CRIMINALITY IN FRANCE IN 1976

• NCJ Number: 45459
• Journal: Revue de la police nationale Issue: 104 Dated: (1977) Pages: 31-39
• Author(s): L DUPIELLET
• Date Published: 1977
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: Ministere de L'interieur Service D'information et de Relations Publiques
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: French
• Country: France

Annotation

DESPITE EXTENSIVE STATISTICAL DATA ASSURING A DOWNWARD TREND IN THE FRENCH CRIME RATE FOR 1976, EXTENSIVE STUDY OF THE DATA REVEALS A NEED TO CONTINUE EFFORTS TO COMBAT CRIME AND ITS CAUSES.

Abstract

INVESTIGATIONS OF DATA COLLECTED NATIONWIDE ON TYPE OF OFFENSE (EXTORTION, THEFT, TRAFFIC CRIMES, CRIMES AGAINST PERSONS, ETC.), THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRIME SINCE 1975, DISTRIBUTION, PUBLIC ATTITUDE, TYPE OF CRIMINAL, AND HOW THESE OFFENSES ARE DEALT WITH DO NOT REFLECT THE TOTAL PICTURE OF CRIMINALITY IN FRANCE. TO THESE FIGURES MUST BE ADDED THE DARK FIGURES (UNREPORTED CRIMES), AND THE COMPLEXITY OF DETERMINING WHAT CONSTITUTES CRIMINALITY. HOWEVER, IN ANALYZING THE 1976 DATA, A PICTURE OF CRIME IN FRANCE DOES EMERGE. ALTHOUGH A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE CAN BE SEEN IN LESSER CRIMES, A SLIGHT INCREASE IN MORE SERIOUS CRIMES, OVERALL, CRIME REMAINS SOMEWHAT ELEVATED. THE DISTRIBUTION OF CRIME IS VERY UNEVEN--ABOUT ONE-TENTH OF THE COUNTRY AND 28.28 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION SUFFERS FROM 53.93 PERCENT OF THE CRIMES. THE REST OF THE COUNTRY IS MUCH LESS AFFECTED (THE GREATER PARIS METROPOLITAN AREA IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS OBSERVATION). OVERALL, CRIMES IN ALL CATEGORIES HAVE DIMINISHED SLIGHTLY OVER 1975 DATA. HOWEVER, MINORS AND WOMEN PLAY AN INCREASED ROLE IN CRIME. BURGLARY HAS GONE DOWN, BUT ARMED ROBBERY AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE HAVE GONE UP. CRIME IN FRANCE FOR 1976 APPEARS TO BE COMPARABLE IN MAGNITUDE AND SERIOUSNESS TO OTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRIES AND THE U.S. ANXIETY AND PREOCCUPATION WITH SECURITY DEVICES AND PROTECTION CHARACTERIZE THE FRENCH PUBLIC OUTLOOK. FINALLY, STATISTICS INDICATE THAT SERIOUS CRIMES ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE SOLVED AND PUNISHED THAN LESSER CRIMES; DARK FIGURES SHOW THAT LESS SERIOUS CRIMES HAVE A HIGHER CHANCE OF ESCAPING DETECTION. CONSIDERABLE CAUTION MUST BE TAKEN TO INSURE THAT THESE DECREASING CRIME FIGURES CONTINUE ON A DOWNWARD TRACK, AND THAT A FALSE SENSE OF CONFIDENCE DOES NOT OBSCURE THE DANGERS THAT LIE AHEAD. EXTENSIVE STATISTICAL DATA ARE PROVIDED, WITH PHOTOGRAPHS ILLUSTRATING THE TEXT. NO REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. --IN FRENCH. (MHP)