginal male victims were on record as a missing person, as were 8% of non-Aboriginal male victims (Chart 3). Number of firearm-related homicides increases for second consecutive year •In 2015, stabbings continued to be the most common method of committing homicide in Canada (37%), followed by shootings (30%) and beatings (23%). These proportions are similar to those reported over the past 10 years (Table 4, Chart 4). •For the second year in a row, police reported an increase in the number and rate of firearm-related homicides. In 2015, there were 178 firearm-related homicides, 23 more than the previous year (Table 5). The rate of firearm-related homicides in 2015 increased by 14% to 0.50 per 100,000 population (compared to 0.44 in 2014), and was the highest reported rate since 2010 (0.51). This finding is consistent with the reported 22% increase in rate for all violent firearms offences from the previous year (Allen 2016).Note 8 •Handguns were used in 57% of firearm-related homicides in 2015, and they continue to be the most frequently used type of firearm. This proportion is down from 2014, where handguns accounted for 67% of firearm-related homicides. The rate of handgun-related homicides remained relatively stable at 0.28 per 100,000 population in 2015 (compared to 0.29 in 2014). Of note, the number of homicides committed with sawed-off rifles or shotguns increased to 23 (+17), accounting for 13% of firearm-related homicides in 2015, up from 4% in 2014 (Table 5). Thus, the rate of sawed-off rifle or shotgun-related homicides increased from 0.02 per 100,000 population to 0.06 in 2015. •The highest rates of firearm-related homicide were reported in Yukon and the Northwest Territories (2.67 and 2.27 per 100,000 population respectively). Alberta reported the next highest rate at 1.17 per 100,000. The rate of firearm homicides grew the most, however, in Saskatchewan, moving up from 0.36 per 100,000 in 2014 to 0.97 in 2015. •Across the provinces in 2015, increases in the number of firearm-related homicides from 2014 were reported in Alberta (+13), Saskatchewan (+7), Manitoba (+3), and Ontario (+3) (Table 4). All other provinces and territories reported relatively stable numbers of firearm-related homicides from the previous year. •Among the CMAs, the majority of firearm-related homicides were reported in Toronto (27), Montréal (20), Calgary (16), Edmonton (15), and Vancouver (15) (Table 6). For these CMAs in particular, the proportion of total homicides which were related to firearms ranged from about 30% to 40% of their total homicides in 2015. Calgary reported the largest increase in firearm-related homicides (+13), and this accounted for more than half (57%) of the total increase in firearm-related homicides in Canada in 2015. In comparison, all firearm-related homicides occurring outside CMAs contributed towards 39% of the total increase in that year. Other notable changes reported in the number of firearm-related homicides from 2014 were reported in Montréal (+5), Toronto (-10), and Edmonton (-5). For the other CMAs, the number remained comparable in 2015 to the previous year. •In 2015, 44% of firearm-related homicides were also related to gang activity,Note 9 which has been the case in general for the past five years.Note 10 Alberta recorded an increase of 14 (+26%) firearm-related homicides that were gang-related in 2015; the majority occurring in Calgary and Edmonton CMAs (+7 and +3 respectively). Saskatchewan reported a large decrease in the proportion of firearm-related homicides that involved gangs, moving from 75% of their reported firearm related homicides in 2014, to 18% in 2015. Gang-related homicides increased in 2015 following a three year decline •In 2015, police reported 98 gang-related homicides, up 16 from the previous year. The rate increased by 18% to 0.27 per 100,000 population (from 0.23 in 2014). This follows a period of decline in the rate of gang-related homicides from 2011 to 2014 (Chart 5). •The total increase in the number of gang-related homicides in Canada was reported mostly in Alberta, where the number went up by 19 gang-related homicides from 2014, for a total of 28 gang-related homicides in 2015. Of the increased number of gang-related homicides in Alberta (19), more than two-thirds (68%) occurred in the CMAs of Calgary and Edmonton, and the remainder (32%) within Alberta’s non-CMA areas. In Alberta, gangs were involved in 22% of homicides in 2015, compared to 9% the previous year. •Despite an increase in the number of homicides in Saskatchewan and Ontario, gang-related homicides did not appear to account for the increase in these provinces. In Saskatchewan, gangs were involved in 12% of homicides in 2015 compared to 25% in 2014. In Ontario, 13% of homicides in 2015 were gang-related compared to 15% the previous year. •In Newfoundland and Labrador, the province’s 2 homicides reported in 2014 were both gang related, yet in 2015 none of their 3 reported homicides were gang related. In addition, none of Nova Scotia’s 12 homicides in 2015 were gang related, compared to 17% in 2014. In all other provinces and territories, the proportion of homicides related to gangs remained relatively stable from the previous year. •Within CMAs, gang-related homicides were reported most frequently in 2015 in Montréal (20), Vancouver (13), Toronto (12), and Calgary (12), which combined account for 73% of the total gang-related homicides reported within CMAs (Table 6). Fewer homicides committed by strangers, more by criminal associates •Despite the increased number of victims reported in 2015, increases were not equal across all types of homicides when considering relationship types. Relationship information is available for solved homicides for which an accused has been identified. Decades of relationship information indicates that homicides are frequently committed by someone known to the victim.Note 11 In 2015, 87% of victims knew the accused involved in their death (Table 7). This proportion increased from 2014 where a reported 82% of victims knew the accused.Note 12 •The number of victims killed by a stranger in 2015 declined to 58, from 73 reported in 2014. As such homicides committed by strangers accounted for 13% of homicides in 2015 compared to 18% the year before (Table 7). In comparison, police reported an increase in the number of homicides committed by a person with whom the victim had a criminal relationship (54 in 2015 compared to 29 in 2014). •Increases were also reported in the number of homicides committed by family members other than current or ex-spouses or common law partners. These homicides increased from 73 to 99 in 2015. This was largely due to an increase in homicides committed by extended family members (Table 7). •There were 83 intimate partner homicides reported in Canada in 2015, 3 less than in 2014 (Table 7). The rate of intimate partner homicides remained relatively stable in 2015 at 0.28 per 100,000 population aged 15 and older, which followed a reported increase in the previous year. The rate of female intimate partner homicide remained unchanged from 2014 (0.46 per 100,000 population for both years); while that for males decrease slightly from 0.11 in the previous year to 0.09 in 2015. Majority of homicide victims and accused persons were male •Overall, males account for the majority of both homicide victims and accused persons. In 2015, 71% of homicide victims and 88% of homicide accused were male, findings that have remained consistent over the past 10 years. •Rates of homicide among male victims were highest for those 25 to 34 years of age (4.38 per 100,000 population), followed by 18 to 24 year olds (4.29). For females, the highest homicide rate was reported for those aged 18 to 24 years (1.46), followed closely by females aged 25 to 34 years (1.41) (see CANSIM table 253-0003). •The rate of accused persons amongst the male population in 2015 was highest for those 18 to 24 years of age (8.80 per 100,000 population). Among females, the rate of being accused of homicide in 2015 was highest for those aged 25 to 34 years (0.89). Increase in number and rate of youth accused of homicide from previous year •In 2015, youth aged 12 to 17 accounted for 7% of the 525 accused persons reported in that year. This is consistent with findings reported over the past 4 years, where the proportion of youth accused has accounted for less than 10% of the total accused persons (see CANSIM table 253-0003). •The rate of youth accused of homicide increased, however, by 22% from the previous year. Police reported in 2015 that there were 1.51 youth accused of homicide for every 100,000 youth aged 12 to 17 in Canada, compared with a rate of 1.24 in 2014. Overall, there were 35 youth accused of homicide in 2015, 6 more than the previous year. •Youth accused of homicide in 2015 were two times more likely to be involved in a gang-related incident compared to adults (20% of youth accused compared to 10% of adults accused).Note 13 Accused persons aged 65 and older most likely to have a suspected mental or developmental disorder •In 2015, police suspected 85 persons accused of homicide as having a mental or developmental disorder,Note 14 representing 17% of total accused persons.Note 15 This is lower than the proportion in 2014 (21%), however it is comparable to the average over the previous ten years from 2005 to 2014 (16%). •Seniors aged 65 and older accounted for the largest proportion (36%) of accused persons with suspected mental health or developmental disorders in 2015 (Chart 6). In comparison, those aged 55 to 64 accounted for the lowest proportion (11%), which is contrary to previous findings where the lowest proportion has typically been present amongst younger age groups. Further, according to the average over the previous ten years, the presence of mental or developmental disorders among accused persons has been shown to increase with age.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2016. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat 36, no. 1: Accessed December 5, 2016 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14668-eng.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2016001/article/14668-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 147745

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders

Author: Great Britain. Ministry of Justice

Title: Statistics on Women and the Criminal Justice System 2015.

Summary: This publication compiles statistics from data sources across the Criminal Justice System (CJS), to provide a combined perspective on the typical experiences of women who come into contact with it. It considers how these experiences have changed over time and how they contrast to the typical experiences of men. No causative links can be drawn from these summary statistics, and no controls have been applied to account for differences in circumstances between the males and females coming into contact with the CJS (e.g. average income or age); differences observed may indicate areas worth further investigation, but should not be taken as evidence of unequal treatment or as direct effects of sex. In general, females appear to have been substantially under-represented as offenders throughout the CJS compared with males. This is particularly true in relation to the most serious offence types and sentences, though patterns by sex vary between individual offences. Females were also typically underrepresented among practitioners in the CJS and among victims of violent crime, although they were more likely than males to have been a victim of intimate violence or child abuse. Trends over time for each sex often mirror overall trends, though this is not always the case. Victimisation According to the Crime Survey of England and Wales, there was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of women and men that were victims of crime in 2015/16. Women were less likely than men to think that the CJS is fair and more likely to believe that crime is rising. Women were more likely to have been subject to abuse as children, particularly sexual assault. They were less likely to be victims of violent crime in general, but much more likely to be victims of sexual assault or domestic violence – and female homicide victims were far more likely than their male equivalents to have a current or former partner be the principal suspect for their death. Police Activity Less than a quarter of those given a penalty notice for disorder (22%) or caution (24%) were female. Women were underrepresented to an even greater extent among those arrested (16%), who are typically being dealt with for more serious offences than those dealt with out of court. For both out of court disposals and arrests, females were particularly likely to have been dealt with for theft offences. Defendants Over the last decade, the number of females prosecuted has risen by 6%, driven by increases in prosecutions for TV license evasion, while the number of males prosecuted has fallen by a third. Nevertheless, in line with police activity, females were still substantially underrepresented among those prosecuted, at just over a quarter of the total (27%). This is broadly mirrored in convictions, remands and sentencing, although women have a slightly higher conviction ratio. Women were more likely to be sentenced to fines and conditional discharges and less likely to be sentenced to custody, compared with men. They also received shorter immediate custodial sentences on average, with the gap increasing over the last decade, driven by increases in the number of prosecutions and average custodial sentence length of male sexual offenders. Offender Characteristics Females made up a quarter of first time offenders, but only one in seven of those dealt with who had a previous caution or conviction. Males were more likely to be sentenced to immediate custody and to receive custodial sentences of 6 months or longer than females with a similar criminal history. Three-fifths of offences committed by women with 15 or more previous cautions or convictions related to theft, compared with only two-fifths for men. Although males were more likely to reoffend, females had a higher number of proven reoffences on average per reoffender. Females were slightly more likely than males to reoffend following a short custodial sentence, but considerably less likely to reoffend following longer ones. Offenders under supervision or in custody Women represented only 5% of the prison population, a proportion that has fallen over the last decade. However, in line with sentencing patterns, women were typically serving shorter sentences and represented almost 9% of those admitted to custody. Female prisoners reported feeling better supported in prison, but less safe, and they were more likely to self-harm and self-harm more frequently than men. There were lower rates of assault in female prisons, but a slightly higher proportion of disciplinary incidents relative to the population. Women typically had shorter periods of probation and fewer requirements. They were also more likely than men to participate in education in prison, to be granted home detention curfew if eligible, to make a success of release on temporary license and to have their probation orders terminated early for good progress. Offence analysis A range of differences between the sexes could be seen when individual offences are examined; typical behaviours and outcomes vary between men and women at an offence level. For example, while women were more likely than men to have been prosecuted for TV license evasion, typical sentencing behaviour was the same for both sexes, whereas prosecutions for benefit fraud were close to evenly split between men and women, but males typically received more serious sentences. Trends also vary over time at an offence level: for example, women were becoming less likely to receive an immediate custodial sentence for indictable drug offence, while males were not. In line with overall trends, however, the differences that exist at offence level usually represent either less involvement or less serious involvement in the CJS for women than men. Practitioners Women were substantially underrepresented among the police and judiciary, at just over a quarter of practitioners, but represented more than half of those working in the Ministry of Justice, Crown Prosecution Service and female prison estate. In general, CJS functions involving direct contact with offenders had fewer females than males (and vice versa for those that do not), but the proportions have been slowly getting more equal since 2011. Female representation among senior staff was considerably lower than in the general workforce for all CJS organisations, but proportions have been rising.

Details: London: Ministry of Justice, 2016. 172p.

Source: Internet Resource: A Ministry of Justice publication under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991: Accessed December 7, 2016 at: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/572043/women-and-the-criminal-justice-system-statistics-2015.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/572043/women-and-the-criminal-justice-system-statistics-2015.pdf

Shelf Number: 147933

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Justice Systems
Female Offenders
Female Police Officers
Female Victims
Victims of Crime

Author: Madanlo, Lalaine

Title: Simultaneity of Crime Incidence in Mindanao

Summary: The study simulated the predictive relationships of regional monthly crime rates for a period covering January 2009 to July 2013. A six-equation model representing the six regions in Mindanao was estimated using the seemingly unrelated regression (SUR). The SUR estimation shows that the increase of incidences of crimes in Southern Mindanao Region and SOCCSKSARGEN tended a 1.73% rise and 0.85% reduction in crime incidences in Zamboanga Peninsula. Monthly crime rates in Northern Mindanao increases crime rates in Southern Mindanao (1.1%), SOCCSKSARGEN (1.29%), CARAGA (0.22%) and ARMM (0.96%). Southern Mindanao yielded simultaneous increase in crimes with Zamboanga Peninsula (0.21%) and Northern Mindanao (0.36%); yet a drop in crimes in CARAGA (0.08%) and ARMM (0.29%). SOCCSKSARGEN's crime rates rise simultaneously by 0.39% in every percentage increase of crime rates in Northern Mindanao yet plunged by about 0.09% and 0.50% when crimes rise by a notch higher in Zamboanga Peninsula and ARMM. CARAGA posted 0.97% increase and 1.07% decrease of crime rates upon the rise of crime rates Northern Mindanao and Southern Mindanao. Lastly, crime rates in ARMM, on the other hand, tend to increase by 0.63% upon the rise of the same in Northern Mindanao and dipped by 0.58% and 1.09% in simultaneity with Southern Mindanao and SOCCSKSARGEN.

Details: Munich: Munich Personal RePEc Archive, 2016. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: MPRA Paper No. 72648: Accessed December 14, 2016 at: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/72648/1/MPRA_paper_72648.PDF

Year: 2016

Country: Philippines

URL: https://mpra.ub.uni-muenchen.de/72648/1/MPRA_paper_72648.PDF

Shelf Number: 144915

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics

Author: Great Britain. Crown Prosecution Service

Title: Violence against Women and Girls: Crime Report, 2015-16

Summary: The Violence against Women and Girls (VAWG) report is the ninth edition published by the CPS. It provides an assessment of prosecution performance on crimes that have been grouped together under the heading ‘VAWG’, as they have been identified as being committed primarily, but not exclusively, by men against women. The CPS addresses these issues within the overarching crossgovernment strategic framework of VAWG, recognising that victims of this group of crimes are disproportionally female. The approach acknowledges VAWG as a fundamental issue of human rights and women’s rights. The UK government has signed and ratified the United Nations call to all states to prevent and respond to violence against women. VAWG is recognised worldwide, and by the UK Government, as a form of offending where gender plays a part. As the United Nations2 describes it: ‘Violence against women is a manifestation of historically unequal power relations between men and women, which have led to domination over and discrimination against women by men and to the prevention of the full advancement of women, and … violence against women is one of the crucial social mechanisms by which women are forced into a subordinate position compared with men’. The CPS is committed to securing justice for all victims of crimes grouped together as ‘VAWG’. To that end, we are inclusive in our approach. All our VAWG policies are applied fairly and equitably to all perpetrators and victims of crime – irrespective of their gender. Recognising that these offences can be targeted at male and transgender victims as well as female victims, the report includes total data on all perpetrators and victims, irrespective of gender. Where possible, data is broken down, in the body of the report, by gender as well as overall volumes and proportions. The report is an analysis of the key prosecution issues in each VAWG strand – domestic abuse (DA), stalking, harassment, rape, sexual offences, forced marriage, honour based violence, female genital mutilation, child abuse, human trafficking for sexual exploitation, prostitution and pornography. The data that forms the basis of the report is derived from the CPS’ Case Management System (CMS) and its associated Management Information System (MIS) which shows the number of defendants, offences and victims or witnesses. Domestic abuse, rape, forced marriage, honour-based violence, child abuse and human trafficking cases are identified by flags applied to defendants. Stalking, harassment, sexual offences, prostitution, pornography and obscenity data can only be provided using the offences data base.

Details: London: CPS, 2016. 114p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 15, 2016 at: http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/cps_vawg_report_2016.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/docs/cps_vawg_report_2016.pdf

Shelf Number: 146121

Keywords:
Child Abuse and Neglect
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Forced Marriage
Honour-Based Violence
Human Trafficking
Pornography
Prostitution
Sex Offenses
Violence Against Women, Girls

Author: Detotto, Claudio

Title: Counting the Cost of Crime in Italy

Summary: The aim of this paper is to gauge the cost of crime in Italy by concentrating on a subset of offences covering about 64% of total recorded crime in year 2006. Following the breakdown of costs put forward by Brand and Price, we focus on the costs in anticipation, as a consequence and in response to a specific offence. The estimated total social cost is more than € 38 billion, which amounts to about 2.6% of Italy’s GDP. To show the usefulness of these measures, we borrow the elasticity estimates from recent studies concerning the determinants of crime in Italy and calculate the cost associated with the surge in crime fuelled by unemployment and pardons. Indeed, in both cases such costs are substantial, implying that they should no longer be skipped when assessing the relative desirability of public policies towards crime.

Details: Caligari, Italy: Centre For North South Economic Research, 2010. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper 2010/13: Accessed December 19, 2016 at: 25p.

Year: 2010

Country: Italy

URL:

Shelf Number: 147755

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Crime Statistics
Economics and Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions and crime

Author: Sutherland, Paul

Title: What drug types drove increases in drug use and possession offences in Victoria over the past decade?

Summary: Previous CSA research papers have identified large increases in the number and rate of drug use and possession offences across Victoria over the past decade, which were more prominent in regional Victoria than they were in rural or metropolitan areas. To date, this work has not considered the particular types of drugs that accounted for the observed increases. This study used information recorded by Victoria Police about the type of drugs involved in use and possession offences to examine the drug types associated with the observed increases and the characteristics of alleged offenders across drug types. The study found that cannabis offences continue to account the majority of use and possession offences, but that there have been significant increases in the number of cannabis, ecstasy, methamphetamine, prescription and 'other' drug offences over the past ten years. As at end of March 2016, the rates of amphetamine, cannabis, ecstasy and methamphetamine use and possession offences are higher in regional areas than they are in rural or metropolitan areas.

Details: Melbourne: Victoria Crime Statistics Agency, 2016. 25p.

