TOWARD THE FORMULATION OF CRIME INDICATORS - ROBBERIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY

• NCJ Number: 18771
• Author(s): R CAPORALE
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 25 pages
• Grant Number(s): GJ 923
• Sponsoring Agency: National Science Foundation
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: PAPER PRESENTED AT THE ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION - NEW YORK, AUGUST 28, 1973.

Annotation

RESULTS OF AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF THE COMPARATIVE INCIDENCE OF ROBBERIES IN THE VARIOUS COMMUNITIES OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY, UNDERTAKEN TO DETERMINE DIFFERENTIAL SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ROBBERY IN THESE COMMUNITIES.

Abstract

THE EXPERIMENTERS SOUGHT TO DEVELOP A METHOD OF REPORTING THAT WOULD PROVIDE ACCURATE READING OF VARIATIONS BETWEEN SUFFICIENTLY SMALL COMMUNITIES IN THE COUNTY, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME GIVING INDICATIONS OF CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH VARIATION OF CRIME BETWEEN COMMUNITIES. THE STUDY FOCUSED ON 77 INCORPORATED COMMUNITIES IN LOS ANGELES COUNTY AND 17 POLICE REPORTING DISTRICTS IN THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES. EXISTING CRIME REPORTS FOR THESE AREAS WERE USED TO GATHER CRIME DATA. THE EXPERIMENTERS ESTABLISHED A COMPARATIVE RANKING OF THE COMMUNITIES BY INCIDENCE OF CRIME, IDENTIFIED RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN CRIME DATA AND CENSUS DATA, AND COMPARED THE FINDS WITH DATA ON PERCEPTION OF CRIME. CRIME RATES WERE FOUND TO VARY CONSIDERABLY BETWEEN COMMUNTIES. SUCH FACTORS AS ETHNIC COMPOSITION OF THE COMMUNITY, THE ECONOMIC LEVELS TO BE VALID PREDICTORS OF HIGH ROBBERY RATES. THE AUTHORS EMPHASIZE THE VALUE OF THIS TYPE OF ANALYSIS AS COMPARED TO MORE GENERAL CRIME STATISTICS LIKE THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS, WHICH COMPLETELY MASK CRIME VARIATIONS AMONG COMMUNITIES.