NCJ Number
55045
Journal
International Journal of Comparative and Applied Criminal Justice Volume: 2 Issue: 1 Dated: (SPRING 1978) Pages: 61-69
Date Published
1978
Length
9 pages
Annotation
A UNIQUE METHOD IS DESCRIBED FOR COLLECTING AND UTILIZING WORLD CRIME STATISTICS WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF A MODEL SYSTEM BASED ON THE 'TRANSURBAN AREA' AS THE UNIT OF STATISTICAL ANALYSIS.
Abstract
THE MODEL IS PRESENTED IN FIVE PHASES: (1) PREPARATION-IDENTIFYING THOSE URBAN AREAS FROM WHICH DATA ARE TO BE COLLECTED AND ESTABLISHING THE PROCEDURES BY WHICH STATISTICS WILL BE COLLECTED, ANALYZED, AND DISSEMINATED; (2) COLLECTION--IMPLEMENTING THE DATA COLLECTION PLAN WITHIN THE SELECTED URBAN AREAS; (3) PROCESSING--ANALYSIS OF THE DATA AND THE PREPARATION AND DISSEMINATION OF REPORTS; (4) APPLICATION--UTILIZATION OF THE DATA BY CONSUMER AGENCIES; AND (5) EVALUATION--EVALUATING THE MODEL'S OPERATIONS TO IMPROVE ITS PERFORMANCE. AN IMPORTANT FEATURE OF THE MODEL IS ITS 'BEHAVORIAL' DEFINITION OF CRIME: BEHAVIOR THAT IS PROSCRIBED AND PUNISHED BY THE LEGAL CODES OF THE SOCIETY AND THAT CAUSES DEATH OR INJURY TO THE VICTIM, OR LOSS OF OR DAMAGE TO A VICTIM'S PROPERTY. THIS CONCEPT OF CRIME, BASED ON MALA IN SE BEHAVIOR, LARGELY DETERMINES THE OFFENSES THAT ARE PART OF THE MODEL'S INDEX. THE INDEX IS DICHOTOMIZED INTO CRIME AGAINST PERSONS AND CRIMES AGAINST PROPERTY; IN THE FORMER, HOMICIDE, ASSAULT, FORCIBLE RAPE, AND ROBBERY OFFENSE ARE COUNTED, AND IN THE LATTER, BURGLARY AND THEFT ARE INCLUDED. INDIVIDUAL BASE CRIME RATES ARE COMPUTED FOR EACH OFFENSE AND ARE THEN REPORTED SO CRIME TRENDS CAN BE DETECTED AND COMPUTED, CRIMINAL JUSTICE MANPOWER AND EQUIPMENT NEEDS CAN BE PROJECTED, AND DATA MADE AVAILABLE FOR EXPANDED RESEARCH EFFORTS. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--KBL)