NCJ Number
62479
Date Published
1979
Length
16 pages
Annotation
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEVERAL POLICE VARIABLES AND CRIME RATES REPORTED FROM UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS AND VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS FOR OFFENSE CATEGORIES IS EXAMINED.
Abstract
THREE POLICE VARIABLES ARE EXAMINED CONCERNING THEIR IMPACT UPON CRIME RATES AS REPORTED IN THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS AND VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS (CENTRAL CITIES SAMPLE): (1) THE PERCENT OF THE CITIES' CRIMINAL JUSTICE BUDGET SPENT ON POLICE SERVICES. A SERIES OF STEPWIDE REGRESSION EQUATIONS WAS USED IN WHICH POLICE VARIABLES AND SELECTED SOCIAL AND DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES RELATED TO CRIME RATE ARE REGRESSED ALTERNATIVELY ON OFFICIAL AND VICTIMIZATION SURVEY RATES OF CRIME. THE DATA SET IS TREATED AS A SINGLE POPULATION. WHEN SEPARATE ANALYSES WERE DONE FOR ALL SIX PART 1 OFFENSES, FINDINGS SHOWED MIXED RESULTS REGARDING POLICE VARIABLES AND OVERALL RATES OF CRIME AND MEASURES OF ROBBERY. HOWEVER, THE POLICE EXPENDITURE AND NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS WERE NEGATIVELY RELATED TO THE BURGLARY RATE, BOTH AS SHOWN IN THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS AND THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORTS. THIS INDICATES THAT FOR A PROPERTY CRIME OF HIGH INCIDENCE (BURGLARY), INCREASED POLICE EFFORTS PRODUCE DESIRED RESULTS. THE CONCLUSIONS PRESENTED CANNOT BE VIEWED AS A MANDATE FOR INCREASING POLICE RESOURCES BECAUSE THE SAMPLE SIZE IS SMALL AND THE LEVEL OF AGGREGATION PREVENTS SPECIFIC CONCLUSIONS ABOUT POLICE CONCENTRATION AND DOLLAR ALLOCATION WITHIN CITIES. TABULAR DATA, FOOTNOTES, AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)