NCJ Number
214452
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 8 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2006 Pages: 33-51
Date Published
2006
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study examined the characteristics of homicide victims and the nature of homicide in Istanbul between 1996 and 2000.
Abstract
Results indicated that the majority of homicide victims in Istanbul were males over the age of 25 years who were killed with a firearm. Victims were typically killed in “not visible” locations, although males were more likely than females to be killed in visible locations. Disputes, particularly domestic quarrels or disputes over money were the main motives. Specific policing recommendations are made and include the advice to increase police patrols during peak days and hours of homicide occurrence. The profile of homicides and homicide victims in Istanbul are contrasted to the profile of homicides and homicide victims in New York City for the same period, which revealed many differences, particularly in terms of age of victim and place of homicide. While homicides committed in residences totaled 43 percent for New York City and 40 percent for Istanbul, the percentage of homicides occurring in victim’s apartments in Istanbul was nearly 6 times higher than in New York City. The key characteristics of male and female homicide victims are compared and include the observation that female victims are more likely to be killed with a knife or other sharp object and are more likely to be killed because of a domestic or sexual relationship related conflict. The characteristics of homicide and homicide victims in Istanbul remained relatively stable over the 5-year study period. Understanding the nature of homicide and the characteristics of homicide victims in Istanbul will have a beneficial impact on policing, health, and education policies. Data on 578 solved homicide cases were randomly selected from the Homicide Bureau of the Istanbul Police Department’s database on 1,931 homicide incidents reported to police between 1996 and 2000. Descriptive statistics were generated using the Statistical Package for the Social Science (SPSS) computer program. Tables, figures, references