1. Criminal Justice Today
Chapter 2
The Crime Picture

2. The Collection of Crime Data
FIGURE 2–1 The criminal justice funnel. Source: Derived from Tracey Kyckelhahn and Thomas H. Cohen, Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2004 (Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2008).

3. Uniform Crime Reports The reports began in 1930.
Data are collected by F.B.I.
Approximately 16,000 police agencies provide data.
Only crimes known to the police are included.
Law enforcement agencies submit reports voluntarily.
Until 2006, the UCR presented data in a Crime Index (included only 7 major offenses).

4. UCR: Crime Index
The Index was made up of a summation of all Part I Offenses.
Part I Offenses
Violent Crime
murder, rape, robbery, assault
Property Crime
burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson
Traditional UCR
Consist of aggregate crime counts
Records one offense per incident, as determined by the hierarchy rule, which suppresses counts of lesser offenses in multiple-offense incidents
Does not distinguish between attempted and completed crimes
Records rape of females only
Collects assaults information in five categories
Collects weapon information for murder, robbery, and aggravated assault
Provides counts on arrests for the eight major crimes and 21 other offenses
Enhanced UCR/NIBRS
Consists of individual incident records for the eight major crimes and 38 other offenses, with details on offense, victim, offender, and property involved
Records each offense occurring in an incident
Distinguishes between attempted and completed crimes
Records rape of males and females
Restructures definition of assault
Collects weapon information for all violent offenses
Provides details on arrests for the eight major crimes and 49 other offenses

5. NIBRS: The New UCR National Incident Based Reporting System
Incident driven, rather than summary based
FBI started this program in 1988.
City, county, state, and federal law enforcement agencies furnish detailed data on crime and arrest activities at the incident level.
The NIBRS isn’t a separate report; it’s the new methodology underlying the modern-day UCR system

6. NIBRS
The new UCR/NIBRS is much more detailed than the old UCR system, including data on:
place of occurrence
weapon used
type and value of property damaged or stolen
the personal characteristics of the victim and offender
nature of victim-offender relationship
case disposition
It also replaced the old Part I and Part II offenses with 22 general offenses

7. UCR/NIBRS 22 offenses include: kidnapping larceny motor vehicle theft
pornography
prostitution
narcotics offenses
embezzlement
extortion
arson
assault
bribery
burglary
counterfeiting
vandalism
gambling
homicide
fraud
weapons violations
robbery
forcible sex offenses
non-forcible sex offenses
receiving stolen property

8. UCR/NIBRS Also collects data on: bad checks vagrancy
disorderly conduct
driving under the influence
drunkenness
non-violent family offenses
liquor law violations
“peeping Tom”activities
runaways
trespassing
general category of all “other” criminal law violations

9. UCR/NIBRS: Crime Rates & Clearance Rates
Most UCR/NCVS information is reported as a rate of crime.
Crime Rate = number of crimes/100,000 population
Rates allow for comparison across areas and times.
Clearances are based on arrests, not judicial dispositions.
number of crimes solved
number of crimes committed
Clearance Rate =

10. Part I Offenses-most violent & serious
Murder- the unlawful killing of a human being by another.
Includes:
All willful and unlawful homicides
Nonnegligent manslaughter
Excludes:
Suicides
Deaths caused by accidents or negligence
Attempted murders

11. Data on Murder Least likely Part I offense to occur
High clearance rate
Murders are more common during warmer months and in southern states
Most victims and perpetrators are age 20–24
Weapon most often used: firearms
Victim and offender are often “acquaintances”

12. Murder: Multiple Killings
Spree—two or more people killed on more than one occasion.
Mass—three or more people killed in a single event.
Serial—several victims killed in three or more separate events and over time.

