NCJ Number
62999
Date Published
1979
Length
38 pages
Annotation
IN A 1978 SURVEY OF FEAR OF CRIME IN MIDWOOD, NEW YORK, MOST RESPONDENTS BELIEVED CRIME IS INCREASING, THAT THEY FACE GREATER RISKS OF BEING VICTIMIZED, AND THAT MORE POLICE ARE NEEDED.
Abstract
THE NUMBER OF PERSONS IN THE STUDY SAMPLE IS NOT GIVEN. HOWEVER, RESPONDENTS WERE 53 PERCENT FEMALE, 75 PERCENT WHITE, 25 PERCENT WITH INCOMES OVER $15,000 PER YEAR BUT 18 PERCENT WITH INCOMES UNDER $3,000, AND 79 PERCENT WERE 25 YEARS OR OLDER. TWENTY-TWO PERCENT WERE OVER 65 AND 41 PERCENT WERE NONWORKING (UNEMPLOYED, HOUSEWIVES, OR RETIRED). OVER HALF OF THE RESPONDENTS FEEL THAT CRIME HAS INCREASED IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS AND NEARLY 70 PERCENT FEEL CRIME HAS INCREASED IN THE U.S. ABOUT ONE-THIRD FEEL OUTSIDERS COMMIT MOST CRIMES IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, 50 PERCENT FEEL UNSAFE OUT ALONE AT NIGHT, AND ALMOST 40 PERCENT FEEL MIDWOOD IS DANGEROUS ENOUGH TO MOVE OUT OF. ABOUT 64 PERCENT FEEL MIDWOOD IS A DANGEROUS AS OR MORE DANGEROUS THAN THE REST OF NEW YORK CITY, OF WHICH IT IS A PART. ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THE RESPONDENTS FEEL THAT THEIR CHANGES OF BEING VICTIMIZED HAVE RECENTLY INCREASED, WHILE NEARLY 40 PERCENT FEEL NEWSPAPERS AND TELEVISION ACCURATELY PRESENT THE CRIME PROBLEM. A 32 PERCENT POOR RATING INDICATES SIGNIFICANT DISSATISFACTION WITH THE POLICE, 43 PERCENT BELIEVING MORE POLICE ARE NEEDED. ADDITIONAL DATA INDICATES PESSIMISM ABOUT CRIME. TABLES ARE INCLUDED.