1. Crime Victims: An Introduction to Victimology Seventh Edition
By Andrew Karmen
Chapter Six:
Victims and the Criminal Justice System: Cooperation and Conflict, Part 1: The Police

2. How the System Handles Victims
Criticisms: Box 6.1, page 146
Police
Prosecutor
Judges
Corrections
The system creates more conflict than resolution for victims

3. What Do Victims Want, Punishment or Restitution?
Three Goals
I. Punish offenders
II. Compel lawbreakers to undergo rehabilitative treatment
III. Repay victims for losses and injuries they suffered

4. What Do Victims Want? I. Punishment Retribution—morally sound practice
Make examples of criminal—provided deterrence theory really works
Incapacitate
Satisfies victim thirst for revenge
Prevents future vigilantism

5. What Do Victims Want? Punishment continued—
Opponents of this utilitarian approach have documented that punishment:
Results in high rates of imprisonment
Is expensive
Is often impractical
Can be ineffective and even impractical

6. What Do Victims Want? II. Rehabilitation
Some victims want professionals to help offenders become decent, productive, law abiding citizens. Do not want other victims.
Victims most likely to endorse rehabilitation if the offender was NOT a complete stranger.
Victims may become dismayed when “heavy handed” policies drive the offender to become more violent and attain new heights of antisocial conduct.

7. What Do Victims Want? III. Restitution
Some victims want restitution rather than retribution or rehabilitation
Want to recoup losses and pay bills incurred as result of the crime
Loss of pay, medical expenses, household bills unpaid due to being out of work

8. Victims and the Police Reporting Incidents
Combined reporting rate (NCVS) in 2006=41% of all crimes—Table 6.1, page 150
Most likely to report crimes brandishing weapons, physical injuries, or substantial financial loss
Of the violent crimes, aggravated assaults are most often reported; rapes least often

9. Victims and the Police
Records indicate police are aware of 50% of violent crimes and 39% of property crimes in their jurisdiction
Citizens not required to inform authorities of crimes committed against them on their property. However, if they conspire or collaborate in a cover-up to conceal a serious crime, they can be charged with “misprision of a felony.”

10. Victims and the Police Responding Quickly
Want police to respond quickly and apprehend offender
Calls are prioritized by dispatchers
Victims often call relatives or friends first
Sometimes there is a lag in time between the crime and its discovery
Witness verifies and renders needed assistance before calling police
Table 6.2, page 152 shows nationwide response times,

11. Victims and the Police Police Investigating Complaints
Handling Victims with Care
Officers can seem disinterested, remote, unconcerned about plight of victim
Police sometime doubt the victim’s credibility and discontinue investigation
Emotional detachment is a necessary defense against burning out

12. Victims and the Police
Many police departments conducting training to assist officers with victim issues
Teach how to administer psychological first aid
Learning importance of responding quickly, listening attentively, showing concern and refraining from challenging the victim’s version

13. Victims and the Police Complaints Founded—verified by police
Unfounded—police reject claims
Defounded—police believe a crime occurred but not as serious as reported
Police accused of misclassification of above to make statistics look better for themselves and department or workload too great

14. See Table 6.3, page 159: Trends In Clearance Rates
Victims and the Police
Investigating Complaints/Solving Crimes
Homicides—1/2 of all closed cases solved within a week. 93% of those solved are solved within a year.
Homicides: 61% overall cleared
Larceny—17% cleared successfully
Vehicle Theft—13% cleared successfully
Robberies—25% cleared
Rape—59% no attacker arrested
Aggravated Assault—46% no arrests made
See Table 6.3, page 159: Trends In Clearance Rates

15. Victims and the Police
Law enforcement has a duty to notify victim of their rights when complaint lodged
Victims expect police to keep them informed of investigative progress
34% of agg. assault victims advised of arrest while 54% of cases solved
13% of burglaries solved while only 7% of victims notified

16. Victims and the Police
Recovering Stolen Property—unlike clearance rates, no good data of recovery
Table 6.5, page 164 reflects Trends in Stolen Property Recovery Rates,
Data remains fairly consistent through the years
Recovered property often kept by police for evidence to be used in a trial

17. Victims and the Police VICTIM-ORIENTED POLICE DEPT
A vital component of a Community Oriented Police Department
Police departments must consider a revamp of their operations and reconsider their priorities to deal with the victim’s concerns

18. Key Terms Community Policing Misprision of a Felony Second Wound
Burnout
Unfounding
Defounding
Clearance Rates
Cold Case Squads
Citizen’s Arrest
Performance Measures