Unit 2: Counting Crime

Question 1

Official police stat

Answer 1

UCR(uniform crime report):

• a database info about known crimes collected by the federal bureau of investigation (FBI)
• app. 17,000 agencies part.
• 95% response rate

Question 2

UCR
Part 1 offenses
Part 2 offenses

Answer 2

Part 1: murder,rape,robbery,aggravated assualt, burglary, larceny-theft, auto theft (more serious) more info collected

Part 2: drug abuse violations, DUI, disorderly conduct etc. (all crimes that do not fall into part 1)

Question 3

UCR limitations

Answer 3

1. Not all crimes are reported
2. departments may manipulate data
3. Crime data may be biased against certain neighborhoods
   - 50% violent crime, 30% popular crime

Question 4

Victimization surveys

Answer 4

Directly survey participants to determine their experiences as victims of crime
-attempt to produce info about dark figure of crime
—a term used to describe the actual amount of crime that takes place

Question 5

National crime victimizations survey

Answer 5

• 1973
• 43,000 households
• respondents asked about being victim of rape,robbery, assault, larceny, burglary, and auto theft
• based on sample, estimates can be made for the entire population

Question 6

Supporters of NCVS highlight a number victim survey is superior to UCR:

Answer 6

1. measures both reported an unreported crime
2. unaffected by police bias and distortions in reporting crime to the FBI
3. Does not rely on victims directly reporting crime to police

Question 7

Victimization surveys limits

Answer 7

1. Covers only a small number of offenses
2. Honesty of respondent
3. Memory of respondent

Question 8

Self report surveys

Answer 8

• a method of gathering crime data that relies on participants to reveal and detail their own criminal or delinquent behavior
• often these focus on delinquent behavior committed by high school or college students
• limit: honesty of respondent

Question 9

Crime down during recent recession?

Answer 9

• decreased tension over cocaine drug markets
• people are out less and have less to steal
• large prison population
• police more focused on prevention

Question 10

Homicide in Chicago over decades

Answer 10

-1992 peaked (943)

Question 11

Characteristics of criminals

Answer 11

Age and crime: younger than older to commit
-aged are mature and have a spouse and kids

Gender:more likely male than female
-females have gone up in crime rate

Race: African American more rep in justice system than whites
-diff environments and contexts