NCJ Number
64269
Date Published
1979
Length
49 pages
Annotation
A SUBURBAN MIDDLE-CLASS NEIGHBORHOOD IN SALT LAKE COUNTY, UTAH, WAS CHOSEN TO ANALYZE RESIDENTIAL BURGLARY IN TERMS OF THE TERRITORIALITY CONCEPT.
Abstract
IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT BURGLARS DISTINGUISH AMONG THREE TERRITORIAL TYPES: (1) PRIMARY, E.G., BEDROOM OR HOME; (2) SECONDARY, E.G., BAR OR NEIGHBORHOOD SIDEWALKS; AND (3) PUBLIC, E.G., BUS SEAT OR PLACE IN LINE. THIS HYPOTHESIS IMPLIES THAT BURGLARS MAKE SEQUENTIAL DECISIONS ABOUT THE LIKELIHOOD OF SUCCESSFULLY TRAVERSING VARIOUS BOUNDARIES TO ENTER A RESIDENCE AND THEN RETRAVERSING THOSE BOUNDARIES TO ASSURE A SUCCESSFUL EXIT. SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CUES NEEDED BY BURGLARS WERE DEFINED AS SYMBOLIC BARRIERS, ACTUAL BARRIERS, DETECTABILITY, TRACES, AND SOCIAL CLIMATE. A SAMPLE OF 102 BURGLARIZED HOMES WAS COMPARED WITH NONBURGLARIZED HOMES IN THE ANALYSIS OF TERRITORIALITY. THE FIRST TWO PAGES OF THE SIX-PAGE RATING FORM PROVIDED DATA ON BLOCK CHARACTERISTICS. THE LAST FOUR PAGES CONTAINED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TARGET SITE AND HOUSE. RESULTS SHOWED BURGLARIZED BLOCKS HAD SYMBOLIC MARKINGS OF PUBLIC STREET SIGNS WHICH COMMUNICATED THESE BLOCKS WERE OPEN TO PUBLIC USE AND THE PRESENCE OF STRANGERS WAS EXPEDITED. NONBURGLARIZED STREETS APPEARED MORE PRIVATE AND HAD FEWER SIGNS DIRECTED TO THE PUBLIC AT LARGE. AT THE HOUSE LEVEL, BURGLARIZED RESIDENCES WERE DISTINGUISHED BY THEIR LACK OF TERRITORIAL IDENTITY. NONBURGLARIZED HOUSES WERE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE A NAME IN THE YARD OR ON THE HOUSE AND TENDED TO GIVE OFF SOME AMBIGUOUS CUES CONCERNING THE PRESENCE OR ABSENCE OF THE OWNER. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CUES AT THE BLOCK, SITE, AND HOUSE LEVELS COLLECTIVELY HELP TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN BURGLARIZED AND NONBURGLARIZED RESIDENCES. SUPPORTING TABULAR DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. THE RATING FORM IS APPENDED. (DEP)