Source: Internet Resource: In Brief no. 5: Accessed December 19, 2016 at: https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/embridge_cache/emshare/original/public/2016/07/b1/e4c026718/08072016_Inbrief5_FINAL.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/embridge_cache/emshare/original/public/2016/07/b1/e4c026718/08072016_Inbrief5_FINAL.pdf

Shelf Number: 147752

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Drug Abuse and Addiction
Drug Abuse and Crime
Drug Offenders

Author: Andersen, Lars Hojsgaard

Title: A Research Note on Declining Youth Crime

Summary: Decompose declining youth crime in Denmark into its extensive and intensive margins, and show results from birth cohort analyses. Methods: Apply Das Gupta’s (1993) method for rate decomposition to Danish registry data which hold information on all criminal justice contacts of full birth cohorts. We show results among 15 to 17 year old youth by year as well as follow birth cohorts by age. Results: The main driver of declining youth crime in Denmark is the fewer young people experiencing criminal justice contact (extensive margin) and not lower rates of criminal recidivism among youth with criminal justice contact (intensive margin), a result which is found using both year and birth cohort analyses. Conclusions: Over the recent decades and across most developed democracies, youth crime has been in steady decline and declining youth crime now constitutes an important contemporary social and criminological change. Yet underneath this change lingers the question of how we should best grasp declining youth crime. The knowledge provided in this research note -- that change at the extensive margin is the main driver of declining youth crime in Denmark -- represents a first important step towards understanding this important change.

Details: Copenhagen, Denmark: Rockwool Foundation, 2016. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Study Paper 110: Accessed February 13, 2017 at: http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/app/uploads/2016/06/Study-paper-110_Samlet_WEB-1.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Denmark

URL: http://www.rockwoolfonden.dk/app/uploads/2016/06/Study-paper-110_Samlet_WEB-1.pdf

Shelf Number: 145118

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Crime
Juvenile Delinquency
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Butts, Jeffrey A.

Title: Local Measures: The Need for Neighborhood-Level Data n Youth Violence Prevention Initiatives

Summary: The data infrastructures available for tracking youth violence in the United States do not provide a clear view of neighborhood-level change. Effective strategies for dealing with youth violence inevitably focus on small areas like neighborhoods, and they involve partnerships with community organizations, local schools, hospitals, housing agencies, and organizations in the cultural and recreational sectors. This small-area focus makes it essential to measure the effects of violence prevention efforts at the neighborhood level. At best, however, national data systems track violence at the level of entire cities. Violent crime in the U.S. fell sharply after the mid-1990s and it remains at historically low levels. Some cities and specific neighborhoods within cities, however, are still beset with violence. In an attempt to assist local jurisdictions with violence prevention, the U.S. Department of Justice and a number of other federal agencies launched the National Forum on Youth Violence Prevention in 2010. More than a dozen cities participated in the National Forum, collaborating to increase the effectiveness of their local strategies for reducing youth violence. The Department of Justice asked John Jay College of Criminal Justice to monitor and assess the outcomes of the National Forum beginning in 2011. The assessment was not designed to attribute cause-and-effect relationships to activities undertaken by participating cities. The study mainly investigated the accomplishments and perceptions of the leadership networks in each city. Conducting a more rigorous evaluation of the National Forum was not feasible because a multi-city network of neighborhood-level data about youth violence and its correlates does not exist in the United States. Steps are being taken, however, that may eventually lead to better data resources. This report describes some of the most promising resources and suggests the type of work needed to provide communities with accurate, localized crime trend data with which to judge the effects of multi-jurisdictional violence prevention initiatives.

Details: New York: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Research and Evaluation Center, 2017. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 18, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250534.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/grants/250534.pdf

Shelf Number: 146681

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Delinquency Prevention
Neighborhoods and Crime
Violence Prevention
Youth Violence
Youthful Offenders

Author: Smith, Russell G.

Title: Fraud within the Commonwealth: A census of the most costly incidents 2014.

Summary: From financial years 2010-11 to 2014-14, Commonwealth entities experienced 9,467 incidents of internal fraud, with losses of over $12.7m. This study analysed information about the most costly incidents each entity experienced each year and those who perpetrated these. The majority of the 166 frauds related to employee entitlements or financial benefits, and most were committed through the misuse of documents or technology. The findings provide an insight into the fraud risks facing the Commonwealth and how these might best be addressed.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2017. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Statistical Bulletin 02: Accessed March 7, 2017 at: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/sb/002/sb002.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Australia

URL: http://aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/sb/002/sb002.pdf

Shelf Number: 146416

Keywords:
Consumer Protection
Costs of Crime
Crime Statistics
Financial Crimes
Fraud

Author: McGarrell, Edmund F.

Title: Saginaw Community Survey: Patterns of Victimization and Methodological Experiments: Technical Report

Summary: With the support of the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the Michigan Justice Statistics Center conducted a survey of residents of Saginaw, Michigan as a way of learning about the victimization experiences as well as the perceptions of residents about their neighborhoods and the police. The survey employed a randomly selected, address-based sample of Saginaw residents. Multiple methods of survey administration were used resulting in a final sample of 829 completed surveys. In addition to greater understanding of resident's victimization experiences and perceptions, the survey also tested several different strategies intended to increase response rates and to increase the number of respondents completing the survey through more cost-efficient web-based survey technology. The current technical report presents details on the survey methodology as well as basic findings on levels of household and personal victimization. It also presents the results of the embedded methodological experiments. A series of articles and reports will follow this report and present in greater detail the findings in terms of victimization experience as well as perceptions of crime, the neighborhood, and the police. Among the key findings presented in this report are the following: • There were no differences in households from the more affluent west side of Saginaw and those on the east side in terms of violent crime victimization. This was unexpected given that neighborhood levels of economic disadvantage typically result in higher levels of violent crime victimization. This will be examined in greater detail in future analyses of the survey results. • West side households reported higher levels of property crime victimization. • Households headed by someone described as white had slightly higher levels of victimization than households headed by someone described as black. The results should be interpreted cautiously, however, due to a modest number of households where this information was missing or classified as "other." • Rental households were more likely to experience victimization in comparison to owner-occupied households. • Men were more likely to experience violent and property crime victimization. Women were more likely to experience sexual assault. • Consistent with the household findings, whites were slightly more likely to report being victimized than were blacks. Caution in interpreting these findings is suggested, however, because the group most likely to report being victimized reported their race as "other." • Overall, Saginaw residents were much more likely to prefer completing the survey through a paper and pencil mail survey. This is the least cost-efficient mode for conducting this type of survey. The embedded experiment suggested that presenting the survey options in varying ways and providing an incentive-based "nudge" to complete the survey on the web can increase the number of respondents utilizing the more cost-efficient web-based technology.

Details: East Lansing: Michigan State University, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan Justice Statistics Center, 2016. 91p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 27, 2017 at: http://www.jrsa.org/member-spotlight/files/mi-saginaw-victimization.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: http://www.jrsa.org/member-spotlight/files/mi-saginaw-victimization.pdf

Shelf Number: 144849

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Neighborhoods and Crime
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Australian Human Rights Commission

Title: A National System for Domestic and Family Violence Death Review

Summary: 1.1 Report aims This Report aims to: - highlight the importance of domestic and family violence death review mechanisms in Australia, - identify the steps needed to expand the function to jurisdictions where it does not exist; namely Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. identify how to better ensure national coherence of data, and - identify mechanisms to ensure that recommendations made to Federal Government agencies in Death Review processes are actioned. 1.2 Report methodology This Report was developed using the following methods: - Literature review - Questionnaire to Coroners, the Western Australian Ombudsman, and Domestic and Family Violence Death Review Teams - Meetings with Coroners and the Western Australia Ombudsman - Meetings with the Australian Domestic Violence Death Review Network members - Meetings with National Coronial Information Service and Australia's National Research Organisation for Women’s Safety. 1.3 Report terminology The Report recognises that there is variance in the use of terms 'domestic violence', 'family and domestic violence' and 'domestic and family violence'. It also recognises that consistency of terminology in the context of statistical data and evidence based reform is critical. In this regard the work undertaken by the Australian Law Reform Commission and the Australian Bureau of Statistics in this area is key. For the purposes of this report the term 'domestic and family violence' is used in relevant contexts. 1.4 Report structure This Report is divided into the following 5 sections with 2 appendices: 1. Executive summary 2. Human rights obligations 3. Models of domestic and family violence death review 4. Guiding principles for the death review process 5. National data collection, monitoring and reporting Appendix A: Coroner and Death Review Function and remit by Jurisdiction Appendix B: Compiled responses to the Commission questionnaire sent to Australian Coroners and the Western Australian Ombudsman in 2015.

Details: Sydney: AHRC, 2016. 95p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 1, 2017 at: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AHRC_2016_12_19_Expanding_DV_Death_Review.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/document/publication/AHRC_2016_12_19_Expanding_DV_Death_Review.pdf

Shelf Number: 144687

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Domestic Violence
Family Violence
Gender-Related Violence
Homicides
Intimate Partner Violence

Author: Friedman, Matthew

Title: Crime Trends: 1990-2016

Summary: This report examines crime trends at the national and city level during the last quarter century. It covers the years 1990 through 2016, as crime rates peaked in 1991. It analyzes data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and from police departments from the nation's 30 largest cities. Data for 2016 are estimated, as full year data was not available at the time of publication. This report concludes that although there are some troubling increases in crime in specific cities, there is no evidence of a national crime wave. Key findings: Overall Trends: Crime has dropped precipitously in the last quarter-century. While crime may fall in some years and rise in others, annual variations are not indicative of long-term trends. While murder rates have increased in some cities, this report finds no evidence that the hard-won public safety gains of the last two and a half decades are being reversed. Overall Crime Rate: The national crime rate peaked in 1991 at 5,856 crimes per 100,000 people, and has generally been declining ever since. In 2015, crime fell for the 14th year in a row. Estimates based on preliminary data for 2016 indicate that the overall crime rate will remain stable at 2,857 offenses per 100,000, rising less than 1 percent from 2015. Today's crime rate is less than half of what it was in 1991. Violent Crime: The violent crime rate also peaked in 1991 at 716 violent crimes per 100,000, and now stands at 366, about half that rate. However, the violent crime rate, like rates of murder and overall crime, has risen and fallen during this time. For example, violent crime registered small increases in 2005 and 2006, and then resumed its downward trend. In 2015, violent crime increased by 2.9 percent nationally and by 2.0 percent in the nation's 30 largest cities. Preliminary data for 2016 also show a greater increase in the national violent crime rate, up 6.3 percent, and a smaller jump in the 30 largest cities, 2.4 percent. Crime is often driven by local factors, so rates in cities may differ from national averages. Murder: From 1991 to 2016, the murder rate fell by roughly half, from 9.8 killings per 100,000 to 5.3. The murder rate rose last year by an estimated 7.8 percent. With violence at historic lows, modest increases in the murder rate may appear large in percentage terms. Similarly, murder rates in the 30 largest cities increased by 13.2 percent in 2015 and an estimated 14 percent in 2016. These increases were highly concentrated. More than half of the 2015 urban increase (51.8 percent) was caused by just three cities, Baltimore, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. And Chicago alone was responsible for 43.7 percent of the rise in urban murders in 2016. It is important to remember the relatively small base from which the percentage increases are calculated. City-Level Analysis: Appendix A provides detail on crime in each of the nation's 30 largest cities. The data demonstrate that crime rates and trends vary widely from city to city. In New York, for example, crime remains at all-time lows. Other cities, such as Washington, D.C., have seen murder rise and then fall recently, yet the rate is still lower than it was a decade ago. However, there are a small group of cities, such as Chicago, where murder remains persistently high, even by historical standards.

Details: New York: Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, 2017. 36p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 21, 2017 at: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/Crime%20Trends%201990-2016.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/Crime%20Trends%201990-2016.pdf

Shelf Number: 145144

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends

Author: Waiselfisz, Julio Jacobo

Title: Mapa da Violencia 2016: Homicidio de Mulheres no Brasil (Map of Violence 2016: Homicide for firearms in Brazil)

Summary: The study focuses on the evolution of firearms homicides in Brazil from 1980 to 2014. The incidence of factors such as sex, race / color, and age of the victims of this mortality is also studied. The characteristics of the evolution of firearms homicides in the 27 Units of the Federation, in the 27 Capitals and in the municipalities with high levels of mortality caused by firearms are pointed out.

Details: Brasilia: Ministerio da Justica, Instituto Sangari, 2016. 71p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 22, 2017 at: http://www.mapadaviolencia.org.br/

Year: 2017

Country: Brazil

URL: http://www.mapadaviolencia.org.br/

Shelf Number: 145151

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Murders

Author: Queensland. Audit Office

Title: Criminal Justice System -- Reliability and Integration of Data

Summary: Queensland's criminal justice system prevents, detects, and investigates crimes. It delivers judicial processes, manages prisoners and offenders, and provides rehabilitation services. The Queensland Police Service and the Department of Justice and Attorney-General (through its Queensland Courts Service, Queensland Corrective Services, and Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions) are the prime agencies for delivering these services. Throughout this report, we refer to these entities collectively as criminal justice entities. These entities collect valuable data on occurrences (crimes, traffic matters, missing persons, domestic violence, and other incidents), people, and property, and on their activities. They use the data when making decisions about their activities and when allocating resources. The government relies on the statistics and reports generated from this data to set its policy direction. The public rely on it for an appreciation of levels of community safety. Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, the Queensland Police Service recorded 2 174 144 occurrences with 2 809 283 reportable offences into the Queensland Police Records Information Management Exchange (QPRIME) system. The Queensland Police Service define a reportable offence as any act reported to, or becoming known by, the police that they consider, prima facie (at first view, before investigation), to be in breach of the criminal law. The Queensland Police Service has an unacceptable amount of crime data across the state that is incomplete, inaccurate, and wrongly classified. Contributing to this are officers' poor understanding or use of data classification rules, poor guidance, inappropriate data classification practices and inadequate quality assurance controls. As a result, reported crime statistics are questionable at best and unreliable at worst, and should be treated with caution. Underlying the crime statistics, we undertook a statewide assessment of Queensland Police QPRIME system data. Between 2010-11 and 2015-16, we found 22 per cent of all occurrence reports with reportable offences recorded in the Queensland Police Records Information Management Exchange (QPRIME) system, were incomplete, inaccurate or both. We also identified trends in withdrawn and unfounded offences that warranted investigation

Details: Brisbane: Audit Office, 2017. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: Report 14: 2016-17: Accessed May 5, 2017 at: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/qao_criminal_justice_system_data_report_14_april_2017.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Australia

URL: http://apo.org.au/files/Resource/qao_criminal_justice_system_data_report_14_april_2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 145319

Keywords:
Administration of Justice
Crime Statistics
Criminal Investigation
Criminal Justice Statistics
Criminal Justice Systems

Author: Reaves, Brian A.

Title: Police Response to Domestic Violence, 2006-2015

Summary: Presents 2006-15 data on nonfatal domestic violence victimizations reported to police, the police response to these victimizations, the prevalence of related arrests or charges, and criminal complaints signed against the offender. Domestic violence includes serious violence (rape or sexual assault, robbery, and aggravated assault) and simple assaults committed by intimate partners, immediate family members, or other relatives. Data are from the National Crime Victimization Survey, which obtained victims' descriptions of police actions during their initial response to a reported crime and any follow-up contact with the victim. Highlights: From 2006 to 2015, more than half (56%) of the 1.3 million nonfatal domestic violence victimizations occurring annually in the United States were reported to police. In 39% of reported victimizations an offender was arrested or charges were filed, with the majority of arrests occurring during the initial police response. The victim or other household member signed a criminal complaint against the offender in about half (48%) of reported victimizations.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/prdv0615.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/prdv0615.pdf

Shelf Number: 145391

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Victimization
Domestic Violence
Intimate Partner Violence
Police Response
Repeat Victimization
Victims of Crime

Author: Tavares, Cynthia

Title: Money laundering in Europe Report of work carried out by Eurostat and DG Home Affairs

Summary: Statistics on crime and criminal justice represent one of the newest areas of Eurostat's activities. The collection of data on this subject from the Member States began in response to the mandate issued by the European Council in the Hague Programme in 2004: ... the European Council welcomes the initiative of the Commission to establish European instruments for collecting, analysing and comparing information on crime and victimisation and their respective trends in Member States, using national statistics and other sources of information as agreed indicators. Eurostat should be tasked with the definition of such data and its collection from the Member States1. In response to this challenge, Eurostat has established contact with the organisations principally responsible for crime statistics in each of the European Union Member States. These organisations have contributed substantially to the development of an international collection of crime statistics within the framework of the European Statistical System. Eurostat wishes to thank the colleagues concerned in these organisations for their co-operation in this field. The progress made to date may be followed on the Eurostat website and in successive issues of the series Statistics in Focus. It has always been evident that comparable information on 'traditional' types of crime such as theft and assault would be easier to obtain than in so-called 'new areas' such as for example cybercrime, human trafficking, fraud and corruption. For such types of offence (which are often associated with the concept 'organised crime') the absence of an international framework of methods and definitions has necessitated a far more intensive process of conceptual development. This process has been undertaken in active collaboration with the Member States and according to the strategy set out in the Action Plan adopted by the Commission to implement the Hague Programme. The present publication represents the first fruits of this process. The specific crime of money-laundering is among the priority areas identified in the Action Plan and data has been collected by Eurostat from the Member States in several stages, followed each time by a careful analysis of the figures received and subsequent adjustment of the methodology. The contribution to this process of the Commission's Directorate-General for Home Affairs is gratefully acknowledged. It is recognised that the current state of the results does not entirely comply with the stringent requirements of the European Statistics Code of Practice. Further development is planned to improve data quality in future collections. Nevertheless the political demand for this information is such that it seems opportune to make it available at this stage in the form of a Eurostat Working Paper. This implies that suitable caution should be exercised in interpreting the figures, and that the methodological notes and caveats provided should be rigorously taken into account in all subsequent analysis.

Details: Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2010. 92p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3888793/5846749/KS-RA-10-003-EN.PDF/d6540680-3944-4c22-9b8b-8109ec0b6d92?version=1.0

Year: 2010

Country: Europe

URL: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/documents/3888793/5846749/KS-RA-10-003-EN.PDF/d6540680-3944-4c22-9b8b-8109ec0b6d92?version=1.0

Shelf Number: 145400

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Cybercrime
Financial Crimes
Money Laundering
Organized Crime

Author: Munch, Christopher

Title: Measuring organized crime in Canada: Results of a pilot project

Summary: Organized crime has long been identified as a government priority and a public safety issue. As a result of high profile incidents in the 1990s and extensive consultations by the government, the Criminal Code of Canada was amended in 1997 to help identify criminal organizations and to protect justice system participants (Parliament of Canada n.d.).The aim of this and subsequent legislation was to provide law enforcement and justice officials with tools to respond to organized crime, including a clear national definition of a criminal organization, broader powers through sentencing guidelines, and the ability to seize property obtained for the benefit of organized crime (Parliament of Canada 2014). Since then, a number of reports have underscored the issue (40th Parliament Speech from the Throne 2010; Criminal Intelligence Service Canada 2014). For instance, in 2006 Public Safety Canada outlined the issue as follows: Organized crime affects Canadian's basic rights to peace, order and good government. Although the effects of illicit activities are not always obvious, all Canadians, through one form or another, feel them through victimization, higher insurance rates, fewer tax dollars to support social programs, and the eventual undermining of Canadian institutions and consumers. No community is immune from the effects of organized crime (Public Safety Canada 2006). To address the issue of organized crime, data are needed to inform both resourcing and policy questions related to detection, prevention and officer and public safety. Recent reports have indicated that the complexity of organized crime creates additional resource demands on policing (Public Safety Canada 2013; Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security 2014; Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police Research Foundation 2015). Further, the nature of organized crime is to constantly evolve to adapt and exploit new opportunities-characteristics which, without data and data sharing among law enforcement and those responsible for public safety, make it even more challenging to fight (Criminal Intelligence Service Canada 2014). Despite the need for data to inform resourcing and policy, there are currently no standardized data to monitor the nature and extent of organized crime at the national, provincial/territorial or local levels. This Juristat article provides an overview of existing measures of organized crime in Canada and raises awareness regarding data availability and the efforts being made to collect national police-reported data through the Uniform Crime Reporting Survey (UCR).The article draws from a pilot project launched to determine best practices in the collection of police-reported data on organized crime. The data presented in this article include organized crime data reported by police services involved in the UCR organized crime pilot project for the years 2013 and 2014. These data are limited to a select group of police services reporting on a select group of UCR violations (murder, manslaughter, attempted murder, and conspire to commit murder for Phase I of the pilot data collection, and; drug production and trafficking for Phase II of the pilot). The data are not representative of Canada and are limited to the police jurisdictions that participated in the pilot.

