NCJ Number
19253
Journal
Criminology Volume: 12 Issue: 4 Dated: (FEBRUARY 1975) Pages: 433-446
Date Published
1975
Length
14 pages
Annotation
THIS RESEARCH STUDY TESTED THE ASSUMPTION THAT POLICE REPORTS CANNOT BE USED AS A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF ALL CRIMINAL EVENTS.
Abstract
THE CHARACTERISTICS OF ROBBERIES AND ROBBERY VICTIMS DERIVED FROM POLICE OFFENSE REPORTS IN SAN JOSE (CA) WERE COMPARED TO THOSE DERIVED FROM A VICTIMIZATION SURVEY IN THE SAME AREA. SANTA CLARA COUNTY'S CRIME ANALYSIS, PROGRAM EVALUATION, AND RESEARCH (CAPER) SYSTEM PROVIDED THE POLICE REPORT DATA. THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA USED WAS FROM THE 1970 SAN JOSE VICTIMIZATION SURVEY. THE RESULT OF THE COMPARISON OF THESE TWO DATA SOURCES DISCLOSED THAT: (1) FOR COMMERCIAL ROBBERIES THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN POLICE OFFENSE REPORTS AND VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA FOR THE CHARACTERISTICS WHICH WERE COMPARED; (2) FOR PERSONAL ROBBERIES, THERE WERE NO DIFFERENCES FOR THE CHARACTERISTICS OF VICTIM'S SEX AND AGE, NUMBER OF VICTIMS, VICTIM/OFFENDER RELATIONSHIP, AND NUMBER OF OFFENDERS. THE DIFFERENCES OBSERVED FOR VICTIM'S RACE AND TIME OF OCCURRENCE WERE JUDGED ATTRIBUTABLE TO CLASSIFICATION PROBLEMS AND METHODOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES. THE AUTHOR CONCLUDES THAT IT IS HIGHLY PROBABLE THAT THE POLICE ROBBERY OFFENSE REPORTS AND THE VICTIMIZATION SURVEY DATA ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE SAME POPULATION OF ROBBERIES. SHE SUGGESTS THAT THE POTENTIAL UTILITY OF POLICE REPORTS IN COMPLEMENTING VICTIMIZATION SURVEYS HAS NOT BEEN ADEQUATELY EXPLORED DUE TO PREVALENT UNTESTED ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT THEIR VAILDITY. FURTHER EVALUATION OF THE ASSUMPTION THAT POLICE OFFENSE REPORTS DO NOT REFLECT THE 'TRUE' NATURE OF ALL (REPORTED AND UNREPORTED) CRIME IS RECOMMENDED. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)