Abstract This four page undergraduate paper examines crime statistics, which indicate that minorities commit more crimes and are arrested more often by law enforcement authorities. The writer notes that statistics can be misleading. The writer further points out that crime is more prevalent in minority neighborhoods because of poverty, drugs, and despair, but statistics tend to exaggerate minority crimerates because minorities are targeted more often for attention and arrest than whites.
From the Paper "Malley notes that racial profiling is a recent law enforcement strategy that enables police officers to stop and question African-Americans or other minorities, simply because statistics indicate that minorities commit more crimes."
Abstract This paper discusses the effects of unemployment on the crimerates in New York City in the past few years. Initially, the paper focuses on data and statistics concerning the correlation between the increase in unemployment rates and subsequent increases in crime. The paper then attempts to demonstrate that an increase in the unemployment rate leads to an increase in the crimerate in New York City. The paper also discusses three theories that can explain this positive correlation between unemployment rate and crimerate.
From the Paper "In the graph (New York Crime Rates 1976-2000) that follows we see that the Crime rates for the same ten year period have actually decreased every year. This is the case in spite of fluctuations in the unemployment rate. There are several reasons why these anomalies exist. The first factor involves an increase in law enforcement personnel and the city's more aggressive stance on crime. In addition, these statistics ignore many important factors such as race because unemployment rates among minorities are higher. In addition, it does not explain crime rates in neighborhoods where the unemployment rates are higher. Without these factors it is difficult to see the whole picture and what is really happening in these underemployed neighborhoods."
Tags: societies, depression, poor, population, prisons, overflowing, law, enforcement, city
Abstract In looking at which countries have high and low crimerates, this paper investigates possible reasons for differences in crimerates. The author suggests that it may be that modern countries that function well, without such issues as widespread poverty or extended conflicts, may be able to focus more on issues such as crime prevention, and take more care to gather accurate statistics.
From the Paper "According to information provided in class from the World Bank, the five countries with the highest crime rate per capita (as defined as attempts to commit a crime as well as crimes actually committed) were New Zealand, with 11,152.5 crimes per 100,000 citizens; Dominica with 10,763.01; Estonia with 10,242.8, Denmark, with 9,449.78; and Chile, with 9.275.91.
The five countries with the lowest rates of crime were Yemen, with 137.52; Azerbaijan, with 173.41; Papua New Guinea with 259.1; Georgia, with 299.14; and Armenia, with 316.8 (CIA, 2002)."
Abstract This paper states that the author wants to test the hypothesis that the larger the unemployment rate, the larger the number of crimes that will be committed. The author proposes that reviewing the available literature provides the best method to determine the type and frequency of crimes and then tries to compare this information against employment figures. The paper explains that this mega-research offers much insight into how unemployment can affect the crimerate and why it is important that this issue be dealt with.
Table of Contents
Problem or Objective
Subjects for Study
Ethical Considerations
Measurement
Data Collection Methods
Analysis
From the Paper "All of these variables can be defined in a very straightforward manner, and they can be discovered through information found in the research of others. Most of the research variables that this research intends to study have been studied before, but looking at so many variables in one study is not all that common. Most often, only one or two variables are examined, and while this brings clarity of focus to the particular study, it does not allow for consideration of the many other factors that may be important. This clarity of focus on only one or two things often brings confusion about the larger issue, and since it does not take into account the many other reasons that may affect someone's decision to commit a criminal act, many limitations are involved that could have been removed had the study examined more potential variables in an effort to see the whole picture, rather than just a part of it."
Abstract The paper discusses the theory that the increase in crimerates have led to a need to respond to reported instances of crime, thus requiring increased action on the part of local police, fire and civil service departments. The paper explains that this correlation has been used to justify requisitioning a larger budget for law enforcement. The paper provides a hypothetical research methodology to identify any actual correspondence between these two variables.
Outline:
Introduction
Proposed Methodology
Study Design and Execution
Expected Outcome and Limitations on Methodology
From the Paper "The research design used to test this potential correlation is quantifiable and seeks to isolate units of measurement between two specific trends (Creswell 17). The first of these trends is an increase in crime statistics. The second is an increase in overtime pay for law enforcement officials. The scope of the research spans from the time when crime rates began to rise, which has been set at seventeen years ago to create an appropriate margin of error. Historical data for crime rates prior to this time period are also known and can be used to create a historical profile of the norms for both crime rates and overtime pay."
Abstract This paper discusses the activities of state authorities in relation to crime in New Jersey and in the United States. The paper explains that in recent years crimerates in New Jersey have dropped significantly, but the prison population, and its costs, have increased and the key reason is that New Jersey (like many other jurisdictions) uses incarceration to address drug problems. The paper points out that there are alternatives to full-scale incarceration that would save the state of New Jersey substantial sums which are now being spent on maintaining a prison system that is built to guard New Jersey from a threat that does not exist.
