Crime Data Comparison Report Essays Examples

In the United States, Congress uses data collected from the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) as well as the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) in the making of policy decisions. The information finds application in the generation of appropriate responses to crime. This crime data can be used to seek grants for the law enforcement agencies to implement systems such as community policing. Statistics are analyzed and compared using these measures. This paper will look at one of these methods, Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) data (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2010). It will take the offense of larceny-theft, which is the unlawful taking or carrying of another’s property. The study will compare the incidence of the crime across two metropolitan areas, Abilene, Texas and Binghamton, New York.
The UCR is a program that collects and compiles data on individual crime reports or that collected from law enforcement reports prepared monthly. This program is under FBI jurisdiction and collects data on crimes such as murder and manslaughter, rape and robbery. In addition, it also keeps statistics on burglary, aggravated assault, arson, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) established the program in 1929(Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2010). The UCR closely examines each report received for reasonableness and accuracy. Any deviations that may be indicative of data are also noted. Since the program has crime counts for the whole country as well as for states, regions, counties and metropolitan areas, comparison studies can be made among jurisdictions with roughly similar populations. Publication of the findings is initially done in a preliminary report later followed by a detailed annual report called Crime in the United States (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2010).
Abilene, Texas, is a Metropolitan Statistical Area (M.S.A) located in Texas State that spans the three counties of Taylor, Callahan, and Jones. The population of the area is estimated to be around 166,000. The principal city is Abilene, and the MSA is predominantly white occupied with a significant chunk of the population of Hispanic or Latino extraction. As at 2010, the area had an estimated population of over 159,000 inhabitants. In the city of Abilene alone, the reported cases of Larceny-theft were 3375. In total, the number of cases reported in the MSA was 3,925. This gave an average rate per 100,000 inhabitants of 2,459.8 incidents (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2010). According to the 2013 statistics, the population of the Abilene MSA was estimated at 168,117 inhabitants. In the city of Abilene alone, the reported incidences of Larceny-theft were 3,460. In the whole area, the total number of incidences was 3,907. These figures then gave a rate per 100,000 inhabitants of 2324.0 (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013).
Binghamton Metropolitan Statistical Area is a region in the state of New York. The MSA is also known as Greater Binghamton or also the Triple Cities. The MSA includes the counties of Broom and Tioga. The city of Binghamton is the anchor of his MSA. Population as per the census conducted in 2010 was estimated at 251,725. The population comprises of an overwhelmingly large white majority with minorities for other communities. As at 2010, FBI statistics estimated the area to have a population of 241,233 inhabitants (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2010). According to the 2010 FBI statistics, the city of Binghamton alone reported 1,644 incidences of Larceny-theft. When the whole MSA is taken into consideration, this figure rises to 4,855. This figure gives rise to a rate per 100,000 inhabitants of 2012.6 (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2010). As at 2013, the FBI statistics placed the population of Binghamton at 247,869. The city of Binghamton reported 1,767 cases of larceny-theft and the MSA in total having reported 5,313 such incidents. Hence, the rate per 100,000 inhabitants came to 2143.5 (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013).
An analysis of statistics in the two areas shows that in Abilene, the total number of reported incidents of Larceny-theft is higher in the main city of Abilene than in the total area. This can be attributed to the larger population in Abilene alone as compared with the surrounding area; hence, there is increased frequency of occurrence in the city. The statistics also show that overall, incidents of larceny-theft decreased from 3925 in 2010 to 3907 in 2013 (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013). This consequently led to a reduction in the rate per 100,000 inhabitants from 2459.8 in the year 2010 to 2324.0 in the year 2013. One explanation for this reduction can be found in the increased crackdown on organized crime in Texas. The fight against the Mexican drug cartels has significantly reduced criminal activity. Another factor is the increased fight against illegal aliens (Campbell, 2011).
In Binghamton, there was an overall increase in larceny-theft incidents from 4855 in 2010 to 5313 in 2013. This increase in these incidents was also noted in the Binghamton city itself. Here, reported incidents increased from 1644 in 2010 to 1767 in 2013 (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013). The effect of this increase was a rise in the rate per 100,000 inhabitants from 2012.6 in 2010, to 2143.5 in the year 2014. The increase in criminal activity in Binghamton can be associated with the escalating gang related crime. This is particularly the case in areas like Broome County, which even have community programs targeted at the youth. These initiatives aim at reducing the enrollment into criminal gangs, as well as the gang activity itself (McGarrell, Corsaro, Hipple, & Bynum, 2010).
A comparison of the two MCA’s shows that Abilene has a higher rate of larceny-theft crime per 100,000 inhabitants than Binghamton. This is the case both in 2010 and in 2013. In 2010, the larceny-theft rate per 100,000 inhabitants in Abilene was 2459.8 whereas, in Binghamton, the rate was 2012.6. The 2013 statistics show a similar occurrence. Here, the larceny-theft rate per 100,000 inhabitants for Abilene was 2324.0 while that of Binghamton was 2143.5 (Federal Bureau of Investigations, 2013). There are certain reasons or factors to which this disparity in rates can be associated.
The first reason is the proliferation of gangs in Abilene, Texas. Criminal gangs are a major problem not only in the Abilene MCA alone but also in the state as well. Mexican drug cartels use these gangs to smuggle drugs, weapons, and cash and even to traffic humans across the border. Gang members in the area number more than 100,000, with over 2.500 gangs identified (McGarrell, Corsaro, Hipple, & Bynum, 2010). These gangs are responsible for all manner of criminal activity. Hence, this can explain why incidences are higher in Abilene.
The next reason for the higher rate of criminal activity in Abilene is the large number of illegal aliens. Abilene MCA has a sizeable population of Hispanic and Latino people. Of these, quite a number are illegal aliens. The proximity of the MCA to the porous USA-Mexico border makes it particularly easy for them to cross over (Campbell, 2011). Since these aliens have no jobs, they are forced to engage in crimes, such as larceny-theft in order to sustain themselves. This leads to an increased incidence of such crimes in Abilene. Hence, the rates also increase, which brings the difference (McGarrell, Corsaro, Hipple, & Bynum, 2010).

References

Federal Bureau of Investigations. (2010). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from FBI: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2010/crime-in-the-u.s.-2010/tables/table-6
Federal Bureau of Investigations. (2013). Retrieved February 26, 2015, from FBI: http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2013/crime-in-the-u.s.-2013/tables/6tabledatadecpdf/table-6
Campbell, M. C. (2011). Politics, Prisons, and Law Enforcement: An Examination of the Emergence of ``Law and Order'' Politics in Texas. Law & Society Review, 631-665.
McGarrell, E. F., Corsaro, N., Hipple, N. K., & Bynum, T. S. (2010). Project Safe Neighborhoods and Violent Crime Trends in US Cities: Assessing Violent Crime Impact. Journal of Quantitative Criminology, 165-190.