NCJ Number
17128
Journal
Professional Geographer Volume: 25 Issue: 1 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1973) Pages: 1-6
Date Published
1973
Length
6 pages
Annotation
THIS PAPER EXAMINES VARIATIONS IN THE METROPOLITAN DISTRIBUTION OF VIOLENT CRIME IN THE CONTEXT OF THE POSTULATE THAT VIOLENT CRIME IS MAINLY A BIG CITY PHENOMENON.
Abstract
THE CRIME DATA UTILIZED WERE BASED ON A SAMPLE OF 189 SMSA'S (STANDARD METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS) FOR WHICH STATISTICS COULD BE OBTAINED FOR THE YEARS 1965 THROUGH 1969. CRIME RATES WERE AVERAGED OVER THE FIVEYEAR PERIOD IN ORDER TO ELIMINATE UNREPRESENTATIVE ANNUAL FLUCTUATIONS. WHILE THE LARGEST CITIES ACCOUNT FOR THE MOST CRIME ON A FREQUENCY BASIS, AND VIOLENT CRIME IS IN THIS SENSE A BIG-CITY PROBLEM, POPULATION SPECIFIC RATES EXHIBIT CONSIDERABLE VARIATION IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO METROPOLITAN POPULATION SIZE. CULTURAL VARIATIONS, WHICH APPEAR TO AFFECT ATTITUDES TOWARD VIOLENCE, CONTRIBUTE TO A SPATIAL DISTRIBUTION THAT DEPARTS APPRECIABLE FROM DEPENDENCE ON POPULATION MASS. HOWEVER, ATTENTION HAS BEEN DRAWN TO THE SOMEWHAT STRONGER RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULATION SIZE AND THE OFFENSES OF ROBBERY AND RAPE, AS COMPARED TO ASSAULT AND MURDER, SUGGESTING THAT THE FORMER CATEGORIES CONSTITUTE THE PRINCIPAL BIG CITY PROBLEM, IN TERMS OF DEPARTURES FROM MEAN RATES, IF NOT IN ABSOLUTE FREQUENCIES. IN FREQUENCY TERMS, ASSAULT, WITH ITS HIGH AVERAGE RATE, IS THE MAJOR CONCERN. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)