USE OF AN INCIDENT SERIOUSNESS INDEX IN THE DEPLOYMENT OF POLICE PATROL MANPOWER, METHODS AND CONCLUSIONS, V 1 & 2

• NCJ Number: 7153
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1972
• Length: 161 pages
• Grant Number(s): NI-71-036
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice; US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: St Louis Metropolitan Police Dept
• Sale Source: National Technical Information Service
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

STUDY OF THE FEASIBILITY OF USING THE SELLIN-WOLFGANG INDEX OF CRIME SERIOUSNESS IN ORDER TO DISTRIBUTE POLICE PATROLS MORE EFFECTIVELY.

Abstract

TECHNIQUES USED IN THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SERIOUSNESS OF INCIDENTS REPORTED TO THE POLICE ARE DISCUSSED. VARIOUS COMPUTER PROGRAMS UTILIZED IN CONSTRUCTING SERIOUSNESS PROFILES ARE OUTLINED. THESE TECHNIQUES ARE APPLIED TO THE ANALYSIS OF PART I CRIMES OF THE UNIFORM CRIME REPORT. THESE ARE SUCH CRIMES AS HOMICIDE, RAPE, AND ROBBERY. THE SELLIN-WOLFGANG INDEX WAS ALSO APPLIED TO ESTIMATING THE SERIOUSNESS OF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS. A METHOD OF FORECASTING TOTAL CRIME SERIOUSNESS BY MONTH AND DISTRICT IS PRESENTED ALONG WITH A MEANS FOR MEASURING TRENDS IN CRIME SERIOUSNESS. THE DOCUMENT CONCLUDES WITH AN EXAMINATION OF THE FINDINGS OF THE STUDY, MANY OF WHICH ARE GIVEN IN THE FORM OF SHORT TABLES COMPARING THE SERIOUSNESS OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF CRIME. MOST OF THE CONCLUSIONS CONCERNED WAYS IN WHICH CRIME SERIOUSNESS INFORMATION MIGHT BE USEFULLY EMPLOYED IN DETERMINING POLICE MANPOWER ALLOCATION. APPENDICES (FORMERLY NCJ-7152) WERE COMBINED IN NCJ-7153 AND THE INFORMATION INCLUDED IN THIS ABSTRACT. SAINT LOUIS