Details: Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, 2017. 13p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/14689-eng.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/14689-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 145402

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Illicit Activities
Organized Crime

Author: Cerqueira, Daniel R.C.

Title: Mapa dos Homicidios Ocultos no Brasil

Summary: Based on the Mortality Information System (SIM), the number of hidden homicides (HOs) in each Brazilian Federal Unit (UF) was estimated, considering deaths that were erroneously classified as "indeterminate cause". Analyzed the socioeconomic and situational characteristics associated to each of the almost 1.9 million violent deaths occurred in the country between 1996 and 2010. The results of this study indicated that the number of homicides in the country would be 18.3% higher than the official records , Which represents about 8,600 unrecognized homicides each year. As a result, estimates indicated that Brazil surpassed the annual mark of 60,000 deaths from aggression. The calculations also showed that the substantial increase in the homicide rate in many states of Brazil, and particularly in the Northeast, did not occur, but that the official indexes were driven by the decrease in the under-reporting that occurred with the improvement in the quality of the SIM. Nevertheless, in recent years there has been a worrying phenomenon of increasing violent deaths, the intent of which has not been determined. This fact did not occur in a generalized way in the country, but it was circumscribed, mainly, to seven states: Rio de Janeiro; Bay; Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco; Roraima; Minas Gerais and Sao Paulo

Details: Instituto de Pesquisa Economica Aplicada ipea 2013. 64p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 10, 2017 at: http://www.institutoelo.org.br/site/files/publications/95e3d6a71f009059e3585fc38bbab64b.pdf (Article is in Spanish)

Year: 2013

Country: Brazil

URL: http://www.institutoelo.org.br/site/files/publications/95e3d6a71f009059e3585fc38bbab64b.pdf

Shelf Number: 145403

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: Neumann, Vanessa

Title: Kidnappings in Venezuela

Summary: The November 9 kidnapping and subsequent rescue of Major League Baseball player Wilson Ramos, a catcher for the Washington Nationals, has shone a spotlight on Venezuelan crime rates. Unfortunately, his kidnapping was commonplace; only his swift and successful rescue is a rarity. Taken from the porch of his family home near the Venezuelan industrial town of Valencia, Ramos was liberated just over 51 hours later in a massive operation that included operatives from the Scientific, Criminal and Penal Scientific Investigations Body (CICPC is its Spanish acronym), the Anti-Extortion and Kidnapping Group of the Bolivarian National Guard, the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (SEBIN) and the Military Intelligence Directorate, amongst others. After a shootout at the house where Ramos was being kept -- a farm called "My Refuge" about three hours down the road -- the kidnappers fled, leaving Ramos alone in the house to be rescued. Nevertheless, the kidnappers have since been apprehended, identified and indicted. Such judicial efficiency is extraordinary in Venezuela, a country of 28 million inhabitants, of which at least five are kidnapped every day. Even the government's official statistics show that 1,050 kidnappings were reported this year through October - which is 23 times more than number recorded when Hugo Chavez was elected 13 years ago, and double the figure of 2008. That's what's actually reported by the government; some estimates place last year's kidnappings as high as 17,000, on the basis that most Venezuelans do not report crimes to the police, whom they suspect will be at best powerless, and at worst, complicit.

Details: Philadelphia: Foreign Policy Research Institute, 2011. 2p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 12, 2017 at: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/150629/2011_11_venezuela.pdf

Year: 2011

Country: Venezuela

URL: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/150629/2011_11_venezuela.pdf

Shelf Number: 131370

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Kidnappings

Author: Human Security Report Project (Simon Fraser University)

Title: Human Security Report 2013: The Decline in Global Violence: Evidence, Explanation, and Contestation

Summary: During the past decade, an increasing number of studies have made the case that levels of violence around the world have declined. Few have made much impact outside the research community-Steven Pinker's The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined is a major exception. Published in 2011, Better Angels' central argument-one made over some 700 densely argued pages of text, supported by 70 pages of footnotes-is that there has been an extraordinary but little-recognized, long-term worldwide reduction in all forms of violence-one that stretches back at least to 10,000 BCE. Better Angels has received high praise for its extraordinary scope, its originality, and the breadth and depth of its scholarship. It is engagingly written, powerfully argued, and its claims are supported by a mass of statistical evidence. It has also generated considerable skepticism and in some cases outright hostility. Part I of this Report discusses the central theses of Better Angels and examines the major claims of its critics. Part II presents updated statistics on armed conflicts around the world since the end of World War II, plus post-Cold War trends in assaults on civilians and conflicts that do not involve governments.

Details: Vancouver, Canada: Human Security Report Project, 2014. 127p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 13, 2017 at: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/178122/HSRP_Report_2013_140226_Web.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: International

URL: https://www.files.ethz.ch/isn/178122/HSRP_Report_2013_140226_Web.pdf

Shelf Number: 145152

Keywords:
Armed Conflict
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Organized Crime
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Musoi, Kyalo

Title: A Study of Crime in Urban Slums in Kenya: The Case of Kibra, Bondeni, Manyatta and Mishomoroni Slums

Summary: Crime continues to be a major scar on the peace and security landscape in Kenya. Whereas crime cuts across the country geographically, it is more prevalent, severe and acute in peri-urban informal settlement areas that are popularly known as slums. Security Research and Information Centre (SRIC), with support from the Government of Kenya (through the National Steering Committee on Peace Building and Conflict Management and the Kenya National Focal Point on Small Arms and Light Weapons) and UNDP Kenya has been conducting crime surveys - in its strategic role as a crime observatory - since 2011 in the greater Nairobi region and other select parts of the country. These crime surveys have consistently established that crime is a major peace and security concern in the major urban areas in the country particularly in the slums. It is against this backdrop that SRIC undertook a study on crime in four select slums in the four major cities in the country namely, Kibra (Nairobi), Mishomoroni (Mombasa), Manyatta (Kisumu) and Bondeni (Nakuru). For the purpose of this study, crime is understood to mean acts or prohibitions which are against the law (both written and unwritten for the case of societal norms). The main objective of the study was to contribute to better understanding of the nature, trends and dynamics of crimes in the four select major urban slums in Kenya and to formulate actionable policy recommendations. The study also sought to identify and analyse crime hot spots, criminal organized groups and impact of crime in the select slum areas. The findings of the study can thus be extrapolated to present a general crime status in the slum areas in the country as a whole. Various methods of data collection and analysis were used. Secondary data was mainly derived from previous studies and reports on crime and crime observatories including print media. Primary data was collected through questionnaires, interviews and observations. A total of 654 questionnaires were administered to members of the public in the study areas taking into consideration age and gender sensitivities. In addition, 48 key informant interviews were conducted. The researchers also spend considerable time during the study period in the study areas observing crime trends and patterns. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods of data analysis. The quantitative data was organized, cleaned, coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) to help generate summaries in terms of tables and graphs for easy analysis and interpretation. Qualitative data was analyzed qualitatively through interpretation of the responses by respondents and also analysis of secondary data on the subject matter. The study found that theft (35.37%), was the main type of crime across the four sampled slum areas. In addition, robbery (15.55%), burglary/break-ins (10.67%) and mugging (23.17%) were the other main typologies of crime in slum areas, accounting for combined 84.76% of crimes committed in slum areas in Kenya. The study also established that an overwhelming majority, 98.8% of the respondents, had witnessed crime being committed in the last three months of the study period. This can be inferred to mean that almost everyone in the four slums had either been affected (may be within the family) or personally experienced some form of crime. Asked to state causes of crime in slum areas in urban centres, 61.2% of the respondents cited youth unemployment as the main cause of crime. Poverty (11.3%) and illicit brews/drug abuse (9.5%) were cited as the other causes of crime in slum areas. Based on these statistics, it can be inferred that rampant poverty and depressed income levels seem to be the primary drivers of localized crimes in major urban slums in Kenya. Contrary to assertions by many researchers and reports that Kibra is the most unsafe area to live in, public perceptions on safety in this study demonstrate that comparatively, Bondeni slum in Nakuru town was the most unsafe place to live in (60.98%) followed by Mishomoroni in Mombasa (44.44%). Kibra was third with 40% and lastly Manyatta slum in Kisumu where only 36.9% of respondents felt the slum was unsafe to live in. Moreover, it was only in Manyatta slums that respondents felt very safe (7.14%), making it to be, in relative terms, the safest of the four slums. In terms of reporting crime to the authorities the study established that 53.21% of the respondents had reported crime to the police while 46.79% of the respondents did not report crime to the police at all. 42.2% of the respondents indicated that they had no confidence in administration of justice by the Police Service and that's why they would rather let the matter (crime) "die" than seek intervention from the police. 14.7% of the respondents indicated that they were afraid of the perpetrators, 18.7% indicated that sometimes they would not report any crime incident perpetrated or involving any member of the family/ friends, 9.2% indicated that some criminal cases were not serious enough to warrant the attention of the police, 7.3% posited that the police were not friendly and were thus afraid of approaching them while others indicated reporting was inconsequential since the police were incapable of recovering lost properties in cases of property related crimes. In addition and despite the efforts expended by the government, NGOs and the communities themselves to prevent and reduce crime in urban slum areas in the country, a majority of respondents (81%) felt that crime incidences remained high. Only 17% of the total respondents indicated that crime levels had reduced. The study also identified 21 organized criminal groups and or gangs operating in the slum areas. Kibra had 6, Mishomoroni in Mombasa 8, Bondeni of Nakuru 8 whereas Manyatta respondents in Kisumu identified 4 such groups. Extortions, levying of protection fees, muggings, heckling/disrupting political rallies and events, trafficking drugs and kidnappings are some of the common crimes committed by these identified criminal groups/gangs. It is also important to note that in Mishomoroni, Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) was not identified as a criminal organization or group. Maybe the respondents feared mentioning it or perceived it as a legitimate organization pursuing interests of the coastal people. In addition, the study identified 44 crime hotspots and times of the day the crime is likely to take place or committed. Kibra, had the highest number of hotspots at 17. This was followed by Mishomoroni (11), Manyatta (9) and Bondeni (7) in that order. It is interesting to note that based on public perceptions, Bondeni - with only 7 identified crime hotspots - was found to be the most unsafe slum amongst the four sampled slum areas. To ameliorate the dire crime situation in slum areas in the country, the study makes key policy recommendations to the National Police Service, National Government, County Governments and the members of the public. To the Police Service, the police reforms should be hastened so that corruption is reduced and accountability enhanced. In addition, the police should intensify patrols within the settlements, strengthen witness/informers protection services/ unit and equip the police officers with the necessary tools to enable them perform their work effectively. The National Government should address youth unemployment by increasing the uptake of grants such as Uwezo Fund and also ensure proper mechanisms are put in place, including subsidizing the prices of basic commodities, in order to lower the cost of living. On the other hand, the County Governments should improve infrastructure in slum areas such as erecting lighting masts and improving access roads. The public has a role to play in making slum areas safer places to live in. They should step up collaboration with police officers in detecting and reporting crime as well as avoid buying or trading in stolen properties. Buying stolen goods encourages the criminals to continue stealing.

Details: Nairobi: Security Research & Information Centre, 2014. 72p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: http://www.srickenya.org/images/publications/slum%20Crime%20Survey%20Report.%20Thur.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Kenya

URL: http://www.srickenya.org/images/publications/slum%20Crime%20Survey%20Report.%20Thur.pdf

Shelf Number: 145909

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Poverty
Slums
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Stolen Goods
Theft
Urban Areas and Crime

Author: Jamaica. Ministry of National Security

Title: National Crime & Victimization Survey 2015: Final Report

Summary: The purpose-built Citizen Security Programme (CSP) is an initiative of the Ministry of National Security, co-funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Created in 2007, the CSP's mandate is to reduce violent crime and increase collective efficacy and perceptions of safety in high needs communities throughout Trinidad and Tobago. At onset, twentytwo (22) communities were chosen for participation in CSP programming based on the higher crime rates of crime experienced therein. In 2007, a Crime and Violence Perception Survey (CVS 2007) was conducted in nineteen (19) of these communities, i.e. all, save those in Tobago. This survey determined not only baseline values for crime victimization, but also community perceptions on a range of social attitudes, cultural norms and feelings and practices regarding safety. Subsequently, CSP has conducted programming in all 22 communities, based in part on the intelligence gleaned from the results of the CVS 2007. In 2015, a second round of the CVS survey was commissioned to establish if and by how much victimization rates and various perceptions about crime, safety and social behaviour in these communities had changed in comparison to the 2007 baseline. There were adjustments in methodology for the Crime and Victimization Survey in 2015 (CVS 2015), including expanded survey coverage and a revised instrument. In 2015, the sample included respondents from the: - 19 original Trinidad CSP communities - for comparative purposes - 3 Tobago CSP communities - to capture mid-stream data - 10 new East Port of Spain CSP communities - to determine a baseline - the nationwide distribution of non-CSP communities - to provide national context The expanded coverage allows analysis of the current survey to determine changes since 2007 and to present national statistics as an additional reference point. In addition, the CVS 2015 will also establish baseline values for the ten East Port of Spain communities earmarked for inclusion in CSP programming. While the CVS 2015 retains the core of the original survey instrument, it has been streamlined to make it more amenable to the public and also includes a new section on Gun and Gang Violence.

Details: Port-of-Spain: Citizen Security Programme, Ministry of National Security, 2015. 108p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 5, 2017 at: cso.gov.tt/

Year: 2015

Country: Jamaica

URL: cso.gov.tt/

Shelf Number: 145928

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Survey
Gangs
Gun Violence
Victimization Survey

Author: King, Raymond

Title: The Effects of Organizational Agility on Transnational Crime in Jamaica

Summary: Factors influencing incidents of transnational crime in Jamaica and the international community have been established in the literature. However, strategies to counter transnational security threats have been predicated on a foundation of re-activity, necessitating the need for proactive crime fighting efforts. This study investigated the effects of organizational agility, a proactive crime abatement strategy, on transnational crimes in Jamaica using quantitative analysis. An input-output framework based on economic theory, along with a multiple regression model provided the analytic foundation for this study. Thirty-two years of crime data between 1982 and 2013, one independent variable-organizational agility, and five control variables comprised the analytic model. Chief among the findings are that organizational agility as a proactive crime abatement strategy was found to be inversely related to incidents of transnational crime at α = 0.05 and that the overall model explained 91% of the variation in transnational crime incidents.

Details: Miami Gardens, FL: St. Thomas University, 2015. 119p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed June 7, 2017 at: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/1749780648.html?FMT=AI

Year: 2015

Country: Jamaica

URL: http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/1749780648.html?FMT=AI

Shelf Number: 145952

Keywords:
Crime Prevention
Crime Statistics
Economics of Crime
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Transnational Crime

Author: Bryant, Willow

Title: Homicide in Australia 2012-13 to 2013-14: National Homicide Monitoring Program report

Summary: In the 25th year of the National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP) data collection, this report describes the nature and context of homicides that occurred in financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14, and trends in homicide victimisation and offending since 1989-90. Although much of the data are presented in the aggregate, certain figures for each financial year are provided to aid the monitoring of trends. Ongoing monitoring of homicide locates short-term changes within a longer timeframe, and allows policymakers and law enforcement personnel to identify changes in risk markers associated with incidents, victims and offenders. The overall number of homicide incidents continues to decline. In 2013-14, the homicide incident rate reached a historical low of one per 100,000 people since the NHMP data collection began in 1989-90. This report's key findings include: - from 1 July 2012 to 30 June 2014, there were 487 homicide incidents - 249 in 2012-13 and 238 in 2013-14; - these incidents involved 512 victims and 549 offenders - 264 victims and 276 offenders in 2012-13 and 248 victims and 273 offenders in 2013-14; - since 1989-90, homicide incident rates have decreased from 1.8 per 100,000 to 1.1 in 2012-13, and again to one in 2013-14; - males remain over-represented as both victims (n=328; 64%) and offenders (n=483; 88%); - in 2013-14, males were victimised at the rate of 1.3 per 100,000, the lowest rate recorded since 1989-90 (2.5 per 100,000). The rate of female victimisation was 0.8 per 100,000 in 2013-14; - knives continue to be the most commonly used weapon, with 37 percent (n=89) of all homicide incidents in 2013-14 involving knives or sharp instruments; - during the 2012-14 period, approximately a fifth (n=69; 14%) of homicide incidents involved the use of a firearm. This is a decrease of 11 percent in the use of firearms in homicide incidents since 1989-90 (n=76; 25%), and a decrease of one percent since 2011-12; - in 2012-14, the most common relationship between a homicide offender and a victim was a domestic relationship (41%; n=200), followed by an acquaintance (27%; n=133). Thirteen percent (n=62) of homicide incidents were stranger homicides (which includes homicide incidents involving those known to each other for less than 24 hours); - of the 200 domestic homicide incidents recorded in 2012-14, 63 percent (n=126) were classified as intimate partner homicides, 15 percent as filicides (n=30, 14 of which involved the death of a child under one year of age), 11 percent as parricides (n=21), eight percent as other family (n=16; includes aunts/uncles, in-laws, cousins etc) and four percent as siblicides (n=7); - females continue to be over-represented as victims of intimate partner homicide (n=99; 79%), while males are still over-represented as victims of acquaintance (83%; n=116) and stranger homicide (92%; n=58); - 42 children aged 17 years and younger were killed in 2012-14; - 78 victims (46 males and 32 females) and 91 offenders (75 males and 16 females) in 2012 14 were Indigenous Australians. Indigenous people remain over-represented as both victims of homicide and homicide offenders. At a national level, the rate of Indigenous victimisation in 2013-14 (4.9 per 100,000) was approximately five times higher than non-Indigenous victimisation (0.9 per 100,000); - eight in ten homicide incidents were not committed in the course of another crime (n=408; 84%). A fifth of homicide incidents where a precipitating crime was known and recorded were committed during the course of another crime, such as a break and enter (n=15; 19%), robbery (n=14; 18%), other violent crime (n=11; 14%) or sexual assault (n=10; 13%); and - a fifth of offenders had a prior history of domestic violence (n=106; 19%) or mental illness (n=70; 13%) at the time of the homicide incident.

Details: Canberra:: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2017. 88p.

Source: Internet Resource: AIC Statistical Report 02: Accessed June 20, 2017 at: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/sr/sr002.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.aic.gov.au/media_library/publications/sr/sr002.pdf

Shelf Number: 146296

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Patrick, Rodger

Title: A Tangled Web: Why you can't believe crime statistics

Summary: Crime is going down - officially. The trouble is that most people don't believe it: they feel that society is becoming more crime-ridden. So what could explain the discrepancy between the claims made by politicians and the everyday experience of citizens? In this hard-hitting expose, Rodger Patrick, former Chief Inspector of West Midlands Police, shows how this has come about. He unpacks the gaming behaviours of police forces under pressure from central government to reduce crime rates and increase detection rates by any means - including some that are unethical and even criminal. A Tangled Web takes the reader into the arcane world of 'cuffing' - making crimes disappear by refusing to believe the victims; 'nodding' - inducing suspects to 'nod' at locations where they can claim to have committed crimes that will be 'taken into consideration', sometimes in return for sex, drugs and alcohol; 'stitching', or fabricating evidence, which allows police forces to obtain convictions without ever going to court; and 'skewing', or concentrating resources on offences that are used as performance indicators, at the expense of time-consuming investigations into more serious crime. Rodger Patrick cites the now considerable number of official inquiries into police forces that have uncovered evidence of these practices on such a scale, and over such a wide area, that they cannot be put down to a few 'rotten apples'. He argues that the problems are organisational, and result from making the career prospects of police officers dependent on performance management techniques originally devised for the commercial sector. Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has long taken a relaxed view of the problem, putting a generous interpretation on evidence uncovered in its investigations, although in a small number of cases officers have had to resign or even face criminal charges.

