NCJ Number
101405
Date Published
1984
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Over the past two decades, American police efforts against burglary have changed from traditional patrol and investigation to prevention, followed by the current emphasis on control, particularly through career criminal programs.
Abstract
Until the 1960's, police departments relied on routine patrol and detective investigation to combat common crimes such as burglary. As burglary rates soared in the 1960's, these traditional strategies were deemphasized in favor of various prevention programs administered by the police or through joint police-community efforts. Although these programs recorded crime reductions in their introductory stages, they have not been maintained over time. Police are currently giving high priority to control strategies, which include case screening that focuses on burglaries that promise to be clearable; ''sting' operations designed to catch burglars as they try to sell stolen goods to police fencing operations; and career criminal programs, which direct police resources toward the identification, surveillance, and apprehension of repeat burglars. Although preliminary evidence indicates these control measures are effective, their impact over time has yet to be determined. 27 references.