CRIME RATES AND PUBLIC EXPENDITURES FOR POLICE PROTECTION - THEIR INTERACTION (FROM ECONOMICS OF CRIME AND LAW ENFORCEMENT, 1976 BY LEE R MCPHETERS AND WILLIAM B STRONGE - SEE NCJ-37726)

• NCJ Number: 37744
• Author(s): M J GREENWOOD; W J WADYCKI
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 16 pages
• Corporate Author: Charles C. Thomas
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THIS ANALYSIS PROPOSES THAT INCREASES IN POLICE PERSONNEL WILL RESULT IN AN INCREASE RATHER THAN A DECREASE IN MEASURED CRIME RATES, SINCE THE ADDITIONAL POLICE WILL CAUSE GREATER EFFICIENCY IN DETECTING CRIMES.

Abstract

THE AUTHORS FORMULATE AND DISCUSS A SIMULTANEOUS-EQUATIONS MODEL THAT LINKS EXPENDITURES ON POLICE TO MEASURED CRIME RATES. IT IS ARGUED THAT SEVERAL FACTORS DETERMINE THE SIGN OF THIS RELATIONSHIP, AND A SIMPLE NUMERICAL EXAMPLE IS PRESENTED TO ILLUSTRATE A SITUATION IN WHICH AN INCREASE IN POLICE IS FOLLOWED BY AN INCREASE IN THE REPORTED CRIME RATE. THE RESULTS OF ESTIMATING THE MODEL ARE THEN DISCUSSED. THESE RESULTS SHOW THE ANOMALOUS SITUATION OF INCREASED POLICE PROTECTION CAUSING INCREASED MEASURED CRIME. THE CONCLUDING SECTION OF THIS ANALYSIS SUMMARIZES THESE RESULTS AND PROVIDES AN EXPLANATION FOR THE PARADOX FOUND IN THE ESTIMATION MODEL. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)