13. Forcible Rape
…the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will; unlawful sexual intercourse with a female by force & against her will
Includes:
Assault or attempt to commit rape by force or threat of force
Excludes:
Assault if victim is male
Statutory rape (without force)
Same-sex rapes
Other sex offenses

14. Forcible Rape: One of the most underreported violent crimes
Many victims do NOT report because they:
Think the police won’t be able to catch the suspect.
Believe that the police will be unsympathetic.
Want to avoid the embarrassment of publicity.
Fear reprisal by the rapist.
Fear additional “victimization” by court proceedings.
Want to keep family/friends from knowing.
Most rapes are committed by acquaintances of victim, as in the case of date rape.
Most rapists appear to be motivated by the need to feel powerful.
Use of the “date rape drug” Rohypnol is rising.

15. Aggravated Assault Includes: Excludes:
…unlawful inflicting of serious injury upon the person of another.
Includes:
Attempted assaults, especially when a deadly weapon is used or medical assistance is required for the victim
The possible use of a gun, knife, or other weapon that could result in serious injury
Excludes:
Simple assaults (battery)- pushing/shoving, fistfights

16. Robbery
…the unlawful taking or attempted taking of property that is in the immediate possession of another by force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
Requires face to face confrontation between perpetrator & victim
Excludes:
Pick pocketing (larceny/theft)
Purse snatching

17. Burglary …unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.
Types of burglaries:
Forcible entry
Unlawful entry without force
Attempted forcible entry

18. Larceny–theft
…unlawful taking or attempted taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession of another (excludes motor vehicles).
Includes (in declining order of frequency):
Theft from motor vehicles
Shoplifting
Theft from buildings

19. Larceny–theft
Is the most frequently reported crime (yet still greatly underreported).
Theft of motor vehicle parts and accessories
Bicycle thefts
Theft from coin-operated machines
Purse snatching
Pocket picking

20. Motor Vehicle Theft Includes Excludes
…the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.
A “motor vehicle” is a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land and not on rails.
Includes
automobiles
motorcycles
motor scooters
trucks
buses
snowmobiles
Excludes
trains
airplanes
bulldozers
most farm equipment
Ships/boats
spacecraft
Carjacking-the taking of a motor vehicle directly from the owner by force
Legally, carjacking is a type of robbery- not motor vehicle theft.
It accounts for just over 1% of all car thefts.

21. Arson
…the burning or attempted burning of property, with or without the intent to defraud.
…does not include fires of unknown or suspicious origins
Most common type of arson is the burning of structures, followed by the burning of vehicles
Low clearance rate—18.7%
Average loss per offense—$17,289

22. 2010 Crime Clock – Violent Crimes
2.1
2010 Crime Clock – Violent Crimes
One Murder every minutes
One Forcible Rape every minutes
One Robbery every minutes
Lecture Notes
Source: Adapted from Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in United States, 2009 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2010)
One violent crime is committed every 23.9 seconds.
Teaching Tips
It is important to point out the frequency in which these crimes occur > bring back the discussion from Topic #1 of the perception
You can update this clock by logging into the FBI Crime Statistics website.
Ask students if they are surprised by the data.
If you have a student response system, show the data for comparison.
If possible, find previous years, clock and compare.
It is important here to talk about the fear (indicated in their responses) and the actual data.
Why?
Discuss the influence of the media and other issues discussed in Topic #1.
One Aggravated Assault every seconds

23. 20 Crime Clock – Property Crimes
2.1
20 Crime Clock – Property Crimes
One Burglary every seconds
One Larceny-theft every seconds
One Motor Vehicle Theft every seconds
Lecture Notes
Source: Adapted from Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in United States, 2009 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2010)
One property crime committed every 3.4 seconds.
Teaching Tips
It is important to point out the frequency in which these crimes occur > bring back the discussion from Topic #1 of the perception
You can update this clock by logging into the FBI Crime Statistics website.
Ask students if they are surprised by the data.
If you have a student response system, show the data for comparison.
If possible, find previous years, clock and compare.
It is important here to talk about the fear (indicated in their responses) and the actual data.
Why?
Discuss the influence of the media and other issues discussed in Topic #1.

