NCJ Number
60012
Journal
Angolite Dated: (MAY-JUNE 1979) Pages: 53-63
Date Published
1979
Length
11 pages
Annotation
CONTRASTS BETWEEN NEW ORLEANS CITIZEN ATTITUDES TOWARD CRIME AND FACTS REPORTED IN A 1978 LEAA PUBLICATION ENTITLED MYTHS AND REALITIES ABOUT CRIME, ARE DISCUSSED BY A PRISON INMATE WRITING IN A PRISON NEWSMAGAZINE.
Abstract
THE LEAA PUBLICATION WAS BASED ON NATIONAL PRISONER STATISTICS, ESTABLISHED OVER 50 YEARS AGO, AND THE NATIONAL CRIME SURVEY, ESTABLISHED IN THE EARLY 1970'S. A RECENT NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC OPINION POLL INDICATED THAT CITIZENS CONSIDERED CRIME TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PROBLEM IN THE CITY. IN ADDITION, NEW ORLEANS PRESS REPORTS INDICATED GENERAL CITIZEN ANGER AND FRUSTRATION ABOUT THE CRIME PROBLEM AND THE COURT SYSTEM. HOWEVER THE LEAA PUBLICATION INDICATES THAT CITIZEN PERCEPTIONS ABOUT CRIME ARE LARGELY BASED ON MYTHS RATHER THAN ON REALITIES. FOR EXAMPLE, STATISTICS SHOW THAT BOTH VIOLENT CRIMES AND THEFT ARE INCREASING AT ABOUT THE SAME RATE AS THE POPULATION AND HAVE NOT GROWN DRASTICALLY IN RECENT YEARS. MOREOVER, VIOLENT CRIMES ARE A SMALL MINORITY OF CRIMES, RATHER THAN THE MAJORITY AS IS ASSUMED BY MOST PEOPLE. OTHER MYTHS CONTRADICTED BY THE STATISTICS CONCERN CRIME REPORTING, CRIME RATES' RELATIONSHIP TO POPULATION, PERCEPTIONS OF PERSONAL SAFETY, SEX DIFFERENCES IN VICTIMIZATION, USE OF WEAPONS BY OFFENDERS, OFFENDERS' PERSONAL AND SOCIOECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, PENALTIES, AND ORGANIZED CRIME. THIS INFORMATION INDICATES THAT THE CURRENT OUTCRY ABOUT CRIME IN NEW ORLEANS IS THE RESULT OF MANIPULATIVE POLITICS AND POWER STRUGGLES AMONG PUBLIC OFFICIALS, RATHER THAN CHANGES IN NEW ORLEANS CRIME PATTERNS OR RATES. THE PUBLIC IS RECEIVING MISINFORMATION AND IS DIRECTING ITS RESULTING ANGER AGAINST THE STREET CRIMINALS RATHER THAN AGAINST THE POLITICIANS WHO ARE THE PROPER TARGET. GRAPHS AND STATISTICS ARE INCLUDED. (CFW)