EMPIRICAL GEOGRAPHY OF CRIME - A STOCKTAKING AND FURTHER REFLECTIONS, USING THE CITY OF BOCHUM (GERMANY) AS AN EXAMPLE

• NCJ Number: 54261
• Author(s): H D SCHWIND; W AHLBORN; R WEISS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 448 pages
• Corporate Author: Bundeskriminalamt
• Sale Source: Bundeskriminalamt; National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: German
• Country: West Germany (Former)

Annotation

THE GEOGRAPHY OF CRIME IN BOCHUM, GERMANY, IS ANALYZED ON THE BASIS OF STATISTICS, CAUSES FOR HUMAN BEHAVIOR, AND LOCATIONS OF BOTH CRIMES AND CRIMINALS' HOMES AS A MEANS FOR DEVELOPING RATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION MEASURES.

Abstract

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE 'DARK FIGURE' (UNREPORTED CRIMES), AS WELL AS OF SOCIAL GEOGRAPHY FOR DELINEATION OF CRIME DISTRIBUTION IS EMPHASIZED. AN OVERVIEW OF EARLIER STUDIES, A DESCRIPTION OF BOCHUM, AND SEPARATE EXAMINATIONS OF THE CITY FROM CRIMINOLOGICAL, SOCIOLOGICAL, AND SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVES ARE PROVIDED. CRIME DATA (I.E., ON SIMPLE AND GRAND LARCENY, SHOPLIFTING, ROBBERY, AND BODILY HARM) DERIVE FROM TWO QUESTIONNAIRES FILLED OUT BY BOCHUM'S POLICE DEPARTMENT AND FROM INTERVIEWS WITH VICTIMS OF CRIME, SUPPLEMENTED BY INFORMATION ON SOCIAL STRUCTURE FROM THE CITY'S OFFICE OF STATISTICS AND CITY PLANNING; STATISTICAL AREAS ARE DETERMINED ACCORDING TO PHYSICAL FEATURES. FINDINGS SHOW THAT SUSPECTS FOR 10 PERCENT OF ALL OFFENSES LIVE IN FIVE OF 173 AREAS (THE INNER CITY), THAT OFFENDERS FROM OUTSIDE AREAS DO NOT, AS BELIEVED, COMMIT THEIR CRIMES ALONG MAJOR EXIT ROUTES; THAT THE CRIME RATE OF AN AREA IS CONNECTED TO THE NUMBER OF BUSINESSES PRESENT; AND THAT MANY CRIMES, ESPECIALLY BURGLARIES, OCCUR CLOSE TO THE CRIMINAL'S RESIDENCE. COMPARISONS OF BOCHUM AND GOTTINGEN SUGGEST THE NEED FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ON UNREPORTED CRIME, AS WELL AS FOR INTENSIFIED POLICE INVESTIGATIVE EFFORTS AND TRAINING. THE METHOD EMPLOYED REVEALS THAT AN AREA'S SOCIAL STRUCTURE, POPULATION DENSITY, AND UNEMPLOYMENT RATE DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF SUSPECTS AND THAT PUBLIC CRIME REPORTING BEHAVIOR DEPENDS ON THE PUBLIC ATTITUDE TOWARD POLICE. EXPANDED USE OF PSYCHOLOGISTS BOTH FOR FURTHER STEPS IN CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH AND FOR IMPROVEMENT OF POLICE PUBLIC RELATIONS, AS WELL AS A MULTIDISCIPLINARY CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAM ENCOMPASSING SOCIAL AND CRIMINAL POLICY, SOCIAL WORK, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND REHABILITATION ARE RECOMMENDED. A BIBLIOGRAPHY, REFERENCES, 15 APPENDIXES, AND 307 MAPS, GRAPHS, AND TABLES ARE SUPPLIED. -- IN GERMAN. (KMD)