Today’s Agenda Violent Crime –Homicide Property Crime –Burglary –Larceny/Theft –Fraud

Homicide Types –1 st Degree –2 nd Degree –Voluntary manslaughter –Involuntary Current homicide rate roughly 6/100,000 Clearance rate roughly 70%

Homicide II Victim-Offender relationships –½ to ¾ of victims known to offenders As many as 25% of homicides are “victim precipitated” Homicides tend to be “intra-racial” Trends: explaining the post 1985 increase in young black male homicide –What about the decrease?

Explaining U.S. homicide U.S. has 6-10 times the level of homicide as other industrialized nations –Inequality –Messner and Rosenfeld –Handgun ownership? –Historical Arguments? But, B.F.C. response to this

Why do males commit most homicides? Males commit roughly 90% of homicides –“Masculinity” Fight like a man, bring home the bacon, assertiveness… Esp. where other avenues to demonstrate are blocked

Why do black males have a high rate of homicide? Concentrated Poverty/Isolation –The “Code of the Street” (respect) –Combine with “masculinity”

Robbery Like homicide, robbery on decline through 1990s Robbery more interracial (43% of white victims report black offenders) Robbery by stranger likely (about 60%) –However, that means 40% by acquaintance 20% robbed by “intimate” or relative Especially the case for females

Types of Robbers? Professional robbers Opportunist robbers Addict robbers BUT: Evidence is against specialization in offending

Explaining robbery Merton’s “innovation” Community Level (social D…) –“Non-economic” robbery Routine Activities theory

The Handgun Debate More handguns will reduce crime VS. More handguns will increase crime

Property Crimes Burglary Larceny-Theft Motor Vehicle Theft Arson –Clearance rate roughly 10-15%

Burglaries Both NCVS and UCR agree on decline in 1990s 60% (residential) during daytime –13% see offender, and 40% of those are “known” “Professional Burglars?” –How rational are they? The necessity of “tipsters” and “fences” –For autos, the “chop shop”

Explaining Property Crime The “cultural emphasis on success” –Merton, Messner and Rosenfeld Social learning –Rationalizations The economy (unemployment) –Direct effect –Indirect effect (social disorganization) –Research is inconclusive

Reducing Property Crime Target hardening advice from burglars –Someone home –A dog –Downside of target hardening? (B.F.C.) Displacement