NCJ Number
59654
Date Published
1978
Length
66 pages
Annotation
THIS ANNUAL REPORT COMPILED BY THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTING BUREAU OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY PRESENTS IN DETAIL THE INCIDENCE AND TYPES OF CRIMES COMMITTED IN TEXAS DURING 1978.
Abstract
IN 1976, TEXAS ADOPTED THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORT SYSTEM USING THE STANDARDIZED DEFINITIONS DEVELOPED BY THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION TO PROVIDE A MEANINGFUL OVERVIEW OF CRIME AND TO PRODUCE RELIABLE STATISTICS FOR USE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION, OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT. THE SYSTEM SELECTED THE FOLLOWING AS INDEX OFFENSES: MURDER, FORCIBLE RAPE, ROBBERY, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, BURGLARY, LARCENY-THEFT, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT. DURING 1978, TEXAS LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES REPORTED A TOTAL OF 718,082 INDEX OFFENSES. VIOLENT CRIMES (MURDER, RAPE, ROBBERY, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT) INCREASED 8 PERCENT OVER 1977, AND COMPRISED 7.8 PERCENT OF THE CRIME INDEX TOTAL. PROPERTY CRIMES (BURGLARY, LARCENY, AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT) INCREASED 1.6 PERCENT OVER 1977 AND COMPRISED 92.2 PERCENT OF THE TOTAL. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS CLEARED, BY ARREST OR EXCEPTIONAL CLEARANCE, 22.4 PERCENT OF ALL INDEX OFFENSES, INCLUDING 55.2 PERCENT OF THE VIOLENT CRIMES AND 19.6 PERCENT OF THE NONVIOLENT CRIMES. TOTAL VALUES OF STOLEN PROPERTY WAS $417,860,574, OF WHICH 38 PERCENT WAS RECOVERED. ANNUAL DATA FROM THE PAST 11 YEARS SHOW THAT ALL TYPES OF INDEX CRIMES HAVE INCREASED. THE TOTAL CRIME RATE HAS GROWN FROM 2,064.3 PER 100,000 IN 1968 TO 5,556.8 PER 100,000 IN 1978. DETAILED TABLES PRESENT FOR EACH OFFENSE SOME OR ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: TYPES OF WEAPONS, VICTIMS, OFFENDERS, LOCATIONS, AND DOLLAR VALUES INVOLVED. IN ADDITION, BREAKDOWNS OF ALL INDEX OFFENSES BY COUNTY AND REPORTING AGENCY ARE GIVEN. A GLOSSARY, LAW ENFORCEMENT CODE OF ETHICS, ARREST DATA BY AGE, SEX, CRIME AND MONTH, AND YEARLY AND GEOGRAPHIC COMPARISONS ALSO ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)