Cjs 231 - Crime Data Comparison

Crime Data Comparison

Eric Gonzalez Sanchez

CJS/231

April 2, 2018

Krista Hall

University of Phoenix

Crime Data Comparison

Introduction

        Crime is an action or omission that constitutes an offense that may be prosecuted by the state and is punishable by law.  A crime is often called an offence.  We are living in a world where crime is rising every day, and where sometimes, we live in fear due to it.  We can see how crime is higher in some areas, and seem to be lower on others. With the variables of crime throughout the US, a system, called the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) was established to measure crime in all areas.  The Uniform Crime Report is a voluntary that provides nationwide crime statistics based off information provided by law enforcement across the country.  The UCR bases its findings solely from those individuals who have been arrested by law enforcement.  In this paper, we will contrast and compare one offence in two different areas.  We will see what area had more incidents reported, the rates of crime for each area, change over time in that area and what factors might explain the different in rates.  This information will be presented as it appears above.

Crime Data Comparison

        The offense I chose was aggravated assault, and the two areas I chose from the FBI Uniform Crime Report were Florida and Pennsylvania. The years I will compare will be 2010-2011.  In the United States the total population for 2010 was 309,330,219, and in 2011 there was a raise, for a total of population of 311,591,917.  The offense being compared is aggravated assault.  In total in the United States in 2010, there were a total of 781,844 aggravated assault, for a rate per 100,000 residents of 252.8, and in 2011 the total was 751,131for a rate per 100,000 residents of 241.1.  In the United States, there was a percent change of -3.9%.

What were the rats of the crime for each area?

In Pennsylvania in 2010 the population was 12,717,722, while in 2011 there was an increase to 12,742,886.  In 2010, there were 26,112 cases of aggravated assault in the state, for a rate of 205.3 cases per every 100,000 residents.  In 2011, there were 25,148 cases of aggravated assault, for a rate of 197.3 cases per every 100,000 residents.  There was a change between those years of -3.7%.  

        In Florida in 2010 the population was 18,838,613, while in 2011 the population increased to 19,057,542.  In 2010 the cases of aggravated assault were 69,523, for a rate of 369.0 cases per every 100,000 residents, while I 2011 the cases for aggravated assault went down to 66,319 cases, for a rate of 348.0 cases per every 100,000 residents.  There was a change between years of -4.6%.  

Which area had more reported incidents?

        Florida has more residents than Pennsylvania.  In 2010, Florida had 6,120,891 more residents than Pennsylvania, and Florida had 43,411 more aggravated assault cases than Pennsylvania.  In 2011, Florida had 6,515,656 more residents than Pennsylvania and Florida had 41,171 more cases of aggravated assault than Pennsylvania.

Did the rates change over time in either area?

        The rate changed in both states.  Although the population increased in both years in both states, the cases of aggravated assault went down.  In Pennsylvania, the population increased 25,164, and there were 964 less cases of aggravated assault.