NCJ Number
60901
Date Published
1979
Length
124 pages
Annotation
BASED UPON OBSERVATION AND ANALYSIS OF A COMPANY'S REACTION TO EMPLOYEE THEFT AND A REVIEW OF LITERATURE, A MODEL IS DEVELOPED TO SHOW THAT CONTROL PATTERNS DETERMINE THE CRIME RATE.
Abstract
BECAUSE DEEDS NOT SCRUTINIZED AND PROVEN AS CRIMES UNDER LEGAL PROCESSES CANNOT BE PROPERLY LABELED CRIMES, A HIGH CRIME RATE IS EVIDENCE THAT CONTROL AGENCIES HAVE SUCCESSFULLY DETECTED DEEDS JUDICIALLY DETERMINED TO BE CRIMES AND APPREHENDED PERSONS SUBSEQUENTLY PROVEN TO BE CRIMINALS. RATES OF EACH OFFENSE REFLECT THE ACTIONS OF CONTROL AGENCIES IN DEALING WITH THOSE OFFENSES. VIEWING CRIME RATES THROUGH 'CONTROLOLOGY' (A STUDY OF SOCIAL CONTROL PATTERNS) REVEALS AN INEVITABLE CYCLE OF RISING AND FALLING CRIME RATES. WHEN PERCEPTIONS OF CRIME ARE HIGH DUE TO A LARGE NUMBER OF VICTIMIZATION REPORTS OR MEDIA DRAMATIZATION OF VICTIMIZATION, CONTROL EFFORTS TEND TO INCREASE, THUS SHOWING AN INTENSIFICATION IN CRIME BECAUSE OF MORE APPREHENSIONS AND CONVICTIONS. A SUSTAINED, INTENSE SOCIAL CONTROL DRIVE WILL EVENTUALLY DIMINISH THE NUMBER OF APPREHENSIONS AND CONVICTIONS, LEADING TO A RELAXING OF ATTENTION TO AND RESOURCES ALLOTTED FOR CRIME. THIS RELAXATION WILL IN TURN TEND TO INCREASE VICTIMIZATION LEADING TO GREATER MEDIA ATTENTION TO CRIME, AND THE CYCLE BEGINS AGAIN. THE MODEL WAS ILLUSTRATED IN MICROCOSM IN THE DISPATCH DEPARTMENT OF AN ENGLISH BREAD FACTORY, WHERE PRODUCT THEFTS BY DRIVERS LED TO THE TERMINATION OF TWO DRIVERS. WHILE THE ACTION BY MANAGEMENT LED TO GREATER CAUTION BY OTHER DRIVERS CONCERNING THIEVERY, THE RELAXATION OF MANAGEMENT VIGILANCE AND THREATENED ACTION RESULTED IN A THEFT INCREASE. CRIME RATES ARE THUS SHOWN TO BE A FUNCTION OF SOCIAL CONTROL PATTERNS. FOOTNOTES AND REFERENCES ARE PROVIDED. (RCB)