Details: London: Civitas, 2014. 130p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 31, 2017 at: http://www.civitas.org.uk/content/files/ATangledWeb.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.civitas.org.uk/content/files/ATangledWeb.pdf

Shelf Number: 146619

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Criminal Investigations
Police Behavior
Police Statistics

Author: Kowalski, Lindsay

Title: A Preliminary Examination of Marcellus Shale Drilling

Summary: Comparing the pre-Marcellus breakout period (2006-2007) to post-Marcellus breakout period (2008-2010), there were no consistent increases in Pennsylvania State Police incidents/calls for service or Uniform Crime Report (UCR) arrest statistics in the top Marcellus-active counties. However, the trend in PSP incidents/calls for service in the rural counties that have had no Marcellus activity is dissimilar to that of the Marcellus-active counties; specifically, PSP calls for service have been steadily declining in non-Marcellus areas during the post-Marcellus breakout period, but there has been a more variable pattern of both PSP calls and UCR reported arrests in the Marcellus areas. It is imperative to note that it is difficult to detect strong trends within such a short time period, and any observed changes may be due to natural variation. More time will need to elapse in the post-Marcellus era in order to measure the impact on PSP activity or UCR arrest data. Moreover, this study would be enhanced by exploring additional measures of crime and by more specific comparisons to non Marcellus Shale regions.

Details: University Park, PA: Justice Center for Research, Pennsylvania State University, 2012. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2017 at: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/research/socio-economic-impact-studies/crime/a-preliminary-examination-of-marcellus-shale-drilling-activity-and-crime-trends-in-pennsylvania

Year: 2012

Country: United States

URL: http://asmaa-algarve.org/en/research/socio-economic-impact-studies/crime/a-preliminary-examination-of-marcellus-shale-drilling-activity-and-crime-trends-in-pennsylvania

Shelf Number: 16

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Fracking
Oil Drilling
Rural Areas

Author: Victoria. Crime Statistics Agency

Title: CSA Incident-based Collection: Public Consultation Paper

Summary: 1.1 About the Crime Statistics Agency The Crime Statistics Agency (CSA) is the agency responsible for processing, analysing and publishing quarterly crime statistics using data collected by Victoria Police. Established in 2014, with public operations commencing on 1 January 2015, the CSA's role is to improve the quality of and accessibility to crime data, research current and emerging crime and criminal justice trends and strengthen the integrity and public confidence of Victoria's crime statistics. The legislative basis of the CSA is the Crime Statistics Act 2014, which provides for the public release of crime statistics, research into crime trends and the employment of the Chief Statistician for that purpose. The CSA aims to provide an efficient and transparent information service to inform policy makers, researchers, the media and the Victorian public. 1.2 Current Victorian Recorded Crime Statistics At present, the CSA produces crime statistics quarterly based on an extract of data from the Victoria Police Law Enforcement Assistance Program (LEAP). Each quarter the CSA provides information about crimes occurring across the state from a range of views, including counts and rates of: - recorded offences; - alleged offender incidents; - victim reports; and - family incidents. Information about the number of unique victims and offenders recorded by police is produced annually as part of the CSA's financial year statistical report, and provides more detailed information about repeat offending and victimisation. The current headline measure used for quarterly reporting is the number of recorded offences within a 12 month period, and the overall changes between each reporting period. As the headline indicator, offences have traditionally been used as the basis for calculating the crime rate in Victoria. 1.3 A New Measure of Crime in Victoria While the current headline measure is useful in showing the number of detected and reported offences recorded by Victoria Police, it is not necessarily an accurate representation of how people experience crime in the community. This is because a single criminal incident can involve one or many offence types, and potentially multiple counts of an offence. Therefore, whilst the number of recorded offences is important to quantify police workload and process offenders through the criminal justice system, it can be less representative of crime as it is experienced by people. Therefore, the CSA has identified a gap in the current statistical outputs that offers a central view of a criminal incident and connects it to the offenders and victims involved, as well as the associated offences. To address this information gap, the CSA has commenced work developing an incident-based view of crime to better reflect the volume and public experience of crime in Victoria. On 28 September 2017, the CSA will release a suite of information that presents an incident-based view of crime as the headline indicator for the first time. 1.4 About this Consultation Paper The purpose of this consultation paper is to provide a summary of the incident-based data, and how this new measure impacts on the presentation of the CSA's quarterly crime statistics. It outlines the challenges associated with developing incident-based data, details the key improvements and provides a comparison between incidents and offences to help guide the transition to the incident-based view as the headline measure for recorded crime statistics. .2.1 Developing the Incident-based Collection There are a number of challenges with using operational police data to create meaningful crime statistics. The primary function of the LEAP database is for Victoria Police to manage case workloads, process offenders, and finalise outcomes of incidents that come to the attention of police. The CSA uses this operational data entered on LEAP and transforms it into statistics for public release. This means that the creation of statistics is restricted to the use of information contained within the LEAP database, and relies heavily on the quality of the input of information by police officers and data entry staff. Therefore, any statistical information produced by the CSA will only offer a view of crime as it comes to the attention of police, and cannot account for incidents that are not reported. Another challenge of using operational data concerns the overall quality of the information recorded within the system. At times there can be inconsistencies in the way certain information is recorded, and often the data contains incorrect or missing values that affect the CSA's ability to provide high quality statistics. The CSA endeavours to produce a broad range of content, and will continue to work with police in the future to improve the overall quality of the data recorded. 2.2 Objectives of incident-based statistics The creation of the incident-based collection will result in a number of benefits that will enhance the published crime statistics and improve public understanding of crime in Victoria. The key advantages are: - presenting statistics that reflect how the community experiences crime; - producing more accurate information about crime trends; - increasing comparability across states; - no loss of service to the Victorian public; and - providing access to more information.

Details: Melbourne: CSA, 2017. 20p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 30, 2017 at: http://apo.org.au/system/files/104461/apo-nid104461-422371.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Australia

URL: http://apo.org.au/system/files/104461/apo-nid104461-422371.pdf

Shelf Number: 146948

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Incident-Based Statistics

Author: Grawert, Ames C.

Title: Crime in 2017: A Preliminary Analysis

Summary: For this analysis, researchers at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law collected crime data directly from local police departments in America's 30 largest cities, and then used historical trends to estimate 2017 year-end crime numbers. Several key findings include: - The overall crime rate in 2017 is projected to decrease slightly, by 1.8 percent. If this estimate holds, 2017 will have the second-lowest crime rate since 1990. - The violent crime rate is projected to decrease slightly, by 0.6 percent, essentially remaining stable. This result is driven primarily by stabilization in Chicago, and declines in Washington, D.C., two large cities that experienced increases in violence in recent years. The violent crime rate for this year is projected to be about 1 percent above 2014's violent crime rate, the lowest recorded since 1990. - The 2017 murder rate is projected to be 2.5 percent lower than last year. This year's decline is driven primarily by decreases in Detroit (down 25.6 percent), Houston (down 20.5 percent), and New York (down 19.1 percent). Chicago's murder rate is also projected to fall, by 2.4 percent. The 2017 murder rate is expected to be on par with that of 2009, well at the bottom of the historic post-1990 decline, yet still higher than the lowest recorded rate in 2013. - While crime is down this year, some cities are projected to experience localized increases. For example, Charlotte's murder rate doubled in the first six months of 2017 relative to last year. Detailed graphs on each of the 30 cities where data was available is included in Section III.

Details: New York: Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, 2017. 15p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 7, 2017 at: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/Crime%20in%202017%20A%20Preliminary%20Analysis_0.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.brennancenter.org/sites/default/files/publications/Crime%20in%202017%20A%20Preliminary%20Analysis_0.pdf

Shelf Number: 147142

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Homicides

Author: Carlton, Mary Poulin

Title: Summary of School Safety Statistics

Summary: Several high-profile incidents of violence at U.S. schools have, understandably, raised concerns about the safety of students while at school. Just one incident of violence causes significant harm. In light of this, it is important to examine commonly held beliefs about school safety and violence because they sometimes reflect a misperception or misunderstanding of what is actually happening. The following questions examine several common beliefs pertaining to school safety statistics and provide evidence to support or dispel each of them. Though improved understanding alone will not allay fears about school violence, hopefully this examination will facilitate informed discussions about school safety. Data collected by federal agencies, including the Department of Education and Department of Justice, as well as research by school safety experts, can be used to address common school safety beliefs and explore several myths.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, 2017. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 11, 2017 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250610.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/250610.pdf

Shelf Number: 147211

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
School Crime
School Security
School Violence

Author: University of Chicago Crime Lab

Title: Gun Violence in Chicago, 2016

Summary: A total of 764 people were murdered in Chicago in 2016. They were sons, brothers, and fathers; sisters, daughters, and mothers; they were, as the title of The New York Times reporter Fox Butterfield's book on urban violence noted, All God's Children. This report represents a first step towards understanding what happened with the goal of helping the city of Chicago prevent another year like the one that just passed. We draw on data obtained from the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and other sources to provide a more complete picture of the change in our city's crime problem in 2016. Our analysis highlights a number of key facts that are important for understanding what happened, but also raises some new puzzles as well. While this report focuses on establishing basic facts and avoids delving too deeply into solutions, we will continue to partner with policymakers, the civic community, and local nonprofits to identify promising approaches for moving forward. We plan to share our thinking about how to reduce violence in Chicago, informed by the best available data and research, in other venues in the future. Between 2015 and 2016, Chicago experienced 58 percent more homicides and 43 percent more non-fatal shootings. Annual increases of this size are not unprecedented among American cities, particularly in recent years, but are rare for a city of Chicago's size. One striking feature of Chicago's increase in gun violence is how sudden it was: as of December 2015, there was no indication that gun violence was on the verge of rising sharply. But in January 2016, homicides and shootings surged relative to their 2015 levels and remained higher in almost every month that followed, threatening 20 years of progress on violent crime in Chicago. This increase was mostly in gun crimes; other crimes did not change by nearly as much. The characteristics of homicide were generally similar in 2016 and 2015; what changed in Chicago was not so much the nature of our violence problem, but rather its prevalence. Most murders involved guns, occurred in public places, and stemmed from what police believe was some sort of altercation. This violence continues to be very regressive in its impact, disproportionately affecting the city's most disadvantaged residents. Most gun violence victims and suspects were African American men, more often than not having had some prior encounter with the criminal justice system. Compared to other cities, a larger share of homicide suspects in Chicago consists of adolescents, although the majority of all homicide suspects are in their 20s or older. The increase in gun violence occurred disproportionately in several disadvantaged neighborhoods on the city's South and West sides, which now account for an even larger share of the city's homicides. Another change is that from 2015 to 2016, the share of homicides that CPD believes stemmed from an altercation, as well as the share of homicide offenders who were recorded by CPD as having a gang affiliation, seemed to decline. What caused Chicago's sudden surge in gun violence in 2016 remains a puzzle. Weather cannot explain the surge in homicides and shootings, since monthly temperatures in 2016 were close to their historical averages. City spending on social services and public education did not change much in 2016 compared to previous years, and while the state budget impasse disrupted funding for many community organizations, this did not seem to change sharply in December 2015. Most relevant measures of police activity did not change abruptly enough to explain the surge in gun violence. Overall arrests declined in 2016, driven by narcotics arrests, but arrests for violent crimes, including homicides and shootings, barely changed. One policing measure that declined was the chance of arrest for homicides and shootings (the "clearance rate"), which was a result of arrests for these crimes not keeping pace with the increase in gun violence. Another policing measure that declined was the number of investigatory street stops. However, for this to explain why shootings increased in Chicago would also require an explanation for why the previous dramatic decline in street stops in New York City did not lead to more gun violence there. We also cannot know the effect of factors not measurable in the available data, such as any change in street gangs or the use of social media. However, given the timing of the recent increase in gun violence, for any alternative explanation to make sense it would need to involve something that changed abruptly near the end of 2015 and disproportionately affected gun crimes. Not knowing the definitive cause of Chicago's sudden and substantial increase in gun violence does not mean the city should be paralyzed in crafting a response. The solution to a problem need not be the opposite of its cause. One key implication of these data is the importance of a policy response that is focused on the core problem: violence concentrated largely in a moderate number of our most disadvantaged neighborhoods, carried out by teens and young adults in public places with illegally owned, and perhaps increasingly lethal, firearms.

Details: Chicago: The Crime Lab, 2017. 31p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed September 14, 2017 at: https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/attachments/store/2435a5d4658e2ca19f4f225b810ce0dbdb9231cbdb8d702e784087469ee3/UChicagoCrimeLab+Gun+Violence+in+Chicago+2016.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://urbanlabs.uchicago.edu/attachments/store/2435a5d4658e2ca19f4f225b810ce0dbdb9231cbdb8d702e784087469ee3/UChicagoCrimeLab+Gun+Violence+in+Chicago+2016.pdf

Shelf Number: 147255

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Illegal Weapons
Murders

Author: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Title: Missing and Murdered Aboriginal Women: A National Operational Overview

Summary: In late 2013, the Commissioner of the RCMP initiated an RCMP-led study of reported incidents of missing and murdered Aboriginal women across all police jurisdictions in Canada. This report summarizes that effort and will guide Canadian Police operational decision-making on a solid foundation. It will mean more targeted crime prevention, better community engagement and enhanced accountability for criminal investigations. It will also assist operational planning from the detachment to national level. In sum, it reveals the following: Police-recorded incidents of Aboriginal female homicides and unresolved missing Aboriginal females in this review total 1,181 - 164 missing and 1,017 homicide victims. There are 225 unsolved cases of either missing or murdered Aboriginal females: 105 missing for more than 30 days as of November 4, 2013, whose cause of disappearance was categorized at the time as "unknown" or "foul play suspected" and 120 unsolved homicides between 1980 and 2012. The total indicates that Aboriginal women are over-represented among Canada's murdered and missing women. There are similarities across all female homicides. Most homicides were committed by men and most of the perpetrators knew their victims - whether as an acquaintance or a spouse. The majority of all female homicides are solved (close to 90%) and there is little difference in solve rates between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal victims. This report concludes that the total number of murdered and missing Aboriginal females exceeds previous public estimates. This total significantly contributes to the RCMP's understanding of this challenge, but it represents only a first step. It is the RCMP's intent to work with the originating agencies responsible for the data herein to release as much of it as possible to stakeholders. Already, the data on missing Aboriginal women has been shared with the National Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains (NCMPUR), which will be liaising with policing partners to publish additional cases on the Canada's Missing website. Ultimately, the goal is to make information more widely available after appropriate vetting. While this matter is without question a policing concern, it is also a much broader societal challenge. The collation of this data was completed by the RCMP and the assessments and conclusions herein are those of the RCMP alone. The report would not have been possible without the support and contribution of the Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics at Statistics Canada. As with any effort of such magnitude, this report needs to be caveated with a certain amount of error and imprecision. This is for a number of reasons: the period of time over which data was collected was extensive; collection by investigators means data is susceptible to human error and interpretation; inconsistency of collection of variables over the review period and across multiple data sources; and, finally, definitional challenges.

Details: Ottawa: RCMP, 2014. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 4, 2017 at: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/wam/media/460/original/0cbd8968a049aa0b44d343e76b4a9478.pdf

Year: 2014

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/wam/media/460/original/0cbd8968a049aa0b44d343e76b4a9478.pdf

Shelf Number: 147550

Keywords:
Aboriginals
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Missing Persons
Murders
Violence Against Women

Author: Holmes, Jessie

Title: Trends in NSW Police clear up rates

Summary: Aim: To analyse the trends in crime clear up rates and methods of proceeding against offenders over the decade from 2007 to 2016 in New South Wales (NSW). Method: Data on criminal incidents cleared by police within 90 days of being recorded and data on persons of interest proceeded against by police were extracted from the NSW Police Force Computerised Operational Policing System (COPS). Kendall's trend tests were run on the annual clear up rates and number of offenders proceeded against for murder, domestic and non-domestic assault, sexual assault, indecent assault, acts of indecency and other sexual offences, robbery, break and enter dwelling and non-dwelling, motor vehicle theft, steal from motor vehicle and malicious damage to property. Results: Clear up rates have increased substantially across many key offence categories over the last decade. Of the offences investigated, the largest change in clear up rates was for robbery (up 16.4 percentage points) followed by malicious damage to property (up 8.1 percentage points). There were also increases in clear up rates for stealing and property crimes as well as slight increases for domestic and non-domestic assault. There was no discernible change in clear up rates for murder or sexual offences. With the exception of domestic assault and sexual offences, the prevalence of all of the offences examined declined from 2007 to 2016 and there was a corresponding but smaller decline in the absolute number of offenders proceeded against for these offences. Conclusion: Clear up rates have increased and crime rates have fallen across many key offence categories over the last decade. The combined effect of these patterns is that the drop in court workload expected from associated falling crime rates appears to have been significantly reduced by the rise in the proportion of offenders being brought before the criminal courts. The increased clear up rate is likely to improve public confidence in policing and may help deter future offending due to the increased risk of apprehension.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2017. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Issue paper No. 129: Accessed October 11, 2017 at: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/BB/Report-2017-Trends-in-NSW-Police-clear-up-rates-BB129.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Australia

URL: http://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/BB/Report-2017-Trends-in-NSW-Police-clear-up-rates-BB129.pdf

Shelf Number: 147659

Keywords:
Clearance Rates
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends

Author: Morgan, Rachel E.

Title: Race And Hispanic Origin Of Victims And Offenders, 2012-15

Summary: Presents estimates of violent victimization (rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault) by the race and Hispanic origin of victims and offenders during the 4-year period from 2012 through 2015. This report examines victim, offender, and incident characteristics, such as crime type, victim-offender relationship, and reporting to police. Findings are based on data from BJS's National Crime Victimization Survey, which collects information on nonfatal crimes, reported and not reported to the police, against persons age 12 or older. Highlights: During 2012-15, half (51%) of violent victimizations were intraracial, that is both victims and offenders were the same race or both were of Hispanic origin. In the majority of violent victimizations, white victims' offenders were white (57%) and black victims' offenders were black (63%). The rates of total violent crime, serious violent crime, and simple assault were higher for intraracial victimizations than for interracial victimizations. From 1994 to 2015, white-on-white violence (down 79%) and black-on-black violence (down 78%) declined at a similar rate. During 2012-15, there were no differences among white, black, and Hispanic intraracial victimizations reported to police.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017. 21p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 20, 2017 at: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rhovo1215.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/rhovo1215.pdf

Shelf Number: 147744

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
National Crime Victimization Survey
Race and Crime
Rape
Robbery
Sexual Assault
Victimization
Victims
Violent Crime

Author: Cohen, Irwin M.

Title: An Analysis of the Socio-Economic and Socio-Demographic Contributors to Property Crime in the Lower Mainland District

Summary: According to the data presented by police leaders at the September 29th, 2015 Metro Vancouver Crime Meeting, property crime increased for the second consecutive year in the Lower Mainland District (LMD) of British Columbia. Of the 22 RCMP and municipal police jurisdictions that comprise the LMD, it was reported that, between January and August 2015, 13 had experienced an increase in their property crime rates over the previous year, and that this trend was a continuation of the trend that saw a general increase in property crime rates in 2014 from 2013. Not surprisingly, the sudden increase in property crime over the past two years has resulted in a search for explanations.

