NCJ Number
63940
Date Published
1979
Length
120 pages
Annotation
TO PROVIDE MEASUREMENTS OF ILLINOIS CRIME LEVELS, RESEARCHERS COMPARED TWO SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN PEORIA AND JOLIET IN 1976 AND 1978. THEY IDENTIFY NOTEWORTHY CHANGES WITHIN AND BETWEEN THE TWO CITIES.
Abstract
RESPONDENTS IN SOME 5,000 HOUSEHOLDS IN EACH CITY WERE INTERVIEWED BY TELEPHONE; THE SAMPLE REPRESENTED A CROSS SECTION OF RANDOMLY-SELECTED TELEPHONE NUMBERS. THE PURPOSE OF THESE SURVEYS WAS TO DETERMINE VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCES, THE EXTENT TO WHICH CRIME WAS REPORTED, AND ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THREE INSTRUMENTS WERE USED IN COLLECTING THE SURVEY DATA: A REGULAR QUESTIONNAIRE FOR RECORDING THE RESPONSES OF ALL ELIGIBLE CONTACTS WILLING TO COOPERATE; VICTIMIZATION REPORTS THAT CAPTURED ADDITIONAL DATA; AND AN ATTITUDINAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR COLLECTING DATA ON RESPONDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY, FEAR OF CRIME, IDEAS ON IMPROVING POLICE SERVICES, AND ATTITUDES ON THE SEVERITY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE SANCTIONS. RESULTS INDICATED THAT THE OVERALL VICTIMIZATION RATES FOR EACH CRIME FAILED TO SHOW A STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM 1976 TO 1978 IN EITHER CITY. PERSONAL VICTIMIZATIONS (ROBBERY AND ASSAULT) SHOWED SLIGHT INCREASES IN JOLIET, WHILE HOUSEHOLD BURGLARY DECLINED. IN PEORIA, AGGRAVATED ASSAULT DECREASED SLIGHTLY; OTHERWISE, RATES EXHIBITED NO SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. MOREOVER, THE ATTITUDINAL SURVEYS SHOWED SLIGHT REDUCTIONS IN THE FEAR OF CRIME IN 1978 OVER 1976 MORE POSITIVE RESPONSES TO POLICE AND NO CHANGE IN ATTITUDES TOWARD THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM SERVING EITHER CITY. THE REPORT ALSO SUMMARIZES THE DISTINCTIONS BETWEEN MEASURES OF CRIME DERIVED FROM VICTIMIZATION DATA AND OFFICIAL CRIME COUNTS MADE BY LOCAL POLICE DEPARTMENTS. TABULAR AND STATISTICAL DATA AND FOOTNOTES ARE INCLUDED. APPENDIXES CONTAIN SURVEY INSTRUMENTS AND WEIGHTED FREQUENCY TABULATIONS, THE CONSTRUCTION OF CONFIDENCE INTERVALS FOR VICTIMIZATION RATES, AND A DISCUSSION ON THE TRAINING OF INTERVIEWERS. (WJR)