NCJ Number
59149
Editor(s)
R PERRIN
Date Published
1977
Length
215 pages
Annotation
THIS REPORT DEALS WITH THE UTILITY OF CRIME RATES FROM A MANAGEMENT VIEWPOINT. CRIME INCIDENCE STATISTICS ARE ANALYZED COMPREHENSIVELY.
Abstract
THIS WORKBOOK IS ONE IN A SERIES OF REPORTS ISSUED BY THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS CENTER (SAC), PART OF ILLINOIS' COMPREHENSIVE DATA SYSTEMS PROGRAM. CRIME RATES MAY BE LOOSELY DEFINED AS THE RATIO OF CRIMES TO THE SIZE OF A POPULATION. VICTIMIZATION RATES (RATIOS OF VICTIMS OF CRIME TO THE SIZE OF THE POPULATION) ALSO IS DISCUSSED IN THE REPORT. BOTH THESE RATIOS CAN SERVE AS INDEXES OF CRIMINAL ACTIVITY IN A SPECIFIED LOCALE. THE WORKBOOK EXPLAINS THE MATHEMATICAL PROCEDURES FOR FIGURING RATES AND TRENDS. IN ADDITION, THE MAJOR SOURCES OF CRIME INCIDENCE DATA FOR THE STATE OF ILLINOIS ARE DISCUSSED, AND EXPLICIT DIRECTIONS ARE GIVEN FOR OBTAINING THOSE DATA. BECAUSE ENTRIES IN THE WORKBOOK ARE LIMITED TO DISCUSSIONS OF CRIMES, NONCRIMINAL TOPICS SUCH AS TRAFFIC OFFENSES AND JUVENILE STATUS OFFENSES ARE NOT COVERED. THE WORKBOOK CONTAINS A DISCUSSION OF THE FOLLOWING SOURCES OF ILLINOIS CRIME DATA: ILLINOIS VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS, ILLINOIS UNIFORM CRIME REPORT (I-UCR) DATA, CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT DATA, AND INSTITUTE FOR JUVENILE RESEARCH (IJR) DATA. THIS CRIME STATISTICS USER'S GUIDE CENTERS DISCUSSIONS ON THE SOURCES OF CRIME DATA AND THEIR USE. IT PROVIDES A GUIDE TO THE INFORMATION SOURCES AND THEIR USES--HOW AND WHAT INFORMATION IS COLLECTED, ORGANIZED AND PRESENTED; SOURCE LIMITATIONS AND DEFICIENCIES; COMPARISONS OF THE DATA-GATHERING METHODOLOGIES OF DIFFERENT SOURCES, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE DIFFERENCES FOR THE DATA GATHERED; AND HOW TO FIGURE A RATE OR TREND. THE ENCYCLOPEDIC COMPILATION OF CRIME TYPES AND TERMS THAT ONE MIGHT ENCOUNTER IN CRIME DATA SOURCES PROVIDES A QUICK REFERENCE SHOWING WHICH CRIMES ARE INCLUDED IN EACH SOURCE, AND WHICH SOURCE WILL FURNISH THE MOST REALISTIC ESTIMATE OF A PARTICULAR CRIME RATE. TABULAR DATA ARE INCLUDED AS WELL AS A GLOSSARY, BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX, AND USER'S SURVEY. (AUTHOR MODIFIED ABSTRACT--PRG)