Schmalleger ch02 lecture

Criminal JusticeCriminal JusticeA Brief IntroductionA Brief Introduction

CHAPTER

Copyright © 2016, 2014, 2012 by Pearson Education, Inc.All Rights Reserved

Criminal Justice: A Brief Introduction, 11eFrank Schmalleger

ELEVENTH EDITION

The Crime Picture

2



The Collection of Crime DataThe Collection of Crime Data

• Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program A statistical reporting program run by

the FBI and publishes Crime in the United States annually

• National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) An annual survey of selected American

households



The UCR/NIBRS ProgramThe UCR/NIBRS Program

• Development of the UCR Program Approximately 18,000 law enforcement

agencies provide crime information to the program.

Original UCR Program included a Crime Index which permitted comparisons over time.

continued on next slide



The UCR/NIBRS ProgramThe UCR/NIBRS Program

• Development of the UCR Program Murder, forcible rape, robbery,

aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, arson (Arson was added to the index in 1979)



FIGURE 2-1 The Criminal Justice FunnelSource: Derived from Brian A. Reaves, Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2009 (Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013), and updated with estimates by the author.



The National Incident-Based The National Incident-Based Reporting SystemReporting System

• Development initiated in 1988• A significant redesign of the original

UCR Program• Incident-driven, not summary-based• Gathers many details about each

criminal incident




The National Incident-Based The National Incident-Based Reporting SystemReporting System

• Includes 22 general offenses• FBI began accepting crime data in

NIBRS format in January 1989.• The NIBRS format has not been fully

adopted.• Attempting to enhance the quantity,

quality, and timeliness of crime-data collection by law enforcement agencies



Differences between Traditional UCR and Differences between Traditional UCR and Enhanced UCR/NIBRS ReportingEnhanced UCR/NIBRS Reporting

UCR• Consists of monthly

aggregate crime counts

Enhanced UCR/NIBRS• Consists of individual

incident records for the 8 major crimes and 38 other offenses, with details on offense, victim, offender, and property involved




Differences between Traditional UCR and Differences between Traditional UCR and Enhanced UCR/NIBRS ReportingEnhanced UCR/NIBRS Reporting

UCR• Records one offense

per incident, as determined by the hierarchy rule, which suppresses counts of lesser offenses in multiple-offense incidents

Enhanced UCR/NIBRS• Records each offense

occurring in anincident



Historical TrendsHistorical Trends

• The first shift occurred in the early 1940s. There was a decrease in crime due to

the large number of young men who entered military service during World War II.





• The second shift was between 1960 and the early 1990s. Postwar baby boomers reaching crime-

prone age Growing professionalization of some

police departments resulted in greater and more accurate data collection





• The second shift was between 1960 and the early 1990s. Increase in drug-related criminal activity Crime rates peaked during the early

1990s





• The third shift was between 1991 and 2009. Decrease in crime Sentencing reform Growth in the use of incarceration "War on drugs" Advances in forensic science technology





• A fourth shift in crime trends seems to be starting now. PERF reports "The reentry explosion" "The lengthening shadow of illegal

immigration" "The sprawling parentless neighborhood

of the Internet"



UCR/NIBRS in TransitionUCR/NIBRS in Transition

• Violent crimes (Also called personal crimes) include

murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault

• Property crimes are motor vehicle theft, burglary, arson, and larceny-theft.

• Clearance rate Proportion of reported crimes that have

been "solved"



Part I OffensesPart I Offenses

• Murder The unlawful killing of a human being Smallest numerical category in Part I

offenses Firearms are the weapons most often

used. The offender is usually at least an

acquaintance.





• Forcible Rape The carnal knowledge of a female

forcibly and against her will

• Sexual battery The intentional and wrongful physical

contact with a person, without consent





• Date Rape Forced sexual intercourse that occurs

within the context of a dating relationship

• Most rapes are committed by acquaintances.





• Robbery The unlawful taking or attempted taking

of property that is in the immediate possession of another by force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear• Individuals are the most common target

of robbers.





• Robbery The unlawful taking or attempted taking

of property that is in the immediate possession of another by force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear• UCR/NIBRS Program scores a robbery as

one robbery, even if multiple victims in one event.