24. Major Crimes Known to the Police, 2010
2.1
Major Crimes Known to the Police, 2010
Offense
Number
Rate per 100,000
Clearance Rate
Personal/Violent Crimes
Murder
16,272
5.4
63.6
Forcible Rape
89,000
29.3
40.4
Robbery
441,855
145.3
26.8
Aggravated Assault
834,885
274.6
54.9
Property Crimes
Burglary
2,222,196
730.8
12.5
Larceny-Theft
6,588,873
2167.0
19.9
Motor Vehicle Theft
956,846
314.7
12.0
Arson1
56,972
24.1
18.0
Teaching Tips
You can update this graph as well. You will want to locate the most current information from the federal website.
If a graph is not available, create one through PowerPoint or Excel.
If you have a student response system, you can compare the student responses with the actual statistics and talk about the differences.
If possible, compare with previous year statistics and discuss trends – poll the class about reasons for changes.
U.S. Total
11,206,899
3,685.0
1Arson can be classified as either a property crime or a violent crime depending on whether personal injury or loss of life results from it’s commission. It is generally classified as a property crime, however. Arson statistics are incomplete for 2010.
Source: Adapted from Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States, 2010 (Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2011).

25. Part II Offenses Part II offenses are less serious than Part I
Offenses and include many social order offenses, such as:
Simple assault
Driving under the influence
Prostitution
Vandalism
Receiving stolen property
Fraud
Embezzlement

26. NCVS National Crime Victimization Survey Based on victim self-reports
Designed to measure the “dark figure” of crime (crimes not reported to the police and remain unknown to officials)
Uses data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics
More than 43,000 households are surveyed twice per year
Measures “households” touched by crimes
Includes data on:
Rape
Robbery
Assault
Burglary
Personal and household larceny
Motor vehicle theft
The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) was started in 1972, partially as a response to problems with UCR:
Based on self reports, rather than police reports.
Designed to estimate the occurrence of all crimes, whether reported or not.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics collects and publishes data collected through a cooperative arrangement with the U.S. Census Bureau.
Interested in the “dark figure of crime” (crimes not reported to the police and remain unknown to officials).
NCVS employs a hierarchical counting system.
Counts only the most “serious” incident in any series of criminal events perpetrated against the same individual.
Includes both attempted and completed offenses.
Detailed information is asked regarding:
Victim characteristics
Extent of injury or loss
Relationship to offender
Whether or not crime was reported to police

27. NCVS Statistics Reveal
About 1/2 of all violent crime is reported: Slightly more than 1/3 of all property crime is reported.
15% of all U.S. households are affected by crime annually
Victims are more likely:
Men
Younger people
African American
City residents
Lower income (for violent victimization)
Household crime rates are highest for households:
Headed by African-Americans
Headed by younger people
With six or more members
Headed by renters
Located in central cities
NCVS statistics for recent years reveal the following:
Approximately 15% of American households are touched by crime every year.
18.7 Million – based on 2010 NCVS (U.S. residents age 12 or older)
About 16 million victimizations occur each year.
City residents are almost twice as likely as rural residents to be victims of crime.
About half of all violent crimes, and slightly more than one-third of all property crimes, are reported to police.
Victims of crime are more often men than women.
Younger people are more likely than the elderly to be victims of crime.
Blacks are more likely than whites or members of other racial groups to be victims of violent crimes.
Violent victimization rates are highest among people in lower-income families.

