NCJ Number
56434
Date Published
1978
Length
408 pages
Annotation
TWO ALABAMA POLICE AGENCIES, A RURAL SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND AN URBAN DEPARTMENT, ARE USED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THE REPORTED DIFFERENCES BETWEEN URBAN AND RURAL CRIME RATES ARE DUE IN PART TO PROACTIVE POLICE STRATEGIES.
Abstract
THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS ISSUED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION HAVE BEEN USED BY MANY AUTHORS TO 'PROVE' LARGE URBAN-RURAL DIFFERENCES IN CRIME AND TO FIND 'CAUSES' FOR THESE DIFFERENCES. EXAMINATION OF TWO POLICE AGENCIES SUGGESTS THAT RURAL AREAS HAVE AS MUCH CRIME AS URBAN AREAS. THEY DO NOT, HOWEVER, HAVE AS MUCH REPORTED CRIME. TWO REASONS ARE GIVEN. RURAL AREAS ARE STRONGLY INDEPENDENT AND WILL NOT TOLERATE PROACTIVE POLICE STRATEGIES EXCEPT IN EXTREMELY UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES. RURAL AREAS ALSO RELY ON SOCIAL CONTROL AGENCIES OTHER THAN THE POLICE TO HANDLE MINOR TRANSGRESSIONS. DIRECT OBSERVATION OF URBAN AND THE RURAL POLICE OPERATIONS AND STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THEIR RECORDS INDICATE THAT REPORTED CRIME RATES AND ACTUAL CRIME RATES ARE IN CLOSEST AGREEMENT FOR HOMICIDES, AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS, ARMED ROBBERY, AND OTHER MAJOR OFFENSES. GREAT DIVERGENCE IN THE RURAL AREA IS REPORTED FOR MINOR DRUG OFFENSES, JUVENILE CRIME, AND PETTY THEFT. RURAL POLICE HANDLE THESE MATTERS INFORMALLY, WITHOUT WRITTEN REPORTS. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE URBAN POLICE SPEND MOST OF THEIR TIME ON SUCH REPORTS AND CONSIDER THESE BEHAVIORS TO BE 'PROBLEMS.' PROACTIVE MEASURES ARE INSTITUTED, WHICH CONSEQUENTLY LEAD TO THE DISCOVERY OF STILL LARGER NUMBERS OF SUCH BEHAVIORS. THE RURAL-URBAN DIFFERENTIAL IN CRIME IS DUE TO POLICE PERCEPTIONS RATHER THAN ACTUAL INCIDENCE OF THE CRIME. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SUPPORTS THE STUDY, INCLUDING MANY CASE EXAMPLES. TABLES PRESENT STUDY DATA. THE EFFECT OF PROACTIVE BEHAVIORS ON ETHNIC GROUPS IS DISCUSSED BRIEFLY. REFERENCES ARE APPENDED.