Details: Abbotsford, BC:

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 3, 2017 at: https://cjr.ufv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Report-on-Property-Crime-in-the-LMD-reduced-size.pdf

Year: 2016

Country: Canada

URL: https://cjr.ufv.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Report-on-Property-Crime-in-the-LMD-reduced-size.pdf

Shelf Number: 148026

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Property Crimes
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime

Author: Rotenberg, Cristine

Title: Police-reported sexual assaults in Canada, 2009 to 2014: A statistical profile

Summary: - Over a six-year period between 2009 and 2014, police reported 117,238 sexual assaults in Canada where sexual assault was the most serious violation in the incident. - Almost all (98%) police-reported sexual assaults were classified as level 1 offences (assault without a weapon or evidence of bodily harm). - The median age of victims of police-reported sexual assault was 18 years. The majority (87%) of victims were female, particularly young women and girls. One in four (26%) victims were children aged 13 and younger. This is more than four times greater than the proportion of child victims of physical assault (6%). - An accused was identified in 60% of police-reported sexual assaults, of which 69% were charged. Overall, less than half (41%) of police-reported sexual assaults resulted in a charge being laid, compared with half (50%) of physical assaults. - The vast majority (98%) of accused charged with sexual assault were male, with a median age of 33 years. - The median delay in reporting to police-the time between when the offence took place and when it was reported to police - was 25 days for sexual assaults, compared with only two days for physical assaults. The longest delay in reporting to police was observed among incidents involving children sexually assaulted by their parent, with a median delay of one year. - Of sexual assaults where a charge was laid by police, the majority (87%) of victims knew their assailant; most commonly as a casual acquaintance, a family member, or an intimate partner. Only a small proportion (13%) of sexual assaults were perpetrated by someone who was a stranger to the victim. - Most (83%) victims of sexual assault were sexually assaulted by someone older than them. Of these charged cases, the median age gap between the victim and their assailant was 13 years. These findings are in contrast to those for physical assault, where victims were most commonly assaulted by someone in their peer age group (within five years). - One in five (19%) sexual assaults with a charge laid were perpetrated by an accused that may meet the age-based criteria for pedophilia. This includes incidents where the accused was 16 years of age and older, the victim was 13 years of age and younger, and there was at least a five year age gap between them (as stipulated by clinical criteria). Over half (55%) of these cases involved a child sexually assaulted by an older family member.

Details: Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2017. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Juristat: Accessed November 9, 2017 at: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54866-eng.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: Canada

URL: http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-x/2017001/article/54866-eng.pdf

Shelf Number: 148090

Keywords:
Child Sexual Abuse
Crime Statistics
Rape
Sex Crime
Sex Offenders
Sexual Assault

Author: Males, Mike

Title: Most California Jurisdictions Show Declines in Property Crime During Justice Reform Era, 2010-2016

Summary: This report from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice examines local trends in California's property crime from 2010 through 2016, a period marked by major justice system reform, including Public Safety Realignment, Prop 47, and Prop 57. Despite the relative stability of recent property crime trends, the report finds substantial variation in crime at the local level, which suggests that recent crime patterns may result from local policies rather than state policy reform. The report finds: From 2010 to 2016, property crime rates fell more than 3 percent statewide despite the implementation of large-scale criminal justice reforms. For every major crime except vehicle theft, more California jurisdictions reported decreases than increases in their crime rates from 2010 to 2016. For example, just 141 jurisdictions reported increased rates of burglary, while 367 jurisdictions showed decreases. Across California, crime trends have been highly localized. Of the 511 cities and local areas included in this analysis, 42 percent showed rising rates of property crime from 2010 to 2016, with an average increase of 12.8 percent, and 58 percent showed decreases, with an average decline of 18.1 percent. Many jurisdictions, especially those that began with higher rates of property crime, have devised successful policies and practices that are improving local safety. Jurisdictions that showed decreasing rates of property crime between 2010 and 2016 had higher rates at the start of the reform era than those showing increases.

Details: San Francisco: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2017. 5p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 20, 2017 at: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/most_california_jurisdictions_show_declines_in_property_crime_during_justice_reform_era.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: http://www.cjcj.org/uploads/cjcj/documents/most_california_jurisdictions_show_declines_in_property_crime_during_justice_reform_era.pdf

Shelf Number: 148269

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Property Crime
Public Safety Realignment

Author: Morgan, Rachel E.

Title: Criminal Victimization, 2016

Summary: HIGHLIGHTS -- Violent crime - In 2016, U.S. residents age 12 or older experienced 5.7 million violent victimizations-a rate of 21.1 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. - The rate of stranger violence (8.2 per 1,000 persons) was higher than the rate of intimate partner violence (2.2 per 1,000). - Fewer than half (42%) of violent victimizations were reported to police. Property crime - In 2016, U.S. households experienced 15.9 million property crimes-a rate of 119.4 per 1,000 households. „ Motor vehicle thefts (80%) were the most likely of all crime types to be reported to police. Prevalence of crime - In 2016, a total of 1.3% of all persons age 12 or older experienced one or more violent victimizations. - A total of 8.8% of all households experienced at least one property victimization. Trends - The National Crime Victimization Survey sample went through a routine redesign in 2016, which resulted in the 2016 data not being comparable to data from prior years. - Among counties that remained in sample from the previous design, there was no measurable change in the rates of violent, serious violent, or property crime from 2015 to 2016.

Details: Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2017. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed December 8, 2017 at: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv16.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/cv16.pdf

Shelf Number: 148774

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Northern Ireland Criminal Justice Inspection

Title: Hate Crime: An Inspection of the Criminal Justice System's Response to Hate Crime in Northern Ireland

Summary: In Northern Ireland during 2016, there were over eight hate incidents reported to the police every single day. These equated to almost six (5.94) recorded hate crimes. When population is considered, this figure is higher than the equivalent rate in England and Wales (5.47) . Hate incidents are greatly underreported so the true rate of incidents perpetrated against people because they are perceived to be different in some way is much higher. Turning attitudes into behaviour, such as violence, based on skin colour, sexual identity, age, religion, nationality and other features used to label people is plainly wrong but not uncommon. This report looked into how hate crime in Northern Ireland was dealt with across the justice system. The statistics used to illustrate the report were those outlining hate crime reported during the 2015-16 financial year. Findings The prevalence and impacts of hate crime cannot be dealt with by the criminal justice system in isolation. Organisations within the system had worked together to align approaches and apply standard definitions in an effort to ensure a seamless service to victims. The Unite against Hate project and the Hate Crime Delivery Group (HCDG) had been instrumental in sharing practices across and beyond the criminal justice system itself. Organisations should ensure their continued support of these groups by committing staff at the appropriate level to attend group meetings. The Department of Justice (DoJ) approach to hate crime was contained within its Community Safety Strategy but there were no effective links to an overarching Northern Ireland Executive policy, such as 'Together: Building United Communities' (T:BUC) which would provide leadership at the highest level of government. The legislative approach to hate crime was not directly comparable across the United Kingdom (UK). A review of hate crime legislation in Northern Ireland would establish whether changes are required. England and Wales had statutory hate crimes of assault and damage, enhanced sentencing powers and relevant public order offences. In Scotland, there was a statutory obligation for hate crime cases to be opened and recorded as such in court. Most reports of hate crime forwarded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for prosecution decisions were in the 'aggravated by hostility' category with only a small number of the statutory public order hate crimes reported. Most criminal justice organisations had developed hate crime strategies, supported by internal governance arrangements. However, the Northern Ireland Prison Service (NIPS) and Youth Justice Agency (YJA) did not have hate crime specific strategies. Underreporting was acknowledged by the criminal justice organisations. Systems and process improvements by the police and prosecution service, outreach work and the support of hate crime advocates meant that knowledge among vulnerable communities of how and what to report had increased. However, not all potential victims engaged with support networks and victims spoken to by Inspectors identified many incidents which went unreported. This distorted the true picture of hate incidents and potentially impacted the effectiveness of police responses. Interpreter services were readily available and there was no suggestion that the standard of interpreters was an issue. However, investigation of hate crime required precise legal and technical language. No specific work had been undertaken with interpreter services to enhance skills specific to translating for hate crime, which added to the already high number of substantial barriers facing victims. The quality of hate crime files forwarded by the PSNI to the Public Prosecution Service for Northern Ireland (PPS) had been recognised as an area for improvement but enhanced measures to tackle this had not been operating long enough to assess their effectiveness at the time of inspection. Court recording of instances of enhanced sentencing had improved. However, there remained a risk that in busy Magistrates' and Youth Courts, the recording of enhanced sentences would be missed. The number of perpetrators receiving prison sentences was low. Support for victims of hate crime, following court cases rested mainly with the voluntary and community sector. Expansion of the hate crime advocacy service to include supporting victims at this stage would provide a more holistic service which may help improve future reporting rates. The NIPS used a generalist approach, supported by its anti-bullying policy, to deal with incidents of hate crime. This made it difficult to determine the extent of hate crime being perpetrated within the prison environment. The Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) had established a programme, Accepting Differences, following a pilot scheme. Numbers undertaking the programme were low, but Inspectors regarded the development as a positive one, challenging offenders' stereotypical attitudes and behaviour. Victims' views on how offenders were dealt with were generally based on their wish for the offending behaviour to be stopped. Victims were focused on the prevention of further instances of hate crime and favoured restorative approaches, such as education on the benefits of cultural and other differences. Inspectors believe that this will only be achieved when a hate crime strategy, becomes an integral part of an overall Northern Ireland Executive social cohesion strategy, robustly led and monitored using outcome based accountability measures.

Details: Belfast: Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, 2017. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 18, 2018 at: http://www.cjini.org/getattachment/a48b8a89-f32f-4b02-bd3c-8f77989630eb/picture.aspx

Year: 2017

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://www.cjini.org/getattachment/a48b8a89-f32f-4b02-bd3c-8f77989630eb/picture.aspx

Shelf Number: 148861

Keywords:
Bias
Crime Statistics
Hate Crimes
Victim Services
Victims of Crime

Author: Kleinfeld, Rachel

Title: Reducing All Violent Deaths, Everywhere: Why the Data Must Improve

Summary: The new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include a target to "Significantly reduce all forms of violence and related deaths everywhere." Given the vast decline in violence since the Middle Ages, particularly since the end of the Cold War, this ambitious target is achievable. But policymakers know the least about the countries receiving the most aid. To ensure that aid and policy are effective, current data gaps and deficiencies must be fully understood and improved. Equally important, the target must include indicators that capture all the main types of violence, not just homicide. The Data Problem - Current statistics are marred by problems that make them incomparable across countries. Policymaking that ignores flawed data may focus on less effective goals or assume programs are working when, in fact, violence is being hidden through statistical manipulation. - Policymakers know the least about the countries receiving the most aid. Among the top ten British aid recipients, four have reported no homicide statistics or have had only one data point in twenty-seven years. Eight of the top ten U.S. aid recipients have no reported homicide statistics for the past four years. Egypt, Iraq, and Jordan have no reported homicide statistics since the Arab Awakening. - Failure to accurately count different types of violence obscures possible relationships among them. For instance, these include connections between the end of civil war and rising homicide, between state brutality and increased insurgency, and possible connections between state repression and homicide. The Way Forward - A global violence dataset that accounts for "all violent deaths everywhere" should include four disaggregated types of data: homicides, deaths among armed groups in conflict, deaths of unarmed civilians perpetrated by state or nonstate actors, and deaths caused by on-duty government security forces. - The international community needs accurate data across these categories to know which programs and policies actually reduce violence, rather than simply alter the form violence takes. - If the international community does not explicitly include state repression and terrorist killings in the SDG 16.1 target, it opens a loophole to politicizing numbers through reclassification and the use of state violence to try to reduce homicide and rebellion. - International actors should press for a comprehensive set of indicators for SDG 16.1, which currently only include homicides. - Data reporting and collection could be improved by investing in independent observatories, standardization of definitions and methodologies, and other crucial steps. - These decisions are not technical, but political. Statistical manipulation is inevitable and occurs in countries from the United States to Russia. Impartial, trained, and internationally funded violence observatories can assist in gaining accurate statistics so resources can target the most effective place and programs.

Details: Washington, DC: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, 2017. 34p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 22, 2018 at: http://carnegieendowment.org/files/CP_297_Kleinfeld_Crime_Final_Web.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: International

URL: http://carnegieendowment.org/files/CP_297_Kleinfeld_Crime_Final_Web.pdf

Shelf Number: 148900

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Organization of American States. Secretariat for Multidimensional Security

Title: Report on Citizen Security in the Americas/ Official Statistical Information on Citizen Security provided by the OAS Member States - Informe sobre Seguridad Ciudadana en las Americas 2012

Summary: In 2009, the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States (OAS) created Alertamerica, the OAS Hemispheric Observatory on Security, which authorities, security specialists and the general public can visit at www.alertamerica.org. The OAS Hemispheric Observatory on Security contains official data from OAS Member States which is sub-divided into 122 indicators that encompass the totality of areas related to the social phenomena of crime and violence, as well as information on the initiatives undertaken by Member States to control and sanction these. The indicators constitute the widest possible repertoire of official information on these themes in the Americas. It is hoped that they will act as a cause for reflection and debate on a topic which has become the principal source of concern for citizens in our region. It constitutes, moreover, the most appropriate indicators and points of reference for the short, medium, and long-term policies which the American countries have implemented with a view to improving citizen security. The document which the reader has in his/ her hands, The Report on Citizen Security in the Americas 2012, is the second version of the General Secretariat's Annual Report comprising the information available through Alertamerica. The reader will find a synthesis of the current citizen security situation in the Americas, broken down into eighty-two statistical tables, as well as the opinions of renowned experts from throughout the continent on the principle areas of regional concern in this field.

Details: Washington, DC: OEA, 2012. 164p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 2, 2018 at: http://www.oas.org/dsp/alertamerica/Report/Alertamerica2012.pdf

Year: 2012

Country: South America

URL: http://www.oas.org/dsp/alertamerica/Report/Alertamerica2012.pdf

Shelf Number: 148985

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
National Security
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Ponemon Institute

Title: 2017 Cost of Cybercrime Study: Insights on the Security investment that Make a Difference

Summary: With cyber attacks on the rise, successful breaches per company each year has risen more than 27 percent, from an average of 102 to 130. Ransomware attacks alone have doubled in frequency, from 13 percent to 27 percent, with incidents like WannaCry and Petya affecting thousands of targets and disrupting public services and large corporations across the world. One of the most significant data breaches in recent years has been the successful theft of 143 million customer records from Equifax- a consumer credit reporting agency-a cyber crime with devastating consequences due to the type of personally identifiable information stolen and knock-on effect on the credit markets. Information theft of this type remains the most expensive consequence of a cyber crime. Among the organizations we studied, information loss represents the largest cost component with a rise from 35 percent in 2015 to 43 percent in 2017. It is this threat landscape that demands organizations reexamine their investment priorities to keep pace with these more sophisticated and highly motivated attacks. To better understand the effectiveness of investment decisions, we analyzed nine security technologies across two dimensions: the percentage spending level between them and their value in terms of cost-savings to the business. The findings illustrate that many organizations may be spending too much on the wrong technologies. Five of the nine security technologies had a negative value gap where the percentage spending level is higher than the relative value to the business. Of the remaining four technologies, three had a significant positive value gap and one was in balance. So, while maintaining the status quo on advanced identity and access governance, the opportunity exists to evaluate potential over-spend in areas which have a negative value gap and rebalance these funds by investing in the breakthrough innovations which deliver positive value. Following on from the first Cost of Cyber Crime1 report launched in the United States eight years ago, this study, undertaken by the Ponemon Institute and jointly developed by Accenture, evaluated the responses of 2,182 interviews from 254 companies in seven countries-Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom and the United States. We aimed to quantify the economic impact of cyber attacks and observe cost trends over time to offer some practical guidance on how organizations can stay ahead of growing cyber threats.

Details: s.l.: Accenture, 2017. 56p.

Source: Internet Resource: https://www.accenture.com/t20170926T072837Z__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-61/Accenture-2017-CostCyberCrimeStudy.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://www.accenture.com/t20170926T072837Z__w__/us-en/_acnmedia/PDF-61/Accenture-2017-CostCyberCrimeStudy.pdf

Shelf Number: 149125

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Crime Against Businesses
Crime Statistics
Cyber Security
Cybercrime
Internet Crime

Author: Malhotra, Urvashi

Title: The Great Shift: Analyzing the Effect of Public Safety Realignment on Crime in California between 2009-2013

Summary: In 2011, the United States Supreme Court mandated California to reduce its severely overcrowded prison population. In an effort known as Public Safety Realignment, Assembly Bills 109 and 117 shifted the responsibility to house individuals convicted of non-serious, nonviolent, and non-sex felony offenses from state prisons and parole to local jails and probation in each of the 58 California counties. Using a multivariate regression model controlling for county-specific population factors, this thesis examines the extent to which Public Safety Realignment has impacted crime in California, both at the state and county levels. Additionally, through in-depth interviews of county officials, examples of "best practices" for accommodating realigned prisoners while keeping crime low are determined. The results of this study indicate significant changes in both FBI Part I violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and FBI Part I nonviolent property crimes (motor vehicle theft, larceny, arson, and burglary) in some counties, but not at the state-level. Based on the results of interviews of select county officials, counties that responded to Realignment by implementing or expanding evidence-based programs to prevent crime, target offenders' criminogenic tendencies, and improve re-entry outcomes were generally able to keep instances of both violent and nonviolent crime fairly stable. This study suggests that with the right practices and priorities, shifting the responsibility to house offenders from the state to the county level can be done without significantly compromising public safety, making California a role model for other states with overcrowded prison populations.

Details: Berkeley, CA: UC Berkeley, 2016. 99p.

Source: Internet Resource: UC Berkeley The Charles H. Percy Undergraduate Grant for Public Affairs Research Papers: Accessed February 21, 2018 at: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8770r67k

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: https://escholarship.org/uc/item/8770r67k

Shelf Number: 149207

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Prison Overcrowding
Prison Reform
Public Safety Realignment

Author: Lauritsen, Janel L.

Title: Modernizing Crime Statistics. Report 2: New Systems for Measuring Crime

Summary: To derive statistics about crime - to estimate its levels and trends, assess its costs to and impacts on society, and inform law enforcement approaches to prevent it - a conceptual framework for defining and thinking about crime is virtually a prerequisite. Developing and maintaining such a framework is no easy task, because the mechanics of crime are ever evolving and shifting: tied to shifts and development in technology, society, and legislation. Interest in understanding crime surged in the 1920s, which proved to be a pivotal decade for the collection of nationwide crime statistics. Now established as a permanent agency, the Census Bureau commissioned the drafting of a manual for preparing crime statistics-intended for use by the police, corrections departments, and courts alike. The new manual sought to solve a perennial problem by suggesting a standard taxonomy of crime. Shortly after the Census Bureau issued its manual, the International Association of Chiefs of Police in convention adopted a resolution to create a Committee on Uniform Crime Records - to begin the process of describing what a national system of data on crimes known to the police might look like. Report 1 performed a comprehensive reassessment of what is meant by crime in U.S. crime statistics and recommends a new classification of crime to organize measurement efforts. This second report examines methodological and implementation issues and presents a conceptual blueprint for modernizing crime statistics.-

Details: Washington, DC: National Academies press, 2018. 257p. Prepublication copy.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 26, 2018 at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25035/modernizing-crime-statistics-report-2-new-systems-for-measuring-crime

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/25035/modernizing-crime-statistics-report-2-new-systems-for-measuring-crime

Shelf Number: 149558

Keywords:

Crime Classification
Crime Measurement
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys

Author: Lauritsen, Janel L.