28. Comparison of UCR/NIBRS and NCVS Data, 2010
2.2
Comparison of UCR/NIBRS and NCVS Data, 2010
Offense
UCR/NIBRS
NCVS1
Personal/Violent Crimes
Homicide
16,272 —
Forcible Rape2
89,000
203,830
Robbery
441,855
551,830
Aggravated Assault
834,885
839,940
Property Crimes
Burglary3
2,222,196
3,188,620
Larceny
6,588,873
12,335,400
Motor Vehicle Theft
956,846
795,160
Arson4
56,972
Teaching Tips
Discuss the differences between both survey instruments.
Ask students to weigh in on the differences.
Total of All Crimes Recorded
11,206,899
21,312,4005
1NCVS data cover “Households touched by crime,” not absolute numbers of crime occurrences. More than one victimization may occur per household, but only the number of households in which victimizations occur enters the tabulations.
2NCVS statistics include both rape and sexual assault.
3NCVS statistics include only household burglary and attempts.
4Arson data are incomplete in the UCR/NIBRS and are not reported by the NCVS.
5IIncludes NCVS crimes not shown in the table, including 3.3 million simple assaults.
Source: Compiled from U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Victimization, 2010 (Washington, DC: Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2011); and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States, 2010 (Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2011).

29. UCR/NIBRS Part II Offenses, 2010
2.1
UCR/NIBRS Part II Offenses, 2010
Part II Offenses
Offense Category
Number
Simple Assaults
1,298,342
Forgery and Counterfeiting
90,127
Fraud
234,199
Embezzlement
21,402
Stolen Property (e.g., Receiving)
111,319
Vandalism
285,012
Weapons (e.g., Carrying)
179,661
Prostitution and Related Offenses
75,004
Sex Offenses (e.g., Statutory Rape)
79,914
Drug-Law Violations
1,702,537
Gambling
9,811
Offenses Against the Family (e.g., Nonsupport)
118,419
Driving Under the Influence
1,483,396
Liquor-Law Violations
625,939
Public Drunkenness
611,069
Disorderly Conduct
685,985
Vagrancy
33,852
Curfew Violations/Loitering
133,063
Runaways
109,225
Lecture Notes
The UCR Program also includes information on what the FBI calls Part II offenses.
Part II offenses, which are generally less serious than those that make up the Part I offenses category, include a number of social-order, or so-called "victimless", crimes.
Statistics on Part II offenses are for recorded arrests, not for crimes reported to the police.
Teaching Tips
Poll the class: Ask the class which of these crimes they have committed over the course of the past month. Stress that it is anonymous.
You can find updated data on the federal website.
If possible, compare from year to year and discuss the trends or compare with the results from the student poll in class.
Source: Adapted from Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the United States, 20010(Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, 2011).

30. Crime Typology
A classification of crimes along a particular dimension, such as legal categories, offender motivation, victim behavior, or the characteristics of individual offenders.
Crime Against Women- Date rape, familial incest, spousal abuse, stalking
Stalking- as repeated harassing and threatening behavior by one individual against another which may be planned or carried out in secret—perpetrator must usually make a credible threat of violence against the victim or members of the victim’s immediate family
Cyberstalking- use of the Internet, , and other electronic communication technologies to stalk another person
Crimes against Women: Date rape, familial incest, spousal abuse, stalking, and the exploitation of women through social order offenses like prostitution and pornography are major issues facing American society today. Studies have shown that more must be done to alleviate the social conditions that result in the victimization of women. Stalking is defined as repeated harassing and threatening behavior by one individual against another, aspects of which may be planned or carried out in secret. Stalking might involve following a person, appearing at a person’s home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person’s property. Most stalking laws require that the perpetrator make a credible threat of violence against the victim or members of the victim’s immediate family. Cyberstalking is the use of the Internet, , and other electronic communication technologies to stalk another person
Crimes against the Elderly: The likelihood of victimization declines as an individual gets older. Most elderly victims are victims of property crimes, victimized in their homes, are victimized by strangers, are more likely to report the crime to police, and are physically injured. They are more often victims of con artists. In cases of physical violence, it is either domestic abuse (from a caregiver) or institutional abuse which occurs in a residential setting such as a nursing homes.
Hate Crimes: as defined by UCR/NIBRS –  a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin. Most hate crimes consist of intimidation, although vandalism, simple assault, and aggravated assault also account for a number of hate-crime offenses. They can also be referred to as bias crimes.
White Collar Crimes (and Corporate): The recent economic downturn, combined with the collapse of the housing market and a loss of jobs in many sectors of the economy, has sparked a rapid growth in mortgage fraud scams. Under the American system of criminal justice, corporations can be treated as separate legal entities and can be convicted of violations of the criminal law under a legal principle known as the identification doctrine . Corporate crime is defined as a violation of a criminal statute by a corporate entity or by its executives, employees, or agents acting on behalf of and for the benefit of the corporation, partnership, or other form of business entity. White-collar crime is violation of the criminal law, committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his or her occupation. White-collar crime also includes nonviolent crime for financial gain, utilizing deception and committed by anyone who has special technical or professional knowledge of business or government, irrespective of the person’s occupation.
Organized crime: The unlawful activities of organized groups that operate across national boundaries are especially significant. Such activity is referred to as transnational organized crime. Organized crime is the unlawful activities of the members of a highly organized, disciplined association engaged in supplying illegal goods or services, including gambling, prostitution, loan-sharking, narcotics, and labor racketeering, and other unlawful activities.
Gun crime: Constitutional guarantees of the right to bear arms have combined with historical circumstances to make ours a well-armed society. Many crimes are committed with or a firearm is used during the crime. There are federal and state laws which govern the sales and possession of weapons.
Drug crime: The continued rise of drug related crimes in America has contributed to the rise of the prison population. Alone, drug-law violations are themselves criminal, but more and more studies are linking drug abuse to other serious crimes. Drug-related offenses continue to increase the burden on the criminal justice system.
Cybercrime: Any crime perpetrated through the use of computer technology; also, any violation of a federal or state cybercrime statute.
Terrorism: Since the attacks of 9/11, the potential threat of attack has become a focus of law enforcement – not just attacks on citizens, but infrastructure (power, water, etc.) as well.

