NCJ Number
203375
Journal
International Journal of Police Science and Management Volume: 5 Issue: 3 Dated: Autumn 2003 Pages: 180-194
Date Published
2003
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This study examined the intersection between prolific offenders and repeat victimization.
Abstract
Two well-established criminological findings act as the starting point for this study: (1) a small percentage of offenders are responsible for a large percentage of criminal offenses; and (2) a small percentage of victims or locations suffer a large proportion of criminal victimization. The author analyzed these two findings in order to uncover the link between these two facts and to probe whether prolific offenders repeatedly victimize the same victim or location. Data on three groups of prolific offenders were drawn from the West Yorkshire Police Crime Information System (CIS). The first group of offenders was selected on the basis of being known as prolific offenders. The second group was selected randomly from offenses recorded by the police and the third group of offenders was apprehended as a result of measures used by police to catch offenders at locations that had previously been victimized. One of the consistent findings that emerged from the research suggests that the majority of repeat offenses committed against the same victim or location were perpetrated by the same offender. Another consistent finding indicates that there is a greater likelihood of an offender committing repeat offenses as he or she becomes more prolific. A final consistent finding uncovered the fact that there was no statistically significant relationship between the commission of repeat offenses and the distance traveled by offenders to commit repeat offenses. The implications for crime prevention strategies are outlined and include the use of technological aids in replacement goods to track offenders who repeatedly burglar the same location. Tables, references