CRIM 1650 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Arson, Compstat, Motor Vehicle Theft

• School: York University
• Department: Criminology
• Course: CRIM 1650
• Professor: James Williams

Document Summary

Objectives: links between definitions and measurement, collection methods, profile of crime in canada, the use and abuse of crime statistics, conclusion: the politics of crime statistics. The narrower the definition, the smaller the amount of crime (ex: the increase in crime, will sometimes will be because the definition changed) The first tactic used to measure crime throughout canada & the usa. Features: the most commonly and widely reported crime statistic, compiled by canadian centre for justice statistics based on monthly reports from police forces across canada. Police discretion is an important part of this process because when someone reports a crime, they need to investigate and decide if a crime was really committed or not. The incidents reported in the ucr distinct charges. The ucr is based on the criminal code. Drugs are excluded from the ucr because charges having to do with drugs have their own laws and legislations. Traffic offenses and federal statues aren"t part of the ucr.