NCJ Number
175801
Date Published
1996
Length
119 pages
Annotation
From 1995 to 1996, homicide crimes in California decreased by 18.2 percent in the rate per 100,000 population, and homicide crimes were 15.9 percent lower in 1996 than in 1987.
Abstract
In 1996, the black homicide victim rate was almost 10 times that of the white homicide victim rate and more than 2.5 times that of the Hispanic homicide victim rate. Between 1987 and 1996, the homicide rate increased by 28.6 percent for victims under 18 years of age, while the homicide rate for victims 40 years of age and older decreased by 32.4 percent. In 1996, 63.2 percent of homicide victims knew the offender. Proportionately, female victims were 40 times more likely than male victims to be the spouse of the offender. More victims were killed by firearms in 1996 than by all other weapon types combined. Gang-related homicides as a proportion of total homicides increased from 11.4 percent in 1987 to 24.6 percent in 1996. In 1996, homicide victims between 5 and 17 years of age were most likely to be killed as a result of gang-related activities. From 1995 to 1996, homicide arrests decreased by 11.6 percent in the rate per 100,000 population at risk. In 1996, homicide arrests were 30.3 percent lower than in 1987. More than 76 percent of adults arrested for homicide in 1996 were convicted of homicide or some other offense. Of adults arrested for homicide in 1996, proportionately more whites than blacks or Hispanics were convicted. By the end of 1996, 461 persons were facing the death sentence. Between 1987 and 1996, 63 peace officers were killed in the line of duty including 5 in 1996. A criminal justice glossary and computational formulas used in compiling the statistics are appended. Tables and figures