Outline:
Introduction
Part I: Recent Crime Statistics
Part II: Recent Legislation
Part III: Victims Assistance Programs
Part IV: Correctional Options
Part V: Three Strikes Laws
Conclusion
From the Paper "There are two criminal justice systems in the United States: the state system and the federal system. When a person commits a crime, it may be a crime against the laws of the United States; it may be a crime against the laws of the state in which the crime occurs. Violations of the criminal laws of the United States ("federal crimes") are prosecuted by the United States through the U.S. Attorney in each state. Violations of the laws of a given state are prosecuted by the various officials of the state. While the two systems work cooperatively, they do not course over."
Abstract This paper discusses whether crimerates are going up or down in the United States. Various points of view are considered, including those of social science researchers, inner-city residents, politicians, and TV newspersons. Once these opinions are presented, the paper concludes with the opinion of the author.
Abstract A research journal about the past and present aspects of rising crimerates in Britain. The author examines past crime statistics and cause of crime, as well as present increases in crimerates and how this can be changed to secure the future.
From the paper:
"There are aspects of the past, of the present, and aspect of the hopeful future that have influenced this thought. The past defines what crime is and how it affects people, what causes crime and criminals, how much crimes have changed, and why there are crimes. The present shows the rise in crime, current attitudes towards the crimerates, and what is currently being done to bring the rates down. Lastly, the look towards the future will encompass how the system will change to lower these rates, how rates are expected to change, how the public's attitude will change on how to lower the rates, as well as a note not to become too caught up in the solving of the problem."
A paper which discusses the way the Canadian public percieves crimerate in its country and the need for public policy makers to become better educated on the subject.
Abstract The paper shows that perhaps the greatest misconceptions that are held by the Canadian public relating to youth crime are in regard to the actual crimerates. Canadians tend to drastically overestimate both the occurrence and severity of youth crime, as well as crime in general. It describes how Canadians believe that crimerates have increased, that the proportion of violent crime is greater than the facts would suggest, and that the crimerate in Canada is equal to or worse than the crimerate of the United States. The paper investigates the need to improve the awareness of public policy makers to the actual crimerate, especially among the youth, and shows that with such improvements, public policy makers will hopefully be more confident in their considerations of public perception when creating effective legislation that protects and represents society.
From the Paper "Public Policy, by definition, is policy that is made to protect, serve, and represent society as a whole. Ideally, public policy should adhere to the utilitarian goals of providing the most good to the greatest number of people, while making a concerted effort to protect minority interests. As with many political theories and entities, the ideal situation seldom becomes reality, as has been the case with crime related public policy in Canada. It often appears that public policy is created to satisfy the short-term demands of the public and to secure the greatest number of votes for the greatest number of elected representatives."
Tags: act, alternative, crime, measures, offenders, violence, young
A crime-rate comparison between Tucson, Arizona, Denver, Colorado, Palm Beach County, Florida; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina and Austin, Texas.
Abstract This paper selects five cities for a crime-rate comparison: Tucson, Arizona; Denver, Colorado; Palm Beach County, Florida; Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina; and Austin, Texas. Through an examination of the police websites of these cities, it discusses how, of those cities, Charlotte-Mecklenburg has a much greater incidence of violent crime than the other cities, while Tucson has a greater incidence of property crime than the other cities. It also looks at how Denver's property crimerate is the lowest, while the property crimerate in Denver and Palm Beach County was lower than the other cities, depending on the year. Additionally, the paper looks at how the violent crimerate appears relatively steady in the cities, though Denver saw a tremendous increase in violent crime in the year 2004.
From the Paper "The website for the Tucson Police Department contains information on services, employment, crime statistics, and the Most Wanted. It also provides the user with the ability to search the site in a variety of methods. These search methods reveals general statistics, but can also be used to access full incident reports. The website reveals that the Tucson Police Department does utilize crime analysis units. Furthermore, the website shows some of the Tucson crime maps, which reveals that the Tucson Police Department does utilize crime maps. Those maps include: violent crime, property crime, burglary, auto theft, narcotics, domestic violence, and criminal damage. (Tucson Police Department). Compared to the other cities investigated, Tucson had an unusually high property crime rate. However, it is important to note that crime rates are impacted by a variety of factors, including crime-reduction efforts by police and victims, which make it more likely those individual criminal incidents will be reported, causing an apparent increase in the crime rates. "
Abstract This paper talks about the distorted picture created of the crime conditions in Europe and, in particular, in Britain, as a result of the volume of crimes that are committed, but unreported. The paper explains some of the reasons that crimes go unreported and how these unreported crimes, commonly referred to as 'the dark figure of crime', affect the overall picture of crime in a country. An example is given of U.S. crimerates, where violent crimerates have always been perceived to be high, but, in actuality, are lower than violent crimerates in industrialized nations in Europe.
