NCJ Number
59517
Date Published
1979
Length
36 pages
Annotation
THIS VOLUME PRESENTS AND ANALYZES STATISTICAL DATA ON REPORTED CRIMES AND ARRESTS IN IOWA BETWEEN 1960 AND 1978, AND DISCUSSES RESULTING IMPLICATIONS FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE OPERATIONS.
Abstract
THE FIRST OF FIVE SECTIONS PRESENTS IN GRAPHICAL FORM THE GROWTH OF CRIME IN IOWA AND THE U.S., INCLUDING SEPARATE TRENDS FOR EACH CATEGORY OF SERIOUS CRIME. BETWEEN 1960 AND 1978, REPORTED SERIOUS CRIME INCREASED AT A MUCH GREATER RATE THAN THE POPULATION, ALTHOUGH THE RISE MAY LARGELY INDICATE INCREASED REPORTING AND POLICE RECORDKEEPING IMPROVEMENTS. NEVERTHELESS, IOWA'S TOTAL CRIME RATE WAS ONLY 77 PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL RATE IN 1977; ITS VIOLENT CRIME RATE 31 PERCENT; AND ITS PROPERTY CRIME RATE, 81 PERCENT. ARRESTS PER 100,000 POPULATION FOR IOWA AND THE U.S. ARE PRESENTED AND CRIME CLEARANCE RATES ARE DISCUSSED. IOWA'S ARREST RATE IN 1973 WAS 60.4 PERCENT OF THE NATIONAL RATE, INDICATING THAT IOWA'S CLEARANCE RATES ARE COMPARABLY LOW. CLEARANCES WERE HIGHER FOR VIOLENT CRIMES THAN FOR PROPERTY CRIMES. IN ADDITION, OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS (AGE, SEX, AND RACE) ARE DESCRIBED. AGE IS RELATED TO PART I AND PART II FBI UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS CRIMES FROM 1975 THROUGH 1977. FEMALES HAD A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH INVOLVEMENT IN COMMERCIAL VICE AND PAPER CRIMES; BLACKS, IN COMMERCIAL VICE AND VIOLENT CRIMES. ALMOST HALF (48 PERCENT) OF ALL ARRESTS WERE OF PERSONS UNDER AGE 20. PROPERTY OFFENDERS TENDED TO BE YOUNG. IN CONTRAST, OVER FOUR-FIFTHS OF THOSE ARRESTED FOR MURDER, DRUNKENNESS, DRUNK DRIVING, AND MANSLAUGHTER WERE 20 OR OVER AT THE TIME OF ARREST. FINALLY, THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CRIME PATTERNS AND THE GENERAL POPULATION'S AGE DISTRIBUTION IS DISCUSSED AND FUTURE CRIME TRENDS IN IOWA ARE PREDICTED. TRENDS INDICATE THAT CRIME WILL SHIFT FROM YOUTH-ORIENTED PROPERTY CRIME TO ADULT-ORIENTED VIOLENT AND PART TWO CRIME. TABLES AND FIGURES ARE INCLUDED. FOR OTHER VOLUMES IN THIS SERIES, SEE NCJ 59516 AND 59518-59520. (CFW)