Title: Modernizing Crime Statistics Report 1: Defining and Classifying Crime

Summary: To derive statistics about crime - to estimate its levels and trends, assess its costs to and impacts on society, and inform law enforcement approaches to prevent it - a conceptual framework for defining and thinking about crime is virtually a prerequisite. Developing and maintaining such a framework is no easy task, because the mechanics of crime are ever evolving and shifting: tied to shifts and development in technology, society, and legislation. Interest in understanding crime surged in the 1920s, which proved to be a pivotal decade for the collection of nationwide crime statistics. Now established as a permanent agency, the Census Bureau commissioned the drafting of a manual for preparing crime statistics-intended for use by the police, corrections departments, and courts alike. The new manual sought to solve a perennial problem by suggesting a standard taxonomy of crime. Shortly after the Census Bureau issued its manual, the International Association of Chiefs of Police in convention adopted a resolution to create a Committee on Uniform Crime Records - to begin the process of describing what a national system of data on crimes known to the police might look like. The key distinction between the rigorous classification proposed in this report and the "classifications" that have come before in U.S. crime statistics is that it is intended to partition the entirety of behaviors that could be considered criminal offenses into mutually exclusive categories. Modernizing Crime Statistics: Report 1: Defining and Classifying Crime assesses and makes recommendations for the development of a modern set of crime measures in the United States and the best means for obtaining them. This first report develops a new classification of crime by weighing various perspectives on how crime should be defined and organized with the needs and demands of the full array of crime data users and stakeholders.

Details: Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. 2016. 286p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 26, 2018 at: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23492/modernizing-crime-statistics-report-1-defining-and-classifying-crime

Year: 2016

Country: United States

URL: https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23492/modernizing-crime-statistics-report-1-defining-and-classifying-crime

Shelf Number: 149559

Keywords:
Crime Classification
Crime Measurement
Crime Statistics
Crime Surveys

Author: Allen, Grahame

Title: Knife crime in England and Wales

Summary: Summary Recorded crime -- In the year ending March 2017, there were 34,700 (selected) offences involving a knife or sharp instrument in England and Wales. This is the highest number in the seven-year series (from year ending March 2011) the earliest point for which comparable data are available. This is directly related with improvements in recording practices. Homicide -- In 2016/17 there were 215 homicides currently recorded using a sharp instrument, including knives and broken bottles, accounting for 30% of all homicides - a similar number as recorded in 2015/16 (213). Knife crime by police force area -- London recorded the highest rate of 137 offences involving a knife per 100,000 population in 2016/17, an increase of 23 offences from 2015/16. Surrey had the lowest rate of 4 offences per 100,000 individuals (down 2 from 2015/16). Proven offences and offenders -- In 2017, there were just under 20,982 disposals given for possession of a knife or offensive weapon. Juveniles (aged 10-17) were the offenders in 21% of cases. Hospital admissions -- There were 4,434 finished consultant episodes (FCE) recorded in English hospitals in 2016/17 due to assault by a sharp object. This was an increase of 7.1% compared to 2015/16 and 21% higher than in 2014/15.

Details: London: House of Commons Library, 2018. 26p.

Source: Internet Resource: Briefing Paper No. SN4304: Accessed March 27, 2018 at: http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04304

Year: 2018

Country: United Kingdom

URL: http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/SN04304

Shelf Number: 149583

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicide
Knife Crime
Knives
Violent Crime

Author: Jorna, Penny

Title: Fraud against the Commonwealth: Report to Government 2014-2015

Summary: The Fraud Against the Commonwealth Report for 2014-15 presents research findings on the level of fraud risk affecting Commonwealth entities and the government's approach to preventing and responding to acts of dishonesty perpetrated within and against the Commonwealth. For the three years 2012-13 to 2014-15, 417,480 incidents of suspected fraud were detected worth over $1.208b with more than one third of Commonwealth entities experiencing fraud. During the three years, 3,699 defendants were prosecuted for fraud by the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. In 2014-15, almost one third of sentences imposed involved actual imprisonment.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 96p.

Source: Internet Resource: AIC Report; Statistical Report 03: Accessed March 29, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr3

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr3

Shelf Number: 149609

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Dishonesty
Financial Crimes
Fraud and Corruption

Author: San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG)

Title: Arrests 2016: Law Enforcement Response to Crime in the San Diego Region

Summary: The Criminal Justice Research Division of the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) functions as the Clearinghouse for regional criminal justice information. On an annual basis, the Division prepares a report on local criminal justice agencies' response to crime in the region, as measured by arrest statistics. Because arrest statistics include information regarding whether the suspect is an adult or juvenile, and include a greater variety of crime types than are reported in regional crime reports (e.g., alcohol/drugrelated offenses), this information provides an added dimension for understanding the nature of crime and another measure that can be used in justice system planning. This CJ Bulletin includes regional arrest rates per 1,000 for both the adult and juvenile population, as well as numbers of arrests by offense type. In addition, 42 supplemental tables, which include statistics for individual jurisdictions, are presented. Some points to remember when interpreting these numbers include the following: - Similar to how the FBI counts reported crimes, the offense or charge attributed to an arrest reflects only the most serious out of potentially multiple violations included in the arrest. - Arrests are documented by the location at which the arrest occurred and cannot be assumed to have any relationship to the location of the crime incident or the residence of the alleged offender. - Arrest and crime rates and numbers should not be compared to one another. One reason is that the two events may occur in two entirely different periods of time, with an arrest made months or even years after the related crime was reported. - For youth, even though contact with law enforcement is made and an arrest report is taken, diversion to a community-based or other type of program or release to a parent or guardian may occur as an alternative to juvenile justice system processing. - The data presented here were provided by the California Department of Justice through a public records request. While these are official numbers reported to and by the State, it is important to note they may vary from other sources that could be available. Highlights - The arrest rates in San Diego County for both adults and juveniles were at ten-year lows in 2016, with a 23 percent drop for adults and a 66 percent drop for juveniles since 2007 (page 4). - In 2015, the year following the passage of Proposition 47 (Prop 47), which reduced certain property- and drug-related offenses from felonies to misdemeanors, the felony arrest rate decreased 28 percent and the misdemeanor arrest rate increased 11 percent. In 2016, the felony arrest rate decreased slightly from 2015 (-2%), but interestingly, the misdemeanor arrest rate declined also, and to a greater degree (-4%) (page 4). - San Diego County had the second highest adult and juvenile arrest rates of the five largest California counties in 2016, following only San Bernardino (page 5). - In 2016, 226 adult arrests and 15 juvenile arrests were made per day on average in the San Diego region (page 6). - Since 2007, the proportion of all adult arrests that were alcohol/drug-related decreased from around half (51%) to about two in five (41%). Over the same time, the proportion of property arrests that were at the felony-level decreased (from 73% to 45%), as did those in the alcohol/drug category (from 17% to 8%) (pages 7 and 8)

Details: San Diego: SANDAG, 2018. 54p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 29, 2018 at: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_4478_23326.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: http://www.sandag.org/uploads/publicationid/publicationid_4478_23326.pdf

Shelf Number: 149616

Keywords:
Arrests and Apprehensions
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics

Author: Soderstrom, Maria

Title: Swedish Crime Survey 2017

Summary: In 2017, two parallel Swedish Crime Surveys were conducted, the SCS - Standard and the SCS - Local. The SCS - Standard has been conducted with the same data collection method and sample as previously, while the SCS - Local has been conducted with a different method, involving another sample, revised questionnaires, and different data collection method. The technical report (Bra 2018) contains detailed accounts of the ways in which the surveys were conducted. As from 2018, the method which is used in what is presently called the SCS - Local will be the new standard method. This summary refers only to results from the SCS - Standard, although this year's report also comprises results from the SCS - Local. This is because the summary focuses on trends over time and the SCS - Local has only been conducted once. In general, however, a comparison of the two shows the SCS - Local reflects higher levels of victimisation and unsafety than the SCS - Standard. In addition, the SCS - Local indicates that a smaller percentage of the population has a high degree of confidence in thecriminal justice system as well as positive experience from contacts with the criminal justice system than is indicated by the SCS - Standard. The SCS - Standard has been conducted since 2006. In 2017, approximately 11,600 persons responded to the questions in the SCS - Standard, which is a 59 per cent response rate to the survey. Most participated in the SCS - Standard through telephone interviews, but a smaller percentage participated through posted questionnaires or internet questionnaires.

Details: Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Bra), 2018. 24p.

Source: Internet Resource: English summary of Bra report 2018:1: Accessed April 4, 2018 at: https://www.bra.se/download/18.10aae67f160e3eba6292cc95/1520607741267/2018_Swedish_Crime_Survey_2017.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Sweden

URL: https://www.bra.se/download/18.10aae67f160e3eba6292cc95/1520607741267/2018_Swedish_Crime_Survey_2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 149686

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
National Crime Survey

Author: Walters, Mark A.

Title: Hate Crime and the Legal Process: Options for Law Reform

Summary: BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to assess the application of criminal laws and sentencing provisions for hate crime in England and Wales (Crime and Disorder Act 1998 (CDA), ss. 28- 32, and the Criminal Justice Act 2003 (CJA), ss. 145 and 146) in order to capture best practices and identify barriers to the implementation of these rules. The study was carried out over a 24-month period and used a multitude of sources, both secondary and primary, to answer a number of key questions that were first set out by the Law Commission's 2014 report on hate crime law reform, as well as other questions set out as part of an EU crossjurisdictional project. The report is funded by the EU Directorate-General Justice and Consumers department and forms part of a wider European study into the use of hate crime laws across five EU member states (England and Wales; Ireland; Sweden; Latvia; and the Czech Republic). METHODOLOGY A mixed-methods approach was employed for the project which enabled us to compare and contrast the stated aims and purposes of policies and legislation with the experiences of those tasked with enforcing and applying the law. This approach included: (a) an assessment of existing policies and publically available statistics; (b) a review of over 100 reported cases; and (c) 71 in-depth, qualitative semi-structured interviews with "hate crime coordinators" and "hate crime leads" at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), District (Magistrates' Court) and Circuit (Crown Court) Judges, independent barristers, victims and staff at charitable organisations that support victims of hate crime, police officers, and local authority minority group liaison staff. Part A: Law, policy and statistics: Understanding the "life cycle" of a hate crime HATE CRIME STATISTICS Using publically available statistics on hate crime, we calculate an approximate number of offences that are likely to "drop out" of the criminal justice system. The total number of cases that drop out of the system represent what is known as the "justice gap" for hate crime. Analysis of the Crime Survey for England and Wales (CSEW) suggests that approximately 110,160 hate crimes are reported to police each year. The most recent police statistics recorded 62,518 hate crimes between 2015/16. This suggests that only 57% of those incidents reported to the police are recorded as hate crimes. During the same year, the CPS prosecuted 15,442 hate-based offences, of which 12,846 resulted in a conviction. The CPS recorded the announcement of sentencing uplifts in court as 33.8% of total hate crime convictions, which equates to 4,342 cases. If these data are accurate, it means that out of an approximate 110,160 reported hate crimes, only 4,342 offences (4%) resulted in a sentence uplift based on identity-based hostility. In other words, approximately 96% of reported hate Part B: Analysis and research findings PREPARING CASES FOR PROSECUTION: COLLATING EVIDENCE TO PROVE HOSTILITY - The most cogent form of evidence to prove the hostility element of a hate crime is witness testimony of verbalised prejudice, expressed during the commission of an offence. - Additional ways in which hate crimes can be proved in court include the use of audio and video recording of the incident. However, interviewees emphasised that, without a sound recording of verbal slurs, proving a demonstration of hostility beyond reasonable doubt via video footage is extraordinarily difficult. This was most apparent in relation to disability hate crime cases. - The defendant's prior record and bad character can be important factors in proving that a defendant was motivated by hostility. However, accessing this information is problematic, as the hostility element will not be noted on a perpetrator's record where a prior offence was aggravated by sexual orientation, disability or transgender identity hostility (under CJA provisions). - Other forms of evidence that can be sufficient to prove the hostility element of a hate crime include leaflets, letters and other written documentation which indicate an affiliation with right-wing hate groups. Social media comments, subscription to websites with links to racist organisations, and text messages displaying hate-based content are also useful forms of evidence in hate crime cases. GATHERING EVIDENCE: FAILURE TO IDENTIFY AND INVESTIGATE HOSTILITY EARLY ENOUGH - There was evidence to suggest that the CPS has made recent improvements to the identification of disability hate crimes. However, there remains a significant proportion of incidents that are not flagged correctly by the police. Interviewees noted that even where there is evidence of a disablist slur having been expressed during the commission of an offence (the most common type of evidence for all types of hate crime), the disability hate crime flag is still frequently not applied. - Conversely, in some cases, the "flags" that are added to case files can become a barrier to looking beyond the wider facts of the case. This may mean that other facts or types of prejudice are lost during the investigation. - There was a perception amongst some CPS interviewees that the police need to be more "proactive" in identifying the relevant pieces of evidence that will make for a compelling case, especially in complex cases that do not involve verbalised prejudice. However, even with more carefully crafted evidence files, prosecutors frequently fail to secure uplifts at sentence for disability hate crime, meaning that the effective enforcement of hate crime legislation for victims of disability hate crime remains in doubt. - CPS prosecutors pointed to issues with some police officers not being aware of hate crime sentencing provisions, which led to investigators not collating the necessary evidence of hostility towards the complainant's sexual orientation, transgender identity or disability. GATHERING EVIDENCE: THE IMPORTANCE OF GOOD RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN POLICE AND THE CPS - Gathering evidence and presenting it successfully in court depends on a good relationship between the police and the CPS. Breakdowns in this relationship can result in cases "dropping out" of the system. - Communication problems can occur if charging advice is not sought by the police early on. In some cases, this makes it difficult to gather the necessary evidence for the hostility element later in the process. Although all interviewees were aware that the CPS needed to be contacted for charging advice, CPS prosecutors noted that this did not always happen. - Open lines of communication are key to ensuring that charging advice is sought and that discussions regarding the quality of evidence are had early on in a case's "life cycle". Police officers indicated that more immediate contact with the CPS is necessary, especially because hate crime legislation can be confusing and the police may need advice before interviewing suspects. - Communication between the CPS and the police is sometimes strained due to difference in preferred styles of communication - with the CPS frequently preferring e-communication (and reviewing of files), whereas police officers often preferred interpersonal discussions about a case. - Independent barristers for the prosecution noted that advice is often not sought from them early in the process, and a breakdown of communication between barristers and police via the CPS can lead to evidence not being collated or presented in court. RECOMMENDATION We recommend that investigators use (a non-exhaustive) checklist during the investigation and charging stages of the criminal process (the items on the checklist can be found at 6.1 in the main report). We recommend that the CPS provide police (and independent barristers employed for the prosecution) with a direct and open line to CPS area hate crime leads. Independent barristers for the prosecution should also be included in the case review process where possible.

Details: Brighton, UK: University of Sussex, Crime Research Centre, 2017. 214p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 2, 2018 at: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=final-report---hate-crime-and-the-legal-process.pdf&site=539

Year: 2017

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.sussex.ac.uk/webteam/gateway/file.php?name=final-report---hate-crime-and-the-legal-process.pdf&site=539

Shelf Number: 149973

Keywords:
Bias-Motivated Crime
Crime Statistics
Criminal Law Reform
Discrimination
Hate Crimes
Prejudice

Author: Weisser, Michael

Title: Who Gets Murdered When Someone Uses a Gun?

Summary: The second paper in a series about murder and guns. This paper reviews the different data sources used to compile murder numbers and develops a profile of the 'average' murder victim where the murder is committed with the use of a gun. The paper also looks at data discrepancies between medical and law enforcement data.

Details: Unpublished paper, 2018. 11p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 9, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3171134

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3171134

Shelf Number: 150122

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Gun-Related Violence
Homicides
Murder
Right to Carry

Author: Laan, A.M. van der

Title: Juvenile Crime Monitor 2017. Developments in registered juvenile crime from 2000 to 2017

Summary: The Juvenile Crime Monitor 2017 describes developments in juvenile crime registered by the police, the Public Prosecution Service and the courts from 2000 to 2017. The aim of the Juvenile Crime Monitor program is to provide a broad overview of developments in juvenile crime from various sources, and to discuss and compare these developments. The different sources in the latest Monitor include: police records of juvenile suspects, sentencing records of juvenile criminal offenders, and judicial statistics from other countries as well. The 2015 edition of the Juvenile Crime Monitor also included self-report measures of offending behavior by Dutch juveniles, which are obtained from a representative sample every five years. Juveniles are individuals between the ages of 12 and 23 years old. Besides describing developments in registered juvenile crime on the national level, the current edition also examines youth crime in so-called hots spots and (selected) municipalities and also the developments of juvenile crime in neighbouring countries. Significant trends from 2012 to 2017 Trends in registered juvenile crime are predominantly decreasing To examine whether the more long term decrease in juvenile crime (see figure S1) is also prevalent at the regional level, among specific subgroups, and for all types of criminal behaviour, more in-depth examinations are performed for the years 2012 to 2017. For specific regions, subgroups and types of offenses, the developments in juvenile crime, too, exhibit a downwards trend. The level of juvenile crime in 2016 is predominantly below the level of crime in 2012, regardless of region or subgroup. That said, the magnitude of the observed crime drop does differ per region or subgroup. Moreover, for some of these regions or subgroups juvenile crime does not decrease year after year, as there are isolated cases of juvenile crime levels remaining stable or even increasing. Juvenile crime drop is prevalent among all age groups, most delinquent group becomes slightly older Registered crime decreased for all age groups from 2007 to 2017. While 18- to 21- year-olds were mostly overrepresented in the juvenile criminal offender population up to and through 2012, the upper age range of the most delinquent group expands to 25 years after 2012. Juvenile crime drops annually at the national level, intermittently at the municipal level, but with variation at the level of neighbourhoods The decrease in juvenile crime is observed regardless of where juvenile suspects live or in which cities juvenile offenders commit crimes. However, the decrease in juvenile crime is not annually for each of the observed municipalities, but can be characterized as a intermittent drop. Also, at the more local level of neighbourhoods there is significant variation in the magnitude of the juvenile crime drop. For instance, in hot spots (i.e., neighbourhoods with relatively high levels of juvenile crime) the level of juvenile crime decreases more strongly than the national average, but less so or not at all in other neighbourhoods. The number of juveniles sentenced for digitalized and cybercrime is small, and is (still) not clearly identifiable in registration sources on the national level. The number of juveniles sentenced for digitalized or cybercrime consist of less than 1% of all juvenile criminal offenders. This figure significantly underestimates the number of juveniles who are actually involved in digitalized and cybercrime, because these types of offenders are not yet clearly identifiable in police and court records on the national level. Greatest decrease in sanctions against juvenile offenders was from 2007 to 2013, afterwards the decrease weakens The number of juveniles sanctioned with alternative community sentences issued by the organisation Halt, as well as the number of sanctions issued by the Publication Prosecution Service and the courts, decreases from 2007 to 2017. Up to 2013 this decrease was relatively strong, though it weakens afterwards. Particularly, the number of juveniles with a Halt referral stabilizes in recent years. This recent stability could be in part due to the introduction of the so-called Halt+ variant, which was introduced in 2013 and stimulates the referral of juvenile suspects and offenders to Halt by the Public Prosecution Service. Also, the general decrease of the number of imposed sanctions is not observed for all types of sanctions. For example, the number of transactions (which are out-ofcourt settlements, usually involving a fine or community service) drops more sharply than penalty orders, which suggests that the latter is replacing the former (as intended by lawmakers). Number of juvenile reoffenders decreases The percentage of 12- to 18-year-olds and 18- to 25-year-olds that reoffend after at least one prior conviction decreases, though to a lesser extent than the general juvenile crime drop. In other words, while there is a general decrease in the number of juvenile offenders, the recidivism among those that remain remains more or less stable over time (whereas the latest cohort seems to show a slight increase in recidivism). Prosecution of young adults as minors increases Although there has been a decrease in the number of young adult criminal offenders, the percentage of criminal cases (with preliminary judgments) against young adults where they are sanctioned according to juvenile law increases. Juvenile crime drop internationally observed The Dutch drop in registered juvenile crime is not on its own. There is a similar decrease in the number of juvenile suspects and convicts in other countries as well, for 2007 to 2015. But, the number of registered juvenile suspects and convicts does fall more rapidly in the Netherlands, when compared with neighbouring nations. Possible explanations for the juvenile crime drop A monitor, such as the Juvenile Crime Monitor, is primarily a descriptive entity, and not necessarily means to clarify or explain observed developments. Still, some explanations for the juvenile crime drop are discussed, such as: - Changes in registration practises, priority shifts regarding investigating juvenile crime as well as changes in police protocols have led to a shortage in enforcement practises, which may have contributed to the registered juvenile crime drop. - The crime debut hypothesis suggests that an increase in security measures has made it more difficult for criminals to successfully commit crimes, particularly among less experienced offenders of property crimes, thus preventing criminal careers from 'taking off'. - The social media hypothesis suggests that the registered drop in juvenile crime could be due to the increased digitalization of society, which includes, but is not limited to, the increased use of social media and mobile devices. - The changing sociocultural attitude hypothesis suggests that the downward development in juvenile crime is due to a changing sociocultural attitude among juveniles and parents towards risky behaviour, such as alcohol consumption, dropping out of school or delinquency. Conclusion Since 2007, juvenile crime has decreased in the Netherlands. This crime drop is observable in the registrations of the police and the judicial authorities as well as in self-report measures of juveniles themselves (see the Juvenile Crime Monitor 2015 for the results regarding self-report). The observed juvenile crime drop that started in 2007 continues up to 2017. Although the magnitude of the juvenile crime drop differs per region, subgroup or type of crime, and is not always annually, the overall trend shows a decrease in registered juvenile crime. That said, the monitor concerns registered juvenile crime. Hence, the monitor only concerns a part of all juvenile crime. It is likely that the juvenile crime registered by police is dropping more sharply than actual juvenile crime, for instance, due to changes in registration practices. A juvenile crime drop is also observed internationally, in countries surrounding the Netherlands, though the decrease in crime appears to be largest in the Netherlands.

