NCJ Number
25014
Journal
Journal of Police Science and Administration Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (SEPTEMBER 1974) Pages: 322-329
Date Published
1974
Length
8 pages
Annotation
BASED ON THE RECORDS OF THE NEW BRUNSWICK POLICE DEPARTMENT, THIS STUDY ASSESSES THE AMOUNT AND NATURE OF INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY RECIDIVISM AND DESCRIBES THE ACTIVITIES OF A SPECIAL RECIDIVIST SURVEILLANCE SQUAD.
Abstract
EXAMINATION OF THE NEW BRUNSWICK POLICE RECORDS SHOWED THAT THERE WAS A CONSTANT REPETITION OF A FEW INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY NAMES, MANY OF WHICH HAD VERY EXTENSIVE CRIMINAL RECORDS AS INDIVIDUALS AND/OR FAMILIES. A TOTAL OF 1,073 PERSONS WERE FOUND TO BE RECIDIVISTS, USING THE TERM RECIDIVIST TO MEAN A PERSON WITH AT LEAST TWO ARRESTS IN THE CITY FOR A CRIME OR DISORDERLY OFFENSE DURING THE YEARS 1968 THROUGH 1971. THESE 1,073 PERSONS ACCOUNTED FOR 3,104 ARRESTS OR 46 PERCENT OF THE CITY'S TOTAL ADULT ARRESTS. CRIME FAMILIES WERE DEFINED AS A GROUP OF RELATED INDIVIDUALS, RESIDING AT THE SAME ADDRESS, WHICH CONTAINED TWO OR MORE FAMILY MENBERS WITH AT LEAST ONE ARREST PER PERSON. A TOTAL OF 43 CRIME FAMILIES WERE DISCOVERED. FOUR AREAS OF STUDY WERE EXPLORED TO DETERMINE WHAT INFLUENCE THEY MIGHT HAVE ON THE RECIDIVIST: THE NUMBER OF DRUG RELATED OFFENSES, THE AMOUNT OF CRIME FAMILY RECIDIVISM, THE EXTENT OF CRIME UNDER CONDITIONAL RELEASE WHILE AWAITING TRIAL, AND THE RESIDENCE AREA OF THE RECIDIVIST. AS A RESULT OF THIS STUDY, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ORGANIZED A RECIDIVIST SURVEILLANCE SQUAD TO CONCENTRATE ON THIS POPULATION. IT IS STATED THAT THIS SQUAD PRODUCED A HIGH NUMBER OF GOOD QUALITY ARRESTS, AND THAT THE NEW BRUNSWICK CRIME RATE HAS SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED. FEDERAL FUNDING WAS EVENTUALLY ACHIEVED FOR THIS PROGRAM, AND ITS NAME WAS CHANGED TO THE SURVEILLANCE AND CRIME APPREHENSION TEAM (SCAT).