NCJ Number
94750
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 26 Issue: 3 Dated: (July 1984) Pages: 267-281
Date Published
1984
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Data from the Ottawa Police Department were analyzed to determine distances various types of offenders travel to commit their offenses.
Abstract
The data reflected persons arrested for the following offenses: homicide, rape and indecent assault, other assaults, armed robbery, unarmed robbery, break and enter, motor vehicle theft, theft over and under $200, and check fraud. The study found a substantial amount of mobility for Ottawa offenders. Close to one-quarter of the sample were classified as transients. For those with fixed residences in Ottawa, the average distance travelled to the crime site was over one mile. The variables most potent in determining whether an offense was commited by an in-towner or transient were the type of offense and prior record. Other independent variables such as age, sex, season, accomplices, and marital status did not explain differences in offender residences. A different combination of variables determined the distance travelled by in-towners to commit their offenses. The nature of the crime, age, marital status, and the presence of accomplices accounted for in-town distance travelled. The study demonstrated that preventive strategies must occasionally be offense-specific since the dynamics of and motivation underlying different offenses vary considerably. Fifty-two references are appended.