Details: The Hague: WODC, 2018. 4p.

Source: Internet Resource: Cahiers 2018-01: Accessed May 11, 2018 at: https://www.wodc.nl/binaries/Cahier%202018-1_2849a_Summary_tcm28-306192.pdf - English Summary Only

Year: 2018

Country: Netherlands

URL: https://www.wodc.nl/binaries/Cahier%202018-1_2849a_Summary_tcm28-306192.pdf

Shelf Number: 150168

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Juvenile Delinquents
Juvenile Offenders

Author: Stone, Rebecca

Title: Intimate Partner Violence in Michigan: An Analysis of Michigan Incident Crime Reports (MICR) for 2014 and 2015

Summary: This report details patterns of intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and offending by using the 2014 and 2015 Michigan Incident Crime Reports (MICR). Defining intimate partner violence as physical, sexual, or psychological harm committed by current or former intimate partners or spouses, this report examines characteristics of victims, offenders, their relationships, and offense characteristics. Key results can be summarized as follows:  Between 2014 and 2015 there were 85,636 IPV offenses reported by Michigan law enforcement agencies, affecting 87,904 victims.  The frequency of IPV offenses was relatively stable between 2014 and 2015, with the exception of intimidation offenses, which increased by 9% from 2014 to 2015.  Across all IPV incidents, current dating relationships between victims and offenders were the most prevalent (45%), followed by current spouses (22%), and former dating relationships (17%). Former relationships were more prevalent among intimidation offenses.  The most common structure for an IPV incident was a lone female victim and a lone male offender.  Victims and offenders tended to be between 25-34 years old, with the exception of sexual IPV victims, who were most commonly under 18 years old.  African American females experienced the highest IPV victimization rates, at a rate of just under 200 per 10,000. The next highest victimization rate was for white females, at just under 50 per 10,000.  About 40% of IPV offenses resulted in an arrest, with physical IPV offenses having the highest likelihood of arrest, and intimidation offenses the lowest.  Offenses between spouses were the most likely to result in an arrest, with offenses among dating relationships and former relationships significantly less likely to result in an arrest.  IPV victimizations were more common in jurisdictions with higher levels of socioeconomic deprivation and income inequality, sexual IPV victimizations were more common in rural areas.

Details: East Lansing, MI: Michigan Justice Statistics Center, School of Criminal Justice, Michigan State University, 2017. 29p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2018 at: http://cj.msu.edu/assets/MJSC-IPV-Victimization-Report-Sept2017.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: http://cj.msu.edu/assets/MJSC-IPV-Victimization-Report-Sept2017.pdf

Shelf Number: 150245

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Family Violence
Intimate Partner Violence

Author: Matthews, Ben

Title: Criminal careers and the crime drop in Scotland, 1989-2011: an exploration of conviction trends across age and sex

Summary: Rates of recorded crime have been falling in many countries in Western Europe, including Scotland, since the early 1990s. This marks the reversal of a trend of increasing levels of crime seen since the 1950s. Despite this important recent change, most analyses of the 'crime drop' have focused on recorded crime or victimisation rates aggregated to national or regional level. It is little known how patterns of offending or conviction have changed at the individual level. As a result it is not known how the crime drop is manifest in changing offending or conviction rates, or how patterns of criminal careers have changed over this period. The aim of this thesis is to explore trends in convictions across a number of criminal careers parameters - the age-crime curve, prevalence and frequency, polarisation and conviction pathways - over the course of the crime drop in Scotland. The results presented here are based on a secondary analysis of the Scottish Offenders Index, a census of convictions in Scottish courts, between 1989 and 2011. Analysis is conducted using a range of descriptive statistical techniques to examine change across age, sex and time. Change in the age-crime curve is analysed using data visualisation techniques and descriptive statistics. Standardisation and decomposition analysis is used to analyse the effects of prevalence, frequency and population change. Trends in conviction are also examined between groups identified statistically using Latent Class Analysis to assess the polarisation of convictions, and trends in the movement between these groups over time provides an indication of changing pathways of conviction. This thesis finds a sharp contrast between falling rates of conviction for young people, particularly young men, and increases in conviction rates for those between their mid-twenties and mid-forties, with distinct periods of change between 1989- 2000, 2000-2007 and 2007-2011. These trends are driven primarily by changes in the prevalence of conviction, and result in an increasingly even distribution of convictions over age. Analysis across latent classes shows some evidence of convictions becoming less polarised for younger men and women but increasingly polarised for older men and women. Similarities in trends analysed across latent classes between men and women of the same age suggest that the process driving these trends is broadly similar within age groups. Increases in conviction rates for those over 21 are explained by both greater onset of conviction and higher persistence in conviction, particularly between 1998 and 2004. The results of this thesis suggest that explanations of the crime drop must have a greater engagement with contrasting trends across age and sex to be able to properly explain falling conviction rates. These results also reinforce the need for criminal careers research to better understand the impact of recent changes social context on patterns of convictions over people's lives. The distinct periods identified in these results suggest a potential effect of changes in operation of the justice system in Scotland leading to high rates of convictions in the early 2000s. However, the descriptive focus of this analysis and its reliance upon administrative data from a single country mean this thesis cannot claim to definitively explain these trends. As a result, replication of this research in another jurisdiction is encouraged to assess whether trends identified are particular to Scotland.

Details: Edinburgh: University of Edinburgh, 2017. 364p.

Source: Internet Resource: Dissertation: Accessed May 25, 2018 at: https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/25810

Year: 2017

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/25810

Shelf Number: 150375

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Criminal Careers
Criminal Convictions

Author: Smith, Russell G.

Title: Identity crime and misuse in Australia: Results of the 2016 online survey

Summary: Identity crime involving misuse of personal information is arguably one of the most prevalent criminal activities in Australia, affecting individuals, businesses and government agencies alike. It is estimated that identity crime affects hundreds of thousands of Australians each year (AGD 2016). In April 2007, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to the National Identity Security Strategy to protect the identities of Australians in a more regulated and efficient way. This arose out of emerging evidence at the time that large numbers of Australians experience misuse of their personal information for criminal purposes each year (Cuganesan & Lacey 2003; OAIC 2007). The strategy sought to enhance identification and verification processes throughout Australia and to develop other measures to combat identity crime, including the creation of a national Document Verification Service to verify the authenticity of identity credentials and the development of reliable, consistent and nationally interoperable biometric security measures for use in all jurisdictions (AGD 2012). The strategy also recognised the need to quantify the nature and extent of identity crime and misuse of personal information, particularly the victimisation experiences of Australians. It recommended the creation of an identity crime and misuse longitudinal measurement framework that could be used to measure the effectiveness of policy and practice throughout Australia. As part of the measurement framework, large-scale surveys have been conducted by the Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) to determine respondents' experiences of victimisation-over their lifetime and during the preceding 12 months-and their perceptions of the risk of identity crime in the ensuing 12 months. This report presents the results of the latest identity crime and misuse survey, undertaken by the AIC in May 2016. It updates information obtained in earlier surveys, undertaken in 2013 and 2014, and provides an indication of how the identity crime and misuse of personal information environment has changed in Australia since 2013. Future surveys will continue to track not only changes in victimisation rates but also the economic impact of identity crime and misuse.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 111p.

Source: Internet Resource: Statistical Report 06: Accessed May 29, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr6

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr6

Shelf Number: 159376

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Fraud
Identity Theft
Victimization

Author: Kleck, Gary

Title: How the Hemenway Surveys Distorted Estimates of Defensive Gun Use Frequency

Summary: David Hemenway and his colleagues have claimed that two national surveys that they conducted indicated there were few defensive gun uses (DGUs) in the U.S., and that the number of gun crimes committed with firearms greatly is far larger than the number of DGUs. This paper explains how these authors produced extreme underestimates of DGU frequency and gross overstatements of the number of gun crimes. Underestimating DGUs was accomplished by (1) using an eccentric and biased wording of the DGU question, (2) using a trap question that misled Rs with a DGU into thinking they had already reported the DGU, (3) employing a long recall period that increased memory loss, and the (4) selecting a biased sample that systematically underrepresented people likely to have a DGU. Overstating the number of gun crimes was accomplished by (1) mischaracterizing incidents falling into a largely meaningless "hostile display" category as gun crimes, when the authors' own evidence indicated that most of the "victims" of these displays did not regard them as a part of gun crime, and (2) ignoring the far more sophisticated National Crime Victimization Survey estimates of gun crime.

Details: Tallahassee, FL: College of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Florida State University, 2018. 23p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 30, 2018 at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3134859

Year: 2018

Country: United States

URL: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3134859

Shelf Number: 150403

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Gun Violence
Gun-Related Violence
Guns
National Crime Victimization Survey

Author: Payne, Jason

Title: Where have all the young offenders gone? Examining changes in offending between two NSW birth cohorts

Summary: New South Wales (NSW), like Australia overall, has experienced a large decline in crime since 2000, yet little is known about its causes. This study explored this decline through a developmental criminology lens by examining two birth cohorts involving all those born in New South Wales in 1984 and 1994. Comparisons between cohorts showed that, by age 21, the proportion of the population that had come into contact with the criminal justice system had halved (-49%), with the largest declines in vehicle theft (-59%), other property theft (-59%) and drink-driving (-49%). However, there remained a group of 'chronic' offenders (those committing 5+ offences) who committed crime at a higher rate and accounted for a larger proportion of offences (77%) than the 1984 cohort of 'chronic' offenders (68%). The crime decline in New South Wales would therefore appear to have resulted from a large reduction in the number of young people committing crime for the first time, although there remains a diminishing 'hard core' of prolific offenders.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 16p.

Source: Internet Resource: Trends & issues in crime and criminal justice no. 553: Accessed June 14, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi553

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/tandi/tandi553

Shelf Number: 150537

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Crime Trends
Juvenile Crime
Juvenile Delinquents
Juvenile Offenders
Youthful Offenders

Author: Jorna, Penny

Title: Commonwealth fraud investigations 2015-16

Summary: Public sector fraud involves dishonestly obtaining a benefit or causing a loss by deception or other means, and can be perpetrated by public servants or by members of the public or corporations. It can lead to a loss of revenue, damage to morale and long-lasting damage to trust in government services. The AIC has been conducting a Commonwealth fraud census since 2006, following on from an Attorney-General's Department data collection established in 1995. This paper reports the findings of the most recent annual census of fraud against Commonwealth entities and the measures taken to prevent fraud. It highlights the substantial cost of fraud to the Commonwealth, particularly from external suspects targeting Commonwealth monies or resources.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 112p.

Source: Internet Resource: AIC Statistical Reports no. 7: Accessed June 15, 2018 at: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr7-0

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://aic.gov.au/publications/sr/sr7-0

Shelf Number: 150553

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Dishonesty
Financial Crimes
Fraud and Corruption

Author: Brazil. Secretary General

Title: Custos Economicos da Criminalidade No Brasil

Summary: - Brazil is among the top 10% of countries with the highest homicide rates in the world - despite having a population equivalent to 3% of the world population, the country accounts for about 14% of all homicides in the world. Brazilian homicide rates are similar to those in Rwanda, the Dominican Republic, South Africa and Democratic Republic of the Congo. - There have been three distinct times in the number of homicides in Brazil in the last 20 years. In the first period, from 1996 to 2003, there was an increase, from 35 thousand to 48 thousand homicides per year. In the subsequent period, between 2003 and 2007, there was a 48 thousand to 44 thousand victims a year. Finally, as of 2008, there was a further increase in the number of victims, although at a slower pace than before 2003, reaching 54 thousand in 2015. - Homicide rates are highly heterogeneous in the country. Some microregions, especially that of Sao Paulo, which has the largest population, has homicide rates close to 10 per 100 thousand inhabitants. On the other hand, some North-Northeast, such as Belem, Salvador, Fortaleza and Sao Luis, as well as the micro-region of the Surroundings of the Federal District, have homicide rates above 50 per 100 thousand inhabitants, which would place them at levels of some of the world's most violent countries, such as Jamaica, Venezuela and Honduras. - The evolution in homicide rates in the last decade was also significantly with a declining trend in homicide rates in the Southeast and increase in the North-Northeast. - It is estimated that, for each homicide of 13- to 25-year-olds, the present value of loss of productive capacity is about 550 thousand reais. The cumulative loss of productive capacity resulting from homicides, between 1996 and 2015, surpassed 450 billion reais. - The economic costs of crime increased substantially between 1996 and 2015, from about 113 billion reais to 285 billion reais. This is equivalent to an average real increase of about 4.5% per year. By 2015, the components, in order of relevance were: public security (1.35% of GDP); private security (from Google Translations)

Details: Brasilia: Secretary General, 2018. 76p.

Source: Internet Resource: RELATORIO DE CONJUNTURA No. 4: Accessed June 27, 2018 at: http://www.secretariageral.gov.br/estrutura/secretaria_de_assuntos_estrategicos/publicacoes-e-analise/relatorios-de-conjuntura/custos_economicos_criminalidade_brasil.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Brazil

URL: http://www.secretariageral.gov.br/estrutura/secretaria_de_assuntos_estrategicos/publicacoes-e-analise/relatorios-de-conjuntura/custos_economicos_criminalidade_brasil.pdf

Shelf Number: 150714

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Crime Statistics
Economics of Crime
Homicides
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: Morgan, Anthony

Title: Towards national measures of alcohol-related crime

Summary: Research has demonstrated that alcohol misuse has a significant impact on police time and resources, the health sector and the Australian community more broadly. Despite growing interest in the topic and the number of studies that have been completed, there remain significant limitations to the national measurement of alcohol-related crime. While recent studies have canvassed the challenges of measuring alcohol-related crime and proposed possible solutions, this study set out to bridge a gap in the knowledge and understanding of the steps that need to be taken to establish practical, high-quality indicators of alcohol-related crime at a national level. The Intergovernmental Committee on Drugs commissioned the Australian Institute of Criminology to undertake a review of policing and non-policing data on the involvement of alcohol in crime and to identify the short-, medium- and longer-term options available for better understanding and measuring the magnitude of alcohol-related crime in Australia. Based on an extensive review of the literature, interviews with representatives from all state and territory police agencies and a range of non-policing agencies, and a review of existing data sources, this report describes the data that are currently available to measure the involvement of alcohol in crime, the strengths and limitations of these data and the issues that will likely impact on future efforts to measure alcohol-related crime at the national level. The report ends by proposing a suite of national indicators of alcohol-related crime.

Details: Canberra: Australian Institute of Criminology, 2018. 100p.

Source: Internet Resource: AIC Research Report 12: Accessed July 25, 2018 at: http://apo.org.au/node/183071

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: http://apo.org.au/node/183071

Shelf Number: 150913

Keywords:
Alcohol-Related Crime, Disorder
Crime Statistics
Criminal Statistics

Author: Willis, Matthew

Title: Property Crime and Indigenous Offenders

Summary: It is well recognised that Indigenous offenders are over-represented within the Australian criminal justice system. In response to this, researchers have attempted to identify the factors contributing to Indigenous offending. Such studies have tended to look at Indigenous offending and engagement with the criminal justice system as a whole, across the full range of different offence types, or have focused on violent crime (Memmott et al. 2001; Bryant & Willis 2008; Wundersitz 2010). Little attention has been paid to Indigenous involvement in other specific forms of crime, such as property offending. While violent crime (specifcally acts intended to cause injury) accounts for the largest proportion of recorded Indigenous offenders (Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) 2016a) and prisoners (ABS 2016c), a substantial number of Indigenous people are imprisoned or otherwise sanctioned for property offences each year. Understanding and addressing factors contributing to Indigenous involvement in property crime can also potentially contribute to reducing Indigenous over- representation (Weatherburn 2014). This paper aims to assist policymakers and practitioners by filling some of the gaps in knowledge about Indigenous involvement in property crime. The brief first overviews the extent of Indigenous involvement in property crime and draws some comparisons between nature and rates of property crime committed by Indigenous offenders and non- Indigenous offenders. Some of the main theoretical explanations for involvement in property offending across the overall population are examined and related to property offending by Indigenous people. The brief draws on unpublished research data to further explore the nature of Indigenous property offending and also examines some initiatives that aim to reduce this offending. For the purposes of this paper, 'property crime' will encompass the offences of robbery; unlawful entry with intent/break and enter (burglary); all thefts; fraud; and property damage as classified under the Australian and New Zealand Standard Offence Classification. Robbery is usually considered a violent crime as the actual or threatened use of violence is an element of the offence that is more serious than the theft element. However, the factors contributing to involvement in robbery and patterns of incidence for robbery tend to align more closely with crimes such as burglary than they do with violent crimes such as assault. For instance, rates of robbery in Australia and internationally have been declining in recent years to an extent that is consistent with property crime trends but not with violent crime trends (van Dijk, Tseloni & Farrell 2012). Violent crime has also declined but over a shorter period and with greater fluctuation (Australian Institute of Criminology (AIC) 2016; Nelson 2015). Therefore, robbery will be considered a property crime for the purposes of this paper; this approach has been undertaken in other recent studies of property crime (Brown 2015).

Details: Sydney: Indigenous Justice Clearinghouse, 2018. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Brief 23: Accessed july 26, 2018 at: https://www.indigenousjustice.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/mp/files/publications/files/property-crime-willis-fracchini-rb23-ijc.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.indigenousjustice.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/mp/files/publications/files/property-crime-willis-fracchini-rb23-ijc.pdf

Shelf Number: 150922

Keywords:
Burglary
Crime Statistics
Indigenous Offenders
Indigenous Peoples
Property Crime
Robbery
Theft

Author: Heeks, Matthew

Title: The economic and social costs of crime

Summary: The economic and social costs of crime estimates are important in helping to develop an understanding of the wider costs and benefits associated with changes in the number of crimes. Although methods have been developed to try to capture an assessment of the societal harms of different crime types, for example the Crime Harm Index, these do not set out to estimate the monetary costs of different offences. This report uses existing crime and cost data to update previous analysis by the Home Office to estimate the economic and social costs of different offences. It does not estimate the economic and social costs of every type of crime; it concentrates on more serious victim-based offences which are likely to have the largest economic and social costs. Costs have been estimated for crimes against individuals and, for a limited number of sectors, businesses. Those crimes which are not committed against an individual victim - so-called crimes against society - are excluded from the analysis; for example, possession of drugs. The report considers three main cost areas: - Costs in anticipation of crime, for example the cost of burglar alarms. - Costs as a consequence of crime, for example the cost of property stolen or damaged. - Costs in response to crime, for example costs to the police and criminal justice system. The total costs of crime in England and Wales in the 2015/16 are estimated to be approximately L50bn for crimes against individuals and L9bn for crimes against businesses. Violent crimes make up the largest proportion of the total costs of individual crime - almost three quarters - but only one third of the number of crimes. This is mainly due to the higher physical and emotional costs to the victims of violent offences. These costs are particularly high for crimes that are more likely to result in emotional injuries, such as rape and violence with injury. The offence with the highest estimated unit cost2 is homicide (L3.2m). Rape (L39,360) has the highest estimated unit cost of non-fatal offences. Thefts from businesses make up almost 90% of business crime but account for approximately half of the total estimated costs of crime against businesses (L4.2bn), as each crime has a low impact on society. In contrast, robberies and burglaries against businesses - estimated to cost L2bn and L1.6bn respectively - make up over 40% of the costs of crime, but account for only 5% of all crimes against businesses.

