NCJ Number
67302
Journal
Police Nationale Issue: 109 Dated: (MARCH 1979) Pages: 26-32
Date Published
1979
Length
7 pages
Annotation
STATISTICS ON CRIME TYPES AND DISTRIBUTION OF CRIMES IN FRANCE DURING 1977 AS WELL AS OFFICIAL AND PUBLIC RESPONSES ARE DISCUSSED.
Abstract
THE 1977 TOTAL OF 2,097, 919 CRIMES WAS 15.02 PERCENT HIGHER THAN THE 1976 FIGURE. ALTHOUGH 84.44 PERCENT OF THE CRIMES WERE PETTY CRIMES, THE NUMBER OF SERIOUS CRIMES INCREASED BY 18.34 PERCENT FROM 1976 TO 1977, ESPECIALLY IN THE CATEGORIES OF ARMED ROBBERY, HOSTAGE TAKING, KIDNAPPING FOR RANSOM, VIOLENT MURDER, THEFT WITH OTHER VIOLENCE, DRUG TRAFFICKING, AND PANDERING. INCREASES IN MIDLEVEL CRIMES WERE HIGHEST FOR BURGLARY, CARRYING ILLEGAL WEAPONS, COUNTERFEITING, ILLEGAL BANKRUPTCY, USING FORGED IDENTIFICATION PAPERS, AND ORDINARY HOMICIDES. AREAS OF INCREASE WERE OVER 10 PERCENT INCREASES FOR MINOR CRIMES WERE SIMPLE THEFT (OTHER THAN MOTOR VEHICLES), CHECK FRAUD, DRUG ABUSE, AND ESPECIALLY, DAMAGE TO PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PROPERTY. A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF SERIOUS CRIMES (77.16 PERCENT) WERE COMMITTED IN URBAN AREAS, WITH 53.67 IN THE PARIS REGION ALONE, WHILE LESS SERIOUS CRIMES WERE DISTRIBUTED MORE EVENLY THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. A TENTH OF FRENCH TERRITORY AND 28.22 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION SUFFERED 53.97 PERCENT OF THE CRIMES. AS IN THE PREVIOUS 14 YEARS, CRIMES IN 1977 WERE CHARACTERIZED BY THEIR VIOLENCE, AND THEIR CONCENTRATION IN URBAN AREAS. THE CRIME SOLUTION RATE IS HIGHER OVERALL (37.30 PERCENT) THAN IN 1976 BUT LOWER FOR SERIOUS CRIMES (33.57 PERCENT) THAN FOR OVERALL CRIME IN 1977 OR FOR SERIOUS CRIMES IN 1976. INDIVIDUAL SOLUTION RATES VARIED ACCORDING TO OFFENSES: THEY WERE HIGH FOR TRAFFIC OFFENSES BUT LOW FOR ALL KINDS OF THEFT. THE POTENTIAL OFFENDER POPULATION WAS 42,367,300 WITH 10.14 PERCENT MINOR AND 8.17 PERCENT FOREIGNERS. SECURITY PROBLEMS BECAME A MAJOR PREOCCUPATION OF THE POPULATION IN GENERAL. REVERSAL OF THE UPWARD CRIME TREND CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED THROUGH BETTER PROTECTION OF POTENTIAL VICTIMS, THROUGH REPRESSION THAT IS DISSUASIVE TO INSECURE INDIVIDUALS, THROUGH INTENSIFIED INVESTIGATIONS, THROUGH CREATION OF SPECIAL INTERVENTION UNITS, AND THROUGH REDISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS TO THE AREAS WITH THE MOST NEEDS. TABLES AND GRAPHS ARE SUPPLIED. --IN FRENCH. (KMD)