NCJ Number
122
Date Published
1967
Length
52 pages
Annotation
EMPIRICAL PROBLEMS IN USING THE SAMPLE SURVEY AS A MEANS OF ESTIMATING KIND AND AMOUNT OF CRIME ARE PRESENTED.
Abstract
THE MAJOR THEMES OF THE RESEARCH REPORTS ARE - 1) HOW TO MEASURE AND REPORT THE AMOUNT OF CRIME IN A CITY OR IN THE UNITED STATES, 2) CITIZEN-POLICE TRANSACTIONS, AND 3) PERCEPTIONS THAT THE POLICE AND THE PUBLIC HAVE ABOUT THE CRIME PROBLEM. THE PURPOSE OF THE REPORT IS TO EXPLORE NEW WAYS OF MEASURING CRIME AND OF AUDITING CURRENT STATISTICS ON CRIME, BY DISCUSSING FOUR MAJOR TYPES OF PROBLEMS - 1) PROBLEMS OF SAMPLING AND GAINING ACCESS TO RESPONDENTS 2) PROBLEMS IN INTERVIEWING AND DETERMINING VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF RESPONDENT REPORTING 3) PROBLEMS IN ESTIMATING THE INCIDENCE OF VICTIMIZATION AND COMPARABILITY OF THESE ESTIMATES WITH POLICE STATISTICS AND 4) PROBLEMS OF INTERPRETING THE KIND AND AMOUNT OF CRIME FROM SAMPLE SURVEY ESTIMATES.