Details: London: Home Office, 2018. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: Research Report 99: Accessed August 1, 2018 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727958/the-economic-and-social-costs-of-crime-horr99.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: United Kingdom

URL: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/727958/the-economic-and-social-costs-of-crime-horr99.pdf

Shelf Number: 150989

Keywords:
Costs of Crime
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Poverty
Socioeconomic Conditions and Crime
Violence
Violent Crime

Author: David, Jimena

Title: 5013 homicidios en la CDMX. Analisis espacial para la reduccion de la violencia letal

Summary: Having the highest number of police per inhabitants has not prevented the increase in violence in Mexico City. With everything and its rate of 9.6 police officers per 100 thousand inhabitants, the capital of the country had an increase in its rate of intentional homicides of 63.5% between 2012 and 2018, going from 8.74 homicides per 100 thousand inhabitants to 12.31.

Details: Los Morales Polanco. Deleg. Miguel Hidalgo CP 11510, CDMX: Mexico Evalua.org. 2018. 125p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 13, 2018 at: https://www.mexicoevalua.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/5013HomicidiosCDMX.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: Mexico

URL: https://www.mexicoevalua.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/5013HomicidiosCDMX.pdf

Shelf Number: 152934

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: Statistics South Africa

Title: Victims of Crime Survey, 2017/18

Summary: Aggregate crime levels increased in 2017/18 compared to 2016/17. It is estimated that over 1,5 million incidences of household crime occurred in South Africa in 2017/18, which constitutes an increase of 5% compared to the previous year. Incidences of crime on individuals are estimated to be over 1,6 million, which is an increase of 5% from the previous year. Aggregate household crime levels increased in Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, North West, Gauteng and Mpumalanga. Individual crime levels increased in Free State, North West and Gauteng. North West experienced a drastic increase of 80% in the individual crime level. More provinces experienced an increase in household and individual crime levels if comparisons were done using proportions instead of absolute numbers. Housebreaking or burglary continued to be the dominant type of crime in 2017/18, accounting for 54% of all household crimes surveyed in the Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS). An estimated 832 122 incidences of housebreaking occurred, which is a 7% increase compared to the previous year. An estimated 156 089 incidences of home robbery occurred, constituting an increase of 3% from last year. It is estimated that 16 809 incidences of murder occurred in 2017/18, which is an increase of about 4% from the previous year. The definition of murder in VOCS includes culpable homicide because it is practically impossible to separate the two types of killing in a household survey. This is one of the reasons that the VOCS estimates differ from the figures released by the South African Police Service (SAPS). Another reason for the VOCS murder estimates being different from those of the SAPS is that some murders recorded by the SAPS are not known at household level; for example, murders of immigrants that have no relatives in South Africa. In the case of individual crimes, theft of personal property was the most dominant, accounting for about 41% of individual crimes. It is estimated that 693 219 incidences of theft of personal property occurred in 2017/18, which is a decrease of 2% from the previous year. Robbery away from home decreased by 5%, sexual offence decreased by 61%, and assault increased by 12% from the previous year. Sexual offence has a narrower definition in VOCS compared to the SAPS definition, which includes offences such as bestiality and sexual acts with a corpse. On the other hand, assault is defined more broadly in the VOCS compared to the SAPS and combines SAPS common assault and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Disagreement between VOCS and SAPS statistics should not be a matter of concern at this stage, as the two organisations do not use the same definitions of crime types. Moreover, not all crime experienced by individuals is reported to the police. Despite the challenge of non-aligned definitions, in many cases, VOCS and SAPS trends agree for similar types of crime. Perceptions of South Africans on crime in 2017/18 were more sceptical compared to the previous year. About 42% thought property crime increased during the past three years. This is an increase of 6,9% from the previous year. Those who thought violent crime increased during the past three years were 46%, which is an increase of 4,5% over the previous year. Western Cape was the most sceptical about crime trends, as 84% of Western Cape residents thought that crime in South African increased or stayed the same. Mpumalanga was the least sceptical among the nine provinces, where 65% thought that crime increased or stayed the same during the past three years. Crimes that are feared most are those that are most common. An estimated 79% of South Africans felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods during the day, which is a decrease of 6,7% from last year. About 32% of South Africans felt safe walking alone in their neighbourhoods at night, constituting an increase of 8% from last year. Police visibility declined between 2017/17 and 2017/18. It is estimated that the proportion of South Africans who never saw a police officer in uniform during the past twelve months increased by 6%. Police visibility was least in the Eastern Cape, where the percentage of people who never saw a police officer in uniform during the past twelve months is estimated to be 38%. The percentage of South Africans who were satisfied with police response in 2017/18 was 54%, which is a decrease of 5,5% from the previous year. The most common (34,4%) reason for dissatisfaction with the police was that "they don't respond in time". The most common reason for dissatisfaction in 2016/17 was "they don't recover goods". South Africans who were satisfied with the courts dropped by 8,5% from last year to 41%. Gender and population group are important factors that impact the level of confidence on the capacity of correctional services to rehabilitate prisoners. On the question of whether the respondent would be willing to offer employment to a former prisoner, the estimates for a "Yes" response were: Males (51%) and females (45%); Black Africans (52%), coloureds (38%), Indians/Asians (31%) and whites (35%). On the question of whether the respondent would be willing to marry a former prisoner, the estimates for a "Yes" response were: Males (25%) and females (19%); Black Africans (25%), coloureds (13%), Indians/Asians (9%) and whites (12%).

Details: Pretoria: Statistics South Africa, 2018. 112p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 18, 2018 at: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0341/P03412018.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: South Africa

URL: http://www.statssa.gov.za/publications/P0341/P03412018.pdf

Shelf Number: 153021

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Victimization Survey
Victims of Crime

Author: Bento, Fabiana

Title: Murders in the city of Sao Paulo: analysis of reported incidents from January 2012 to June 2013

Summary: his study presents an analysis of incidents of murder reported in the city of Sao Paulo from January 2012 to June 2013. Our objective in completing this report is to organize and share the information available concerning murder when it is first reported to the Civil Police (i.e. the Incident Reports), with the hope of amplifying understanding about the phenomenon at large. Under what circumstances do these deaths occur? What are the profiles of the victims and the perpetrators? In which locations are these incidents most common? These are some of the questions that we sought to answer and that can contribute to the creation of policies better poised to confront homicide in the city. If today the city of Sao Paulo demonstrates murder rates that are indisputably better than they were fifteen or twenty years ago (which does not diminish in anyway the relevance of the problem currently), this is a consequence of investment in intelligence that mapped areas with higher concentrations of crime, created profiles of victims and perpetrators, and identified motives and weapons. The information that was discovered allowed for the implementation of preventative measures and investigations that directly impacted awareness about and reduction of crime. This intelligent and strategic perspective of seeking to comprehend the dynamics behind killings should be well-publicized and incorporated as a common practice; however, the last official study released to the general public - the Anuario do Departamento de Homicidios e Protecao a Pessoa - was published in 2008. It is still a common problem in Brazil that when homicides take center stage, generally due to an increase in statistics, the debate is overrun by explanations based on stereotypes- oftentimes attempting to link fatalities to the drug trade without pursuing a deeper understanding of the situation and entering into dialogue with the reality of the facts. Thus the importance of this research, which proposes to update the analysis of murders in the city with an eye towards verifying which of the characteristics previously discovered - such as the high rate of victimization of young male adults, the involvement of firearms, and the relationship between homicides and interpersonal conflicts - have remained constant. Despite its limitations, considering that we are working with the first information received by the police, the analysis creates a panorama of murders in the city using constructive data that can suggest a certain path forward. We understand that this is a first step, and our hope is that it does not become merely a rote exercise, but that it can stimulate further research that continues to build greater knowledge of the dynamics associated with homicide in Sao Paulo.

Details: Sao Paulo: Instituto Sou da Paz, 2013. 40p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2018 at: http://www.soudapaz.org/upload/file/conhecimento_homicidios_sp_ingl_s.pdf

Year: 2013

Country: Brazil

URL: http://www.soudapaz.org/upload/file/conhecimento_homicidios_sp_ingl_s.pdf

Shelf Number: 153412

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Homicides
Murders
Violent Crime

Author: Rhodes, William

Title: Event- and Offender-Based Recidivism Methodology Using the National Corrections Reporting Program

Summary: This report presents a new methodology using National Corrections Reporting Program (NCRP) data to produce return-to-prison recidivism estimates. This offender-based methodology uses longitudinal data to estimate recidivism and produces estimates of offenders released over long periods rather than specific release cohorts. Though each type of recidivism methodology is suited to answer different criminal justice questions, scholars formerly relied on the event-based approach alone. This report discusses how to produce offender-based recidivism estimates and the circumstances in which offender-based estimates are more appropriate, based on the type of policy or research question.

Details: Cambridge, MA: Abt Associates, 2019. 28p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accesssed February 18, 2019 at: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/250749.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: United States

URL: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/bjs/grants/250749.pdf

Shelf Number: 154647

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Recidivism

Author: Schnetler, Johann

Title: Should the police be assessed using crime statistics?

Summary: Using crime statistics as an indicator of police performance is problematic. Many variables influence increases and decreases in crime rates that cannot necessarily be attributed to police performance. This policy brief argues that crime statistics should be used for strategic, operational and tactical purposes and not necessarily to measure police performance. Key findings A weakness of the government's Medium Term Strategic Framework: 2014-2019 (MTSF) is that the set of performance measures for the different criminal justice system (CJS) departments are not clearly linked. The CJS departments draft individual strategic plans, annual performance plans and annual reports. This leads to largely compartmentalised reporting and planning, which makes it difficult to track performance of reported and investigated cases across the CJS departments. Joint planning sessions with the Presidency aim to align MTSF indicators with strategic and annual performance plans, but CJS departments report on these plans on an individual basis. This has led to gaps in analysis when studying CJS processes, such as the relationship between the reported serious crime figures, the detection rate, court-ready cases and the conviction rate as reported by the South African Police Service (SAPS) versus the prosecution of cases by the National Prosecuting Authority and the total number of prisoners according to the Department of Correctional Services. Even if cross-departmental indicators are developed, performance measures relating to the CJS remain problematic, as one must bear in mind that cases run over multiple financial years, which challenges year-on-year comparisons.

Details: Pretoria, South Africa: Institute for Security Studies, 2018. 8p.

Source: Internet Resource: Policy Brief 116, Accessed March 18, 2019 at: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb116.pdf

Year: 2018

Country: South Africa

URL: https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/pb116.pdf

Shelf Number: 155032

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Police Effectiveness
Police Performance

Author: Brown, Thea

Title: Filicide in Australia, 2000-2012: A national study

Summary: The killing of a child by their parent is a rare and unique event, which presents challenges for identifying trends and patterns and for implementing effective prevention measures. Adding to these challenges is the availability, quality and comparability of data. Filicide statistics are frequently contained but not distinguished within broader child homicide data, and definitions of filicide can vary based on the age of the victim (with analyses most commonly relating to victims aged less than 18 years). Further, filicide research is often discrete and focused on particular categories of filicide events, offenders or victims. Consequently, national rates and comprehensive examinations of this phenomenon remain elusive. Nonetheless, previous analyses of Australian cases suggest that rates are high relative to other developed nations. In response, this report presents the first nation-wide examination of Australian filicides, covering the 12-year period from 2000-01 to 2011-12. As such, it highlights both national and state and territory trends regarding filicide incidents, victims and offenders, and provides a robust knowledge base from which to develop prevention measures. Key findings -- Filicide incidents -- Between 2000-01 and 2011-12, there were 238 incidents of filicide nationally. These incidents made up 18 percent of domestic homicide incidents and seven percent of all homicide incidents over the same period. However, while the incident rate remained steady-between 0.16 and 0.59 incidents per 100,000 population, with an average of 20 incidents per year (range=8-29 incidents per year)- this pattern was contrary to the downward trend observed for domestic homicide and all homicide incidents. Filicide victims -- These incidents involved 284 filicide victims, as well as 16 current or former intimate partners. The filicide victims comprised the majority of child homicide victims (63%) over the 2000-12 period. Most incidents involved a single victim, though 28 incidents involved two victims and nine incidents involved three victims. Victimisation rates fluctuated between 0.16 and 0.75 victims per 100,000 children, and comprised between one-fifth and one-quarter of domestic homicide victims in the most populous jurisdictions. The vast majority of these victims were aged less than 18 years (96%), with only ten adult children being killed over the 12-year period. Most victims were aged less than five years (n=189; 67%), with the median age being two years. There were more male than female victims (56% cf 44%), with the male victimisation rate generally higher than that of the female victimisation rate for each year considered. Ten percent of victims were Indigenous, with these victims often being younger than non-Indigenous victims. Filicide offenders -- There were 260 filicide offenders; 216 incidents involving a single offender and 22 incidents involving two offenders. A similar proportion of offenders were male (n=124; 52%) as were female (n=114; 48%), though victims were most commonly killed by their custodial mother (n=133 victims), followed by a custodial father (n=82 victims) or step-father (n=41 victims). Cases involving two offenders were most commonly perpetrated by two custodial parents, or one female custodial parent (n=9; 41%) and one male step-parent (n=9; 41%). Offenders were aged between 17 and 75 years, with the median age being 32 years. Nine percent of offenders were Indigenous. While mothers were equally likely to kill a male or female child, fathers were more likely to kill a male child. Fathers were also more likely to kill children who were slightly older (aged 1-4 years), whereas mothers killed the very young (aged less than 1 year). Most offenders were in a relationship (married or de facto; n=81; 36%) at the time of the filicide. One-fifth were separated (n=43). Two-thirds of incidents where motive was recorded (n=60) were precipitated by a domestic argument related to the upbringing of the child or the child's custodial arrangement. Further, 43 percent of offenders had a criminal history - most commonly a conviction for a violent offence - and 30 percent of offenders were previously involved in an incident of domestic violence, though the direction of the violence was unknown. In addition, one in three offenders (n=63) had a mental illness, one in five committed suicide following the filicide (n=45) and a similar proportion were affected by drugs (n=40). Policy and program implications Identifying trends in the nature, context and prevalence of filicide incidents, victims and offenders allows comprehensive understandings, and therefore improved interventions, to be developed. However, determining risk is problematic, and identifying cases that may result in a parent killing their child will be particularly difficult to distinguish from the broader context of child abuse, family violence, parental separation and mental health cases. Therefore, a broader focus on enhancing education, case management and interagency communication around the often co-occurring factors that may precipitate or contribute to a filicide may be a useful means for better identifying risk and preventing child deaths. To this end, intervening early and effectively with families who have significant issues, rather than focusing on predicting the small number of cases where filicide may be an outcome, is an important strategy. Moreover, situating the current findings within the somewhat disparate but growing body of literature provides a more robust assessment of the nature and prevalence of filicide events, and can enhance the information available from a range of disciplines and perspectives. Importantly, the findings demonstrate the pivotal role of various professionals in filicide prevention, specifically mental health, family and domestic violence, criminal justice and drug and alcohol services. However, as offender circumstances and characteristics differ according to the offender's relationship with the victim, a re-focusing of adult service provision that address the needs of clients as parents as well as those of their children is critical.

Details: Canberra: Criminology Research Advisory Council, 2019. 81p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 8, 2019 at: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1819/52-1415-FinalReport.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: Australia

URL: http://crg.aic.gov.au/reports/1819/52-1415-FinalReport.pdf

Shelf Number: 155345

Keywords:
Crime Rates
Crime Statistics
Domestic Homicide
Family Violence
Filicide
Homicides

Author: Yeong, Steve

Title: The effect of police on crime and arrests: Are police deterring or incapacitating criminals?

Summary: Aim: To estimate the causal effect of police numbers on rates of crime and arrests. Method: The data used in the present study consists of monthly Local Area Command (LAC) level counts of police officers and selected violent and property crimes for the period July 2000 - April 2003. These crimes include: break and enter, theft, motor vehicle theft, robbery and homicide. Using these data I exploit variation in police numbers driven by a massive recruitment campaign in the lead up to the 2003 New South Wales (NSW) State election to estimate the causal effect of police numbers on rates of crime and arrests. Results: I find that a one per cent increase in the size of the police force generates a 0.8 per cent reduction in theft and a 1.1 per cent reduction in motor vehicle theft. This roughly equates to one additional police officer preventing 17 thefts and four motor vehicle thefts each year. My estimates are too imprecise to draw any definitive conclusions with respect to other types of crime. I do not find evidence that an increase in police numbers generates any significant change to the arrest rate. This indicates that police reduce theft and motor vehicle theft through deterrence rather than incapacitation. Conclusion: The implications of the present study are threefold. First, an increase in police numbers generates a substantial reduction in property crime. Second, an increase in police numbers has no significant effect on the arrest rate for property crime. Finally, the cost of an additional police officer is almost definitely offset by the benefit she provides to society in the form of crime reduction.

Details: Sydney: NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, 2019. 12p.

Source: Internet Resource: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Justice , No. 223: Accessed May 8, 2019 at: https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/CJB/2019-Report-The-effect-of-police-on-crime-and-arrests-CJB223.pdf

Year: 2019

Country: Australia

URL: https://www.bocsar.nsw.gov.au/Documents/CJB/2019-Report-The-effect-of-police-on-crime-and-arrests-CJB223.pdf

Shelf Number: 155684

Keywords:
Arrests
Crime Statistics
Police Effectiveness
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Author: Mouser, Meredith

Title: An Analysis of Sex Offenses in Oklahoma Using Incident-Based Reporting Data

Summary: The Oklahoma Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) conducted an analysis of sex offenses reported by local law enforcement to the Oklahoma State Incident-Based Reporting System (SIBRS) in 2015. The statewide analysis included four sex offenses: forcible rape, forcible sodomy, sexual assault with an object, and forcible fondling. Researchers analyzed 1,315 reports that included 1,489 separate offenses (some reports included multiple offenses). The reports included 1,423 unique victims of a sex offense and 1,440 offenders. Key findings: - In 2015, 199 law enforcement agencies submitted reports through SIBRS containing at least one sex offense; - June had the largest (127) number of sex offenses reported, while February had the least (93); - In the majority of reports (82%), the victim(s) were known to the offender(s); - The majority of offenses (75.9%) took place in a residence; - The most frequently used weapons reported were personal weapons (hands, feet, fists, ect.).

Details: Oklahoma City: Oklahoma Statistical Analysis Center, 2017. 22p.

Source: Internet Resource: Accessed June 24, 2019 at: https://osbi.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc476/f/publications/2018/09/An_Analysis_of_Sex_Offenses_Using_SIBRS_-_Final.pdf

Year: 2017

Country: United States

URL: https://osbi.ok.gov/sites/g/files/gmc476/f/publications/2018/09/An_Analysis_of_Sex_Offenses_Using_SIBRS_-_Final.pdf

Shelf Number: 156619

Keywords:
Crime Statistics
Sex Crimes
Sex Offences
Sex Offenders