NCJ Number
53622
Date Published
1978
Length
186 pages
Annotation
RESULTS OF A STUDY CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE THE PRESENT AND POTENTIAL UTILITY AND BENEFITS OF NATIONAL CRIME SURVEYS (NCS) ARE REPORTED. CURRENT AND POTENTIAL NCS USERS WERE INTERVIEWED PERSONALLY AND BY TELEPHONE
Abstract
VICTIMIZATION SURVEY RESULTS, SUCH AS NCS, ARE MOST OFTEN USED IN ACADEMIC RESEARCH BY CONGRESSIONAL SUBCOMMITTEES, FEDERAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES, NATIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, RESEARCH AND SERVICE FIRMS, STATE LEGISLATIVE AND PLANNING OFFICES, LOCAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES, AND ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS. DATA COLLECTED FROM 158 INTERVIEWS REVEALED THAT NCS INFORMATION USE HAS DEVELOPED IN A NATURAL AND PREDICTABLE MANNER, IS GROWING AT AN ACCELERATING PACE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT THE DATA IS MOST OFTEN USED FOR SCIENTIFIC RATHER THAN POLICY RESEARCH, THE AGGREGATE DATA HAVE BEEN USED AS A SOCIAL INDICATOR OF CRIME, AND NCS HAS LITTLE UTILITY AS A TOOL FOR DETAILED PLANNING AND EVALUATION. THERE IS SOME CONCERN REGARDING THE VALIDITY OF NCS DATA, AND EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGEABLE USERS WOULD SUPPORT SOME MODIFICATIONS IN DATA COLLECTION AND PRESENTATION, WHILE A FEW USERS WOULD PREFER TO HAVE NCS COLLECTIN RESTRICTED TO ONE OR A FEW LARGE URBAN AREAS. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT NCS IS VALUABLE AND SHOULD BE RETAINED BUT THAT ITS OBJECTIVES SHOULD BE RESTATED SO THAT PRIORITIES CAN BE DETERMINED FOR EACH USER CLASS AND TYPE OF USE. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT SYSTEMS ANALYSIS BE COMPLETED ON NCS PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION SYSTEMS TO IMPROVE SYSTEM UTILITY AND EFFICIENCY. TABULAR DATA AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIEDL--DAG)