NCJ Number
64565
Journal
RASSEGNA DI CRIMINOLOGIA Volume: 8 Issue: 1 AND 2 Dated: (1977) Pages: 181-196
Date Published
1977
Length
16 pages
Annotation
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF INDIVIDUALS, DEFINED AS SOCIALLY DANGEROUS BY A 1956 ITALIAN CRIMINAL LAW, IN THE GENOA METROPOLITAN AREA WAS CONDUCTED.
Abstract
THE POLICE RECORDS OF 1000 INDIVIDUALS LIABLE TO PREVENTIVE DETENTION AS SOCIALLY DANGEROUS ACCORDING TO THE ITALIAN CRIMINAL CODE FROM 1971 TO 1976 WERE CONSULTED BY CRIMINOLOGISTS FOR DATA ON SEX, BIRTHPLACE, GENOA RESIDENCE, AND CRIMINAL HISTORY OF THE SURVEY SUBJECTS. ITALIAN LAW NO. 1423 OF DECEMBER 27, 1956, AUTHORIZES THE POLICE TO APPLY PREVENTIVE DETENTION MEASURES TO SOCIALLY DANGEROUS INDIVIDUALS, SUCH AS VAGRANTS, VAGABONDS AND IDLERS; TO PERSONS LIVING ON ILLICIT PROFITS (FROM STOLEN GOODS, DRUGS, CONTRABAND, PROSTITUTION), AND KNOWN DEVIANTS AND HABITUAL SEX OFFENDERS. ALTHOUGH THE SAMPLING COMPRISED A VERY HETEROGENOUS GROUP, THEY ALL CORRESPONDED TO CONVENTIONAL CRIMINAL STEREOTYPES. AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SURVEY FINDINGS WERE THE SMALL NUMBER OF FEMALES ARRESTED (11.2 PERCENT), THE PREVALENCE OF IMMIGRANTS FROM SOUTHERN ITALY AND THE HIGH CONCENTRATION OF CRIMINAL AND DEVIANT ELEMENTS IN GENOA'S SO-CALLED HISTORICAL CENTER (INNER CITY AND HARBOR). THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF OFFENSES WERE COMMITTED IN THE AREA OF PROPERTY CRIMES (70 PERCENT), FOLLOWED BY SEX OFFENSES (13 PERCENT), CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS (1 PERCENT), AND THE BALANCE CONSISTING OF DRUG TRAFFICKING, HABITUAL DRUNKENNESS, AND SMUGGLING. THE HIGHEST NUMBERS OF MALE AND FEMALE PROSTITUTES (65 PERCENT AND 60 PERCENT RESPECTIVELY) WERE CONCENTRATED IN THE INNER CITY AND HARBOR AREAS; THE FACT THAT GENOA IS A LARGE SEAPORT EXPLAINS THE HIGH INCIDENCE OF CRIME ASSOCIATED WITH THE TAVERNS AND DISREPUTABLE ESTABLISHMENTS CATERING TO SAILORS, A TRANSIENT AND NOTORIOUSLY PLEASURE-SEEKING POPULATION. THE SURVEY ALSO REVEALED THAT A DISPROPORTIONATELY LARGE NUMBER OF PREVENTIVE ARRESTS OCCURRED IN THE SUBURBS, WHERE THE MOST AFFLUENT AND CONSERVATIVE SEGMENTS OF THE GENOA POPULATION HAVE NOW FLED, DESPITE THEIR RELATIVELY SMALL NUMBERS OF SOCIALLY DANGEROUS ELEMENTS COMPARED WITH THE INNER CITY AND HARBOR AREAS. ANOTHER SIGNIFICANT FINDING OF THE SURVEY WAS THE TRANSMISSION PATTERNS OF CRIME AND DEVIANCE TO SUCCESSIVE GENERATIONS OF YOUNG PEOPLE GROWING UP IN HIGH CRIME AREAS AND HAVING NO OTHER ADULT BEHAVIOR MODELS EXCEPT CRIMINALS AND DEVIANTS. THE SURVEY ALSO SHOWED A CORRELATION BETWEEN CRIME RATES AND TYPES OF COMMUNITY SIMILAR TO THOSE OF OTHER EUROPEAN AND U.S. CITIES. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS APPENDED. --IN ITALIAN. (LGR)