NCJ Number
115217
Date Published
1987
Length
60 pages
Annotation
Using official crime statistics and data from victimization surveys in England, this document examines the experience of crime and policing and analyzes trends in crime over the next 5 years given current policies.
Abstract
Data show that the amount of crime has been increasing since 1945. However, the crime rate varies geographically and by victim characteristics such as gender and age. While there has been a decline in the number of 14- to 20-year-old youth and a reduction in the overall level of juvenile crime, the rate of offending among juveniles is increasing. Consistent with crime and victimization patterns that show high rates for young inner-city residents, crime rates appear to be associated with unemployment, deprivation, social marginality, and housing allocation policies. Further, while crime rates are high in poor inner-city areas, police clearance rates are low; and police-community relations in such areas are poor. There also is no evidence to suggest that increasing the number of police would increase police effectiveness. Finally, the prison population is increasing both in numbers and in its dangerousness and violence. Prison overcrowding is becoming increasingly problematic, and it is unlikely that the prison construction program or increased privatization will offer solutions. Without major changes in Government policies, this trend toward increasing crime is unlikely to be reversed. 9 figures and 42 references.