31. Crime Typology (cont’d)
Crime Against the Elderly
The elderly generally experience the lowest rate of victimization—both violent and property—of any age group.
more likely than younger victims to:
Be victims of property crime than of violent crime.
Face offenders who are armed with guns.
Be victimized by strangers.
Be victimized in or near their homes during daylight hours.
Report their victimization to the police.
Be physically injured.
Be less likely to try to protect themselves during victimization.

32. Crime Typology (cont’d)
Hate Crime- a criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin
Most consist of intimidation, but they may also include vandalism, simple and aggravated assault, and murder.
Most are motivated by racial bias.

33. Crime Typology (cont’d)
Corporate & White-Collar Crime
Identification doctrine- Corporations can be treated as separate legal entities and convicted of violations of the criminal law
Corporate crime- violation of a criminal statute by a corporate entity or by its executives, employees, or agents acting on behalf of and for the benefit of the corporation, partnership, or other form of business entity.
White-collar crime- violation of the criminal law, committed by a person of respectability and high social status in the course of his or her occupation

34. Crime Typology (cont’d)
Organized Crime- unlawful activities of the members of a highly organized, disciplined association engaged in supplying illegal goods or services, including gambling, prostitution, loan- sharking, narcotics, and labor racketeering, and other unlawful activities
Transnational organized crime- occurs when these crimes are committed across national boundaries
Gun Crime-
Approximately 1 million serious crimes involve use of a handgun.
10,000 murders in the United States using firearms annually.

35. Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act (1994)
Prior to purchasing a handgun, there will be a
5-day waiting period
Instant criminal background check
Licensed importers, manufacturers, and dealers are required to:
Check photo ID
Submit purchaser’s application
Acquire a unique identification number authorizing the purchase

36. Crime Typology (cont’d)
Drug Crime
Rate of drug related crime has more than doubled since 1975.
Federal drug prosecutions increased from 11,854 in 1984 to nearly 30,000 in 2002.
Studies link drug abuse to other serious crimes.
Cybercrime- Any crime perpetrated through the use of computer technology; also, any violation of a federal or state cybercrime statute.
Terrorism- Since the attacks of 9/11, the threat of attack on citizens & infrastructure(power, water, etc.) as whas become a focus of law enforcement