NCJ Number
68634
Date Published
1978
Length
19 pages
Annotation
NO LINKS WERE FOUND BETWEEN THE SIZE OF CITIES AND THE CRIME RATE IN POLAND, BUT MORE CASES OF THEFT, BURGLARY, ROBBERY, AND RUFFIANLY BEHAVIOR WERE FOUND IN THE CITIES WITH POPULATIONS OVER 200,000.
Abstract
STATISTICS SHOWED THAT, EVEN THOUGH CRIME WAS CONCENTRATED MOSTLY IN THE CITIES, THERE WAS NO CONNECTION BETWEEN THE SIZE OF THE CITIES WITH OVER 200,000 INHABITANTS AND THE CRIME RATE IN THOSE CITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, IN 1975 THE YEARLY AVERAGE OF VICTIMIZATIONS PER 10,000 INHABITANTS FOR LUBLIN, THE SMALLEST OF THOSE CITIES WAS 204.5, WHILE FOR WARSAW, THE LARGEST OF THE CITIES, IT WAS 168.6. HOWEVER, A LINK WAS FOUND BETWEEN CITY SIZE AND CRIME PATTERNS, SINCE MORE CASES OF THEFT, BURGLARY, ROBBERY, AND RUFFIANLY BEHAVIOR WERE FOUND IN LARGER CITIES. STUDIES WERE ALSO CONDUCTED ON THE SPATIAL DIFFERENTIATION OF THE CRIME RATE WITHIN THE CITIES. THEY SHOWED THAT ALL THE CITIES (EVEN WARSAW, NOT TYPICAL, SINCE IT WAS REBUILT AND RESETTLED AFTER THE SECOND WORLD WAR) HAD AREAS WITH A VERY HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CRIME AND OTHER PATHOLOGICAL PHENOMENA. IN WARSAW, TWO AREAS HAD THE HIGHEST CRIME RATES FROM 1953 TO 1973: MIDTOWN, WITH THE ANNUAL CRIME AVERAGE OF 377.3 AND PRAGA NORTH, WITH 325.4. OTHER WARSAW DISTRICTS AVERAGED 159.0 TO 218.4 YEARLY CRIMES PER 10,000 INHABITANTS. HOWEVER, MIDTOWN SHOWED THE SMALLEST NUMBER OF OFFENDERS LIVING THERE (EXCEPT JUVENILE OFFENDERS), WHILE THE NUMBER OF PRAGA NORTH OFFENDERS-RESIDENTS WAS EVEN HIGHER THAN THE NUMBER OF CRIMES COMMITTED THERE. BOTH MIDTOWN AND PRAGA NORTH ARE THE SHOPPING, TRANSPORT AND ENTERTAINMENT CENTERS OF WARSAW; HOWEVER, UNLIKE MIDTOWN, PRAGA NORTH SUFFERS FROM LACK OF SOCIAL PLANNING AND TOWN PLANNING EFFORTS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. --IN POLISH.