NCJ Number
68971
Date Published
1970
Length
176 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY IDENTIFIES, DESCRIBES, AND ANALYZES VIOLENT CRIME IN MINNEAPOLIS WITH THE EXPRESSED INTENT TO PROVIDE DATA FOR IMPROVING INFORMATION FOR DECISIONMAKING.
Abstract
A REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE OF VIOLENT CRIME FINDS STRONG EVIDENCE THAT A PRIMARY RELATIONSHIP EXISTS BETWEEN THE VICTIM AND THE OFFENDER PRIOR TO THE CRIME. ALSO, IT INDICATES THAT THE VIOLENT CRIMES ARE ASSOCIATIONAL CRIMES THAT ARE ECOLOGICALLY AND TEMPORALLY BOUND. EMPIRICAL PROPOSITIONS THAT WERE FORMULATED FOR THE STUDY IN AREAS OF DEMOGRAPHIC DATA, ECOLOGICAL DATA, AND ASSOCIATIONAL DATA ARE EXPLAINED. A SUMMARY PROPOSITION IS OFFERED CONCERNING THE INFLUENCE OF SUBCULTURE THAT MAKES VIOLENT BEHAVIOR A LEGITIMATE AND EXPECTED RESPONSE IN CONFLICT SITUATIONS. THE PROCEDURE CHOSEN WAS TO RANDOMLY SAMPLE THE CRIMES OF HOMICIDE, FORCIBLE RAPE, ROBBERY, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT REPORTED TO THE POLICE IN 1967. DATA WERE OBTAINED THROUGH OFFICIAL ACCESS TO THE OFFENSE AND ARREST REPORTS ON FILE IN THE MINNEAPOLIS POLICE DEPARTMENT. NUMEROUS DEMOGRAPHIC, ECOLOGICAL, AND ASSOCIATIONAL VARIABLES ARE LISTED. FROM THE DATA PRESENTED, THE STUDY GENERALIZES THAT VIOLENT CRIMES OF HOMICIDE, FORCIBLE RAPE, ROBBERY, AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT, AS WELL AS THE OFFENDERS AND THEIR VICTIMS, ARE CULTURALLY, ECOLOGICALLY AND ASSOCIATIONALLY BOUND WITHIN SMALL SPECIFIC AREAS OF THE CITY. DATA SUPPORT A STRONG ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION OF VIOLENCE IN THE CITY. IMPLICATIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY ARE CITED. TABULAR DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND 25 REFERENCES ARE GIVEN. APPENDIXES PROVIDE SAMPLE REPORT FORMS, A CODE SHEET USED IN DRAWING DATA FROM POLICE REPORTS, AND LOCATION OF CRIMES BY OFFENSE.