NCJ Number
181816
Editor(s)
Graeme Newman
Date Published
1999
Length
22 pages
Annotation
Police records of crime, as used in the United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operation of Criminal Justice Systems (UNCJS) showed that crime worldwide continued to rise in the 1990's as it did in the 1980's.
Abstract
The most common crime reported was theft, followed by burglary. Theft rates were higher for industrial countries than for non-industrial countries. Violent crime (homicide, assault, and robbery) represented about 10 to 15 percent of all reported crime. Some countries reported a much higher proportion of violent crime than others. High homicide rates were reported for several Latin American cities, New York, and Northern European cities. Most cities showed similar patterns for homicide and robbery rates. All countries in the UNCJS acknowledged police records did not give a complete picture of crime experienced by the population, and there was no one accepted methodology for collecting crime data. Further, all countries found it very difficult to define and measure complex crime, such as organized crime. Difficulties in interpreting police records of crime are examined, as well as police interrogation officer reports, crime in urban and rural areas, and domestic violence. 1 table and 14 figures