COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS OF AUTO THEFT DATA IN DENVER, JULY 1970 - JUNE 1971

• NCJ Number: 11001
• Author(s): A S WEST
• Date Published: 1971
• Length: 65 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-71-120
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: Denver Research Institute
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE MAGNITUDE AND PATTERN OF DENVER AUTO THEFTS OVER A ONE-YEAR PERIOD, BASED PRIMARILY ON THEFT DATA FROM THE DENVER POLICE DEPARTMENT (DPD).

Abstract

FACTORS CHOSEN FOR EXAMINATION WERE MAKE AND YEAR DISTRIBUTION FOR REGISTERED VEHICLES, DISTRIBUTION OF GROSS POPULATION BY LOCATION WITHIN THE CITY, TEENAGE POPULATION DISTRIBUTION, AND GENERAL POPULATION DENSITY. ON THE HYPOTHESIS THAT WEATHER CONDITIONS MIGHT INFLUENCE CRIME RATES, DATA ON TEMPERATURE, RELATIVE HUMIDITY, BAROMETRIC PRESSURE, AND PRECIPITATION WERE INCLUDED FOR ANALYSIS. FUNCTIONS OF STREET ILLUMINATION AND ANTI-THEFT DEVICES, AND THE NUMBER OF CARS UNLOCKED AND OR WITH THE KEY LEFT IN THE VEHICLE WERE NOT CONSIDERED. THE STUDY CONFIRMED THAT AUTO THEFT IS PREDOMINANTLY A CRIME OF YOUTHFUL OFFENDERS. THE TIMES OF HIGHEST INCIDENCE WERE FOUND TO BE IN THE FALL MONTHS, AFTER DARK, AND ON FRIDAYS AND SATURDAYS. ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS APPEARED TO HAVE NO MARKED EFFECT. THE AUTHOR RECOMMENDS THAT A CHECKLIST OF IMPORTANT ITEMS FOR DATA ANALYSIS BE INCORPORATED IN ALL THEFT REPORT FORMS, AND THAT THE SET OF COMPUTER PROGRAMS DERIVED FROM THIS STUDY BE APPLIED TO SIMILAR STUDIES IN OTHER CITIES. THE COMPUTER PROGRAMS ARE APPENDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED).