NCJ Number
54531
Date Published
1976
Length
78 pages
Annotation
THE AMOUNT OF TROUBLE DUTCH SHOPKEEPERS HAVE WITH CRIME IN THEIR BUSINESSES AND THE NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM ARE EXAMINED, AS IS THE SEASONALITY OF BUSINESS CRIME.
Abstract
NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS BY SHOPKEEPERS WHO WERE THE VICTIMS OF A CRIME WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THEIR BUSINESS RESULTED IN A STUDY IN 1975 BY THE NETHERLANDS DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE INTO THE NATURE OF THIS PROBLEM. DURING THE MONTHS OF JANUARY, JULY, AND NOVEMBER, RANDOM SAMPLES, EACH OF 1,500 SHOPKEEPERS, WERE ASKED IF THEY HAD ENCOUNTERED TROUBLE WITH DIFFERENT KINDS OF CRIMES IN THEIR SHOPS. NO DIFFERENCE IN THE NUMBER OF CRIMES, THE TYPES OF CRIMES, OR THE NUMBER OF TIMES THE POLICE WERE INFORMED ABOUT A CRIME IN A STORE WERE OBSERVED. THEREFORE NO SIGNIFICANT SEASONAL CHANGES IN THIS PROBLEM COULD BE ESTABLISHED. MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF THE PARTICIPANTS HAD NOT BEEN THE VICTIM OF A CRIME PRIOR TO THE MONTH OF THE SURVEY. AMONG THE REST, ONLY 1 OUT OF 25 SHOPKEEPERS HAD BEEN THE VICTIM OF MORE THAN FIVE CRIMES. ONLY 9 PERCENT OF ALL THE CRIMES MENTIONED WERE CONSIDERED SERIOUS AND ONLY IN A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THESE CRIMES WAS VIOLENCE INVOLVED. MOST OFFENSES INVOLVED SUCH SMALL CRIMES AS SHOPLIFTING AND DISORDERLY CONDUCT. DEPARTMENT STORES AND SUPERMARKETS IN THE INNER CITY WERE MORE FREQUENTLY CONFRONTED WITH CRIMINALITY THAN ISOLATED STORES IN RESIDENTIAL AREAS. SHOPS IN NEWER NEIGHBORHOODS HAD MORE TROUBLE THAN STORES IN OLDER RESIDENTIAL AREAS. THEREFORE, IT COULD BE CONCLUDED THAT STORE-CRIME IS ONLY A LIMITED AND LOCALIZED PROBLEM IN THE NETHERLANDS. SAMPLE LETTERS, QUESTIONNAIRES AND STATISTICAL DATA ARE PROVIDED IN AN APPENDIX. --IN DUTCH. (WVK)