BLACK ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME AND CRIME PREVENTION (FROM CRIME AND ITS IMPACT ON THE BLACK COMMUNITY, 1976, BY LAWRENCE E GARY AND LEE P BROWN - SEE NCJ-48198)

• NCJ Number: 48200
• Author(s): E L SCOTT
• Date Published: 1976
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: Howard University
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

USING DATA FROM A SURVEY ON AN ALL-BLACK SAMPLE, CRIME VICTIMIZATION AND ATTITUDES TOWARD POLICE AND CITIZEN CRIME PREVENTION EFFORTS ARE EXAMINED.

Abstract

THE SUBJECTS USED IN THE STUDY CONSISTED OF A SAMPLE OF PERSONS ATTENDING THREE CONFERENCES ON CRIME AND THE BLACK COMMUNITY HELD IN NEW YORK CITY IN 1975. THE QUESTIONNAIRES WERE COMPLETED WITHOUT AN INTERVIEWER. FROM APPROXIMATELY 550 PERSONS RECEIVING THE QUESTIONNAIRE, 290 USABLE RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED. FEMALES CONSTITUTED 49 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE. RESPONSES FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE PERSONNEL WERE PLACED IN A SEPARATE CATEGORY IN LIGHT OF THEIR SPECIAL RELATIONSHIP TO THE CRIME ISSUE. IT IS ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE STUDY IS SERIOUSLY LIMITED BY THE NARROWNESS OF THE SAMPLE AND THE LACK OF INTERVIEWERS TO CLARIFY SURVEY QUESTIONS COMPLETED BY THE RESPONDENTS. OF THE RESPONDENTS, 136 REPORTED THEY OR A FAMILY MEMBER HAD BEEN VICTIMIZED BY CRIME DURING THE PAST 2 YEARS, CONSTITUTING A 46.9 PERCENT VICTIMIZATION RATE. SIXTY-EIGHT PERCENT OF THOSE VICTIMIZED REPORTED THEY OR A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY HAD EXPERIENCED A CRIME AGAINST THE PERSON (ROBBERY, MURDER, RAPE, ASSAULT, MUGGING), WHILE ONLY 24 PERCENT REPORTED PROPERTY CRIMES (BURGLARY, CAR THEFT). THE SURVEY FOUND THAT 86.8 PERCENT OF THE VICTIMS REPORTED THE CRIME TO THE POLICE, AND OF THESE, ONE-HALF REPORTED THAT NO ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THE POLICE OR ONLY A REPORT WAS FILED. IN INQUIRIES ABOUT CRIME PREVENTION, OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS IN EACH AGE GROUP, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE 19-25 GROUP, REPORTED A NEED FOR MORE POLICE. FIFTY-THREE PERCENT OF THOSE WHO WANTED MORE INDICATED SUPPORT FOR COMMUNITY VIGILANTE PATROLS. THE LARGE NUMBER OF PERSONS SUGGESTING COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND EDUCATION IN DEALING WITH CRIME IS BELIEVED TO INDICATE THAT A NUMBER OF CITIZENS ARE INTERESTED IN CRIME PREVENTION BUT FEEL THEY NEED SOME STRUCTURE OF INFORMATION AND ORGANIZATION TO GIVE THEM GUIDANCE. IN CONCLUDING REMARKS IT IS EMPHASIZED THAT THIS IS AN EXPLORATORY STUDY, WHICH NEEDS TO BE EXPANDED TO A LARGER MORE REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE BLACK COMMUNITY. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED. (RCB)