• Assault Inflicting injury upon the person of

another





• Aggravated Assault Inflicting serious injury upon the person

of another• Most frequent in the summer months• Most aggravated assaults are committed

with blunt objects or objects near at hand.





• Burglary The unlawful entry of a structure to

commit a felony or a theft• Burglars usually do not know their

victims.





• Larceny-Theft The unlawful taking or attempted taking

of property from the possession of another• The most common of the eight major

offenses





• Motor Vehicle Theft Self-propelled vehicles that run on the

ground and not on rails• Most insurance companies require police

reports before they will reimburse car owners for their losses





• Arson Any willful or malicious burning, with or

without intent to defraud, a dwelling, public building, motor vehicle, etc.



Part II OffensesPart II Offenses

• Less serious than Part I offenses• Include a number of social-order (a.k.a.

"victimless") crimes



The National Crime Victimization The National Crime Victimization SurveySurvey

• Designed to estimate the occurrence of all crimes, whether reported or not

• First conducted in 1972• Dark figure of crime

Crimes that are not reported to the police



Comparisons of the UCR and the Comparisons of the UCR and the NCVSNCVS

• Problems with the UCR/NIBRS Not all people report when they are

victimized. Certain kinds of crimes are reported

rarely, if at all. Victims' reports may not be entirely

accurate. Inaccuracies may enter the data as it is

filtered through a number of levels.




Comparisons of the UCR and the Comparisons of the UCR and the NCVSNCVS

• Issues with the NCVS Respondents relate events which may or

may not have been crimes. Some victims are afraid to report

crimes, even to non-police interviewers. Details about the crimes come directly

from the victim with no attempt to validate the information against police records or any other source.



Special Categories of CrimeSpecial Categories of Crime

• Crime Typology A classification of crimes along a

particular dimension

• Crime against women Men are more often the victims of

violent crime. However, when women are victims of

violent crime, they are more likely than men to be injured.




Special Categories of CrimeSpecial Categories of Crime

• Stalking Repeated harassing and threatening

behavior which may be planned or carried out in secret



Violence against Women Act Violence against Women Act (VAWA) (VAWA)

• Violence against Women Act (VAWA) 1994 Educate police, prosecutors, and judges

about the special needs of female victims

Encourage pro-arrest policies in cases of domestic abuse




Violence against Women Act Violence against Women Act (VAWA) (VAWA)

• Violence against Women Act (VAWA) 1994 Provide specialized services for female

victims Fund battered women's shelters



Crime Against the ElderlyCrime Against the Elderly

• In general, elderly crime victims are more likely than younger victims to: Be victims of property crime. Report their victimization to the police. Be physically injured.



Hate CrimeHate Crime

• Hate Crime A criminal offense committed against a

person that is motivated by the offender's bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin




Hate CrimeHate Crime

• Most hate crimes consist of intimidation.

• Hate crimes may also involve vandalism, simple assault, and/or aggravated assault.



Corporate and White-Collar CrimeCorporate and White-Collar Crime

• Identification doctrine Corporations treated as separate legal

entities• Can be convicted of violations of criminal

law





• Corporate crime A violation of criminal statute by a

corporate entity or by its executives, employees, or agents for the benefit of the corporation





• White-Collar Crime Violations of criminal law committed by

persons of respectability in the course of their occupation



Organized CrimeOrganized Crime

• Organized Crime The unlawful activities of the members

of a highly organized, disciplined association engaged in supplying illegal goods or services

• Transnational Organized Crime Unlawful activity undertaken and

supported by organized criminal groups operating across national boundaries



Gun Crime Gun Crime

• Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act 1994

• Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act 1994

• Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban 1996

• Protection of Lawful Commerce in Firearms Act 2005



Drug CrimeDrug Crime

• White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) estimates annual illicit drug sales in the United States of around $65 billion.

• Drug law violations continue to increase.



High-Technology and Computer High-Technology and Computer CrimeCrime

• Computer Crime Any crime perpetuated through the use

of computer technology Information piracy and forgery Dissemination of offensive materials



TerrorismTerrorism

• A violent act or an act dangerous to human life in violation of the criminal laws of the U. S. or of any state, committed to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof in furtherance of political or social objectives

Schmalleger ch02 lecture

Education

criminal incident

pearson education

original ucr program

crime index

e frank schmalleger

ucr program murder

timeliness of crime

crime information