NCJ Number
64916
Journal
Schriftenreihe der Polizei-Fuehrungsakademie Volume: 6 Issue: 3 Dated: (1979) Pages: 209-221
Date Published
1979
Length
13 pages
Annotation
THE ROLE OF VICTIMS IN INVESTIGATION AND PROSECUTION OF CRIMES BY WEST GERMAN POLICE IS DISCUSSED.
Abstract
POLICE MOST FREQUENTLY BECOME AWARE THAT CRIMES HAVE BEEN COMMITTED THROUGH VICTIMS' REPORTS; POLICE OFFICERS MUST CRITICALLY WEIGH SIGNIFICANT FACTORS SUCH AS THE INTERVAL BETWEEN CRIME COMMISSION AND THE VICTIM'S REPORT. THEFT REPORTING DROPS AS THE FREQUENCY OF INSURANCE AGAINST THEFT RISES, SO POLICE ARE NO LONGER ABLE TO FOLLOW THEFT PATTERNS OR TO HALT CRIMINAL CAREERS. FUTHERMORE, VICTIMS MAY EVEN REPORT GREATER OR MORE EXPENSIVE DAMAGES THAN ACTUALLY OCCURRED TO RECEIVE MORE INSURANCE COMPENSATION. INFORMATION AND PHYSICAL EVIDENCE RELATING TO THE CRIME SHOULD BE GATHERED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE; CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VICTIM (E.G., SEX AND AGE) MAY ALSO HAVE A BEARING ON THE CRIME. AT THE SENIOR COMMAND LEVEL, OVERALL VICTIM DATA FACILITATE PLANNING OF SPECIAL COMMISSIONS, RESOURCE ALLOCATION, AND FORMATION OF SPECIALTY UNITS. THE CITY IS THE MOST COMMON OBJECT OF STUDY, AS CRIME DISTRIBUTION WITHIN CITIES IS AMAZINGLY CONSTANT. CRIME CAN BE MOST EFFECTIVELY PREVENTED BY SUCH PRIMARY MEASURES AS INFORMING DRIVERS ABOUT WEAKNESSES IN THEIR CARS WHICH PERMIT THEFTS. SECONDARY PREVENTIVE MEASURES INCLUDE CAREFUL URBAN PLANNING TO AVOID OFFENDER CONCENTRATION AND TRAFFIC BOTTLENECKS, AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE DISSEMINATION OF PUBLIC INFORMATION. ALTHOUGH VICTIMS MAY CONTRIBUTE TO OFFENSES IN CERTAIN CASES (E.G., TRAFFIC OFFENSES OR SHOPLIFTING), THEY CANNOT BE PROSECUTED FOR THEIR ROLE. THE QUESTION REMAINS AS TO WHETHER MORE EMPHASIS SHOULD NOT BE PLACED ON OFFENDER COMPENSATION TO VICTIMS THAN ON OFFENDERS' DEBT TO SOCIETY. NOTES ARE FURNISHED. --IN GERMAN. (KMD)