More Crimes While Police Resources Remain Constant -- What Will Happen With the Clearance Rate in the Future?

• NCJ Number: 152855
• Journal: Studies on Crime and Crime Prevention Volume: 3 Dated: (1994) Pages: 132-145
• Author(s): J Ahlberg; J Knutsson
• Date Published: 1994
• Length: 14 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Sweden National Police Board
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Research (Applied/Empirical)
• Language: English
• Country: Norway
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS.

Annotation

This model for the future development of crime clearance rates assumes that existing patterns of rising criminality and constant police resources in Sweden will persist.

Abstract

Of particular interest in the model is the identification of a point in time at which a low level of cleared crimes will jeopardize the criminal justice system's functioning. The model divides police forces into seven groups that range from metropolitan to rural police departments. Prognoses based on the model are made for crime clearance rates, and the authors believe that the police force in Stockholm will reach its critical point at the beginning of the 21st Century. In general, this critical point will come much later in rural police forces. Unless current trends change, the authors conclude that a growing proportion of crimes reported to the police will not be cleared due to lack of resources. 31 references, 2 tables, and 5 figures