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APPLICATIONS OF CRIME SERIOUSNESS INFORMATION IN POLICE DEPARTMENTS

NCJ Number
12914
Journal
Journal of Criminal Justice Volume: 1 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1973) Pages: 241-253
Author(s)
N B HELLER; J T MCEWEN
Date Published
1973
Length
13 pages
Annotation
DESCRIPTION OF THE USE OF CRIME SERIOUSNESS INFORMATION IN POLICE OPERATIONS BASED ON A PROJECT AT THE ST. LOUIS METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
Abstract
EIGHT WEEKS OF CRIME INFORMATION WERE CODED USING THE SELLIN-WOLFGANG SERIOUSNESS SCALE. STATISTICS WERE THEN DERIVED WHICH QUANTIFIED THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF CRIMES. SEVERAL APPLICATIONS WERE INVESTIGATED BASED ON THE CRIME SERIOUSNESS DATA. THESE INCLUDED (1) CASE ASSIGNMENT TO DETECTIVES, (2) ALLOCATION OF PATROL PERSONNEL, AND (3) DETERMINATION OF THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF PATROL BEATS. AREAS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH ARE PRESENTED INVOLVING THE USE OF CRIME SERIOUSNESS DATA. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)