"Crime statistics" is a word heard on the news every day, but many American's don't know where they come from or what exactly that means. In this paper we will explain not only what this word means but also what it contains as well as the systems used to measure these statistics. Later on, we will discuss what kind of impact these statistics have on society, what the history of public perception of crime contained and what kind of future is in store for crime in America.
Crime statistics are a gathering of crime rates from jurisdictions all over the United States and abroad. Our scope in this selection will cover simply the United States. A "crime rate" is the number of offenses in an area per 100,000 inhabitants. These rates are reported by police precincts and other law enforcement agencies to the FBI for use in crime reporting. These reports describe the extent of crime in America by determining the most common crimes as well as details like where specific crimes occur most often, trends in victim types across not only crime types but also geographic locations. These reports also let the government and general public know how well law enforcement agencies are performing or how poorly by describing their "clearance rate" or the rate at which they solve crimes and cases. However, these reports are seen by many as inaccurate because these police agencies are able to manipulate their data to look more favorable towards these "clearance rates" as well as to display lower crime rates in their areas. This sort of data manipulation is described as "crime data manipulation".
[...] However, in this time period the offender was not allowed to retaliate once paying for his or her crime. At the turn of the century the Middle Ages and the time of the kings, changed the perception of crime in the public once more. No longer was crime defined as an offense against a person but rather an offense against the King's Peace. This meant anything the king believed to be unlawful and thus the resulting punishment came of the King's authority and justice. [...]
[...] Crime statistics in America and their impact on society “Crime statistics” is a word heard on the news every day, but many American's don't know where they come from or what exactly that means. In this paper we will explain not only what this word means but also what it contains as well as the systems used to measure these statistics. Later on, we will discuss what kind of impact these statistics have on society, what the history of public perception of crime contained and what kind of future is in store for crime in America. [...]
[...] The Uniform Crime Reporting Program, or UCR as it will be called forthwith, was the first created crime reporting program. It was later followed by the National Crime Victimization Survey, which is considered to be a revised and renewed system with roots in the UCR. Both forms of reporting cover 9 major crimes spanning violent offenses and crimes against property including criminal homicide, nonegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson. The UCR is used as a reliable source of information in law enforcement administration. [...]
[...] While these systems measure overlapping crimes they are not identical because of their different take on which crimes are relevant. The UCR believes that cleared cases are only worth reporting, while the NCVS takes into account all crimes whether or not they are reported to law enforcement. Also, the very definitions of each of the 9 major crimes differ due to the separate methodology used by each system. I find that the National Crime Victimization Survey is more useful in addressing the true crime problem in America today because said system deals with real life offenses and circumstances against all persons whether or not they are solved by understaffed and overworked police forces. [...]
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