Descriptive Analysis of Housebreaking in the Area of the Norwood Police Station

• NCJ Number: 80487
• Author(s): J van derWesthuizen
• Date Published: 1979
• Length: 135 pages
• Corporate Author: South African Police; University of South Africa
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: South Africa

Annotation

Findings of a study on housebreaking in the suburbs of Johannesburg, South Africa, served by the Norwood Police Station during the period July 1, 1974, to June 30, 1975, are analyzed.

Abstract

The study aimed to describe the extent, incidence, fluctuation, geographical development, and nature of housebreaking in the designated area. It also sought to provide police officials and criminologists with a clear idea of the phenomenon in order that effective control measures could be developed. The study covered all housebreaking cases reported, investigated, and disposed of during the designated period. The first phase of the study analyzed available statistics for the following factors: the spatial housebreaking pattern, the temporal housebreaking pattern, the discovery pattern, the adjudication pattern, and the victims of the housebreakings. This phase also analyzed the apprehended criminals' age, sex, race, marital status, occupation, previous convictions, residence, complicity, other crimes on record, and parole details. The second phase of the study, implementing preventive measures (such as increasing police visibility), could not be carried out due to a shortage of personnel. The study found that the typical housebreaker is a male Bantu under age 25, unmarried, and a native of the nearby black residential areas. He has already been arrested and sentenced for theft and other crimes and when committing a housebreaking, he either operates alone or with someone else. It is very possible that he has never been arrested for housebreaking before. The typical victim of a housebreaking is a white household. The study concludes that a reasonably large increase in housebreaking is to expected. From the policing perspective, housebreaking can be combated by detecting criminals rapidly, by increasing police visibility, and by carrying out raids aimed at clearing areas of vagrants and unemployed persons. Tables, about 40 references, and study instruments are provided.