NCJ Number
32721
Journal
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGY AND PENOLOGY Volume: 4 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1976) Pages: 33-58
Date Published
1976
Length
26 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER REPORTS SOME PRELIMINARY FINDINGS OF A STUDY WHICH EXAMINED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CENTRAL ASPECTS OF POLICE WORK IN DETECTING CRIME AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF OFFICIAL RECORDS OF CRIME.
Abstract
THE PILOT SURVEY EXAMINED A RANDOM SAMPLE OF INDICTABLE CRIMES REPORTED TO THE POLICE OF A MEDIUM-SIZED CITY IN THE NORTH OF ENGLAND. IN THIS STUDY, THE RESEARCHERS EXAMINED: (A) THE NATURE OF POLICE ACCOUNTS, AS THESE PROVIDE THE BASIC RAW MATERIAL OUT OF WHICH OFFICIAL CRIME STATISTICS ARE SUBSEQUENTLY CONSTRUCTED; (B) THE DISCOVERY OF CRIME, IN WHICH THE RELATIVE ROLES OF POLICE, VICTIMS, AND MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO REPORT CRIMES ARE EXAMINED; AND (C) THE DETECTION OR CLEARANCE OF REPORTED CRIME, IN WHICH THE METHODS BEHIND THE STATISTIC OF DETECTED CRIME ARE EXPLORED. THE AUTHOR'S CONCLUDE THAT THE REAL PROBLEMATICS SURROUNDING UNDETECTED CRIME AND UNDETECTED CRIMINALS DO NOT LIE IN THE INITIATIVE, DISCRETION, AND DETECTION METHODS OF THE POLICE BUT IN THE ROLE OF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO CRUCIALLY INFLUENCE BOTH THE DEFINITION OF CRIME AND ULTIMATELY THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF OFFICIAL CRIME DATA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)