From the Paper "The amount of crime in society gets known when it is reported to the police, through public response to victim surveys and studies of offenders who admit committing crime, and when transmitted to other agencies, such as hospital accident wards, battered women's refuge centers and similar ones (Young 2001). Other than these, the amount of crime committed is unknown. That unknown volume (of crime) that does not get reported, thus not registered, in criminal statistics, constitutes the dark figure of crime."
Abstract Hurricane Katrina was the worst natural disaster in American History. Although the storm itself was a destructive force, the social and political issues that arose in its wake are likely to go down in history as even more destructive. One of the most discussed social issues has to do with the increased crimerates that have occurred in cities that absorbed large numbers of Hurricane Katrina evacuees. The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of citizen displacement on cities such as Houston and San Antonio, Texas. In particular it focuses on the rising crimerate in Houston and the theory that may explain why there has been such a significant increase in the amount of crime in the area.
Outline:
Introduction
Crime Increases in Houston, Texas Following Hurricane Katrina
Social Disorganization Theory
Conclusion
From the Paper "There may be several reasons why the increase in crime has been so prevalent in Houston. For the purposes of this discussion, we will focus on Social disorganization theory particularly as it relates to residential instability. According to National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) social disorganization theory can be described as
"an inability of community members to achieve shared values or to solve jointly experienced problems (Bursik, 1988; Social Disorganization and Rural Communities)." The article explains further that the problem of social disorganization is usually prevalent in urban areas that are the only places the newly arriving poor (evacuees) can afford to live. "
Abstract The paper examines literature and statistics and clearly shows that there is an over-representation of minorities in the American criminal justice system. The paper explores the reality of bias and prejudice in society and in the justice and legal system. The paper also considers the theory that minorities are more inclined to criminal behavior due to social and economic factors. The paper concludes that, other factors notwithstanding, there is definitely a certain amount of prejudice in the system that has to be eradicated.
The paper includes graphs and charts.
Outline:
Introduction
CrimeRates and Race
Incarceration Rates and Race
Causative Factors
Other Causative Factors
Conclusion: The Consequences of Prejudice
From the Paper "The link between race and crime in the United States is one that is not often well understood and has only been fully discussed and analyzed in detail fairly recently. There are many myths and supposition that exist with regards to the connection between race and crime - including the assumption in some quarters that some race or ethnic groups are naturally more prone to crime. The reality of bias and prejudice has to be taken account of on many levels in society, as well as in the justice and legal system. This is a cause for concern and will be a central focus of this study."
Abstract This paper studies the levels in crime during the nineteenth century, and the possible causes and reasons for this. It looks at the introduction of the Police Constable into British society, their role and the effects they had upon the crime trends. It also includes other factors that may have affected the crimerate, such as poverty, the increase in population and the increased convictions of crimes.
From the Paper "The passing of the Metropolitan Police Act in 1829, gave the Home Secretary, Robert Peel, the chance to establish a brand new police force. Two commissioners were introduced to run the force, Colonel Sir Charles Rowan and Richard Mayne, which would consist of 3,000 policemen to serve London, excluding the City of London. To be run similar to a military unit, with military discipline, the force was hoped to be a band of men strong, fit and of high qualities. But it was a very different story in reality; those picked were unfit, ragged, ill-disciplined, young and drunk. The main reason for this was due to the low pay and so the only people attracted to the job were young men who had no families or responsibilities and for half of the time would be drunk. The job would be used as a temporary fill in job, before a person could get into another position. The low rate of pay was the biggest reason for not being able to recruit the best possible person; even by 1872 the problems had not improved. PC Green, a member of the Birmingham police force said ?The rate of wages is such that I would never have accepted it had I not been driven to it. The performance of police duties deprives me of both my comfort and my liberty, and when I put on my uniform I become the scoff of every low blackguard in the town.? "
Abstract This research paper attempts to discover a relationship between juvenile drug experimentation and later criminal behavior in order to determine if youthful drug experimentation is actually a causative factor in juvenile and adult crime.
From the Paper "This issue is important because existing research does not provide sufficient information for public policy on crime to be formulated on the basis of youthful drug experimentation's influence. There are, however, certain things already known. First, a male property offender tends to be born into a low-income family with criminal parents. He is raised with poor child-rearing techniques, and in schools has either low attainment or low intelligence. Moreover, the commission of property offences, such as theft and burglary, are often associated with violence, drug use, excessive drinking, reckless driving and sexual promiscuity. (Farrington 1987) This study could close that gap, making the connection between drinking and drug use clear regarding such use by juveniles and their development into criminals as adults."
