Four Types of Data for Serious Violent Crimes

¶ … graph (http://bjs.ojp.usdoj.gov/content/Glance/cv2.cfm ) shows how serious violent crime levels declined since 1993.

The four types of data are:

Arrests for violent crime - i.e. arrested for homicide, rape, robbery or aggravated assault. These were reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI

Crimes recorded by the police -- These included homicides, rapes, robberies and assaults reported in the Crime Reports of the FBI that involved victims under

Victimizations reported to the police - these included homicides of people aged 22 and older recorded by the police as reported to them by victims

Total violent crime - the estimated number of homicides of person 12 and older plus rapes, robberies, and assaults whether or not they were reported.

Analysis shows that the measures are different in that they deal with different age categories and whilst police reported some to FBI, others were retrieved from victims and reported to police. All were similar in that they deal with the same category of crime i.e. homicide, rape, robbery or aggravated assault.

The most important single factor explaining why the measures are different is that their report originates from different sources. Some come from the FBI, others from the law enforcement agencies, others from the police, and other crimes were reported by victims.

Assessing the development of two offenses in two cities over 5 years

Bronx: 1990-1995.

1. Murder: The drop between 1990 and 1995 was drastic with 653 murder accounts in 1990 dropping to 304 in 1995. This was a decline of -- 58.2% (Murder incidents dropped still lower since then reached a recent low of 127 cases in 2010). The dramatic drop indicates that some intensive developments must have been in pace dedicated to reducing the level of crime in the city, an indeed - during these years, Guilliani had made his concerted attempt to lower crime. The results are seen from the more than 50% decline in serious crime between these 5 years and the continuous drop thereafter. Until then, New York generally and the Bronx specially had had a negative reputation. Once 19995 had been reached, tourists were more wiling to enter the city (although not necessarily the Bronx). The charts show us why.

2. Rape: There were also a huge number of rapes during these 5 years but interestingly rapes actually increased from 644 cases in 1990 to 763 cases in 21995 (1998 and 2001 showed the level to remain approximately consistent and then to drop to 294 cases in 2010). N This may have been due to the case that the Bronx, always a hotbed of violence and unrest had to defuse their energy somewhere. Hence, they turned to rape instead of murder to do so. Nonetheless, the fact that rape did not decrease is interesting

Staten Island 1990-1995

1. Murder -- There were 29 murder cases in 1990 compared to 26 in 1995. The level had dropped but not dramatically. In fact, the decline was an insignificant -- 34.6%. Nonetheless, we see Guilliani's influence here too. (Murder levels greatly decreased in the years following although recently, once again peaking but never to as high as the original number).

2. Rape -- showed a larger drop in these 5 years dropping from 80 in 1990 to 74 cases in 1995. This was a 14.9% decrease. (Rape cases too decreased in consequent years with an impressive low of 13 in 2001 before climbing once again).