| How to Obtain
Documents |
| |
|
|
NCJ Number:
|
NCJ 181728
|
|
Title:
|
Clearing Up Homicide Clearance Rates
|
|
Journal:
|
National Institute of Justice Journal Dated:April 2000 Pages:2 to 7
|
|
Series:
|
NIJ Journal
|
|
Author(s):
|
Charles Wellford ; James Cronin
|
|
Corporate Author:
|
Justice Research and Statistics Assoc
United States
|
|
Date Published:
|
04/2000 |
|
Page Count:
|
6 |
|
Sponsoring Agency:
|
|
|
Grant Number:
|
1996-IJ-CX-0047 |
|
Sale Source:
|
NCJRS Photocopy Services
Box 6000
Rockville, MD 20849-6000
United States |
|
Document:
|
PDF |
|
Agency Summary:
|
Agency Summary |
|
Type:
|
Studies/research reports |
|
Language:
|
English |
|
Country:
|
United States |
|
Annotation:
|
This article reports on the findings of a study to identify the factors that affected the clearance of homicides during 1994 and 1995. |
|
Abstract:
|
The study examined 798 homicides in four cities. The cases
were selected so that the proportion of open and closed homicide
cases in the sample matched that of the entire homicide caseload
for the study years for the city. This resulted in a total of 589
(74 percent) solved cases in the sample; 50 percent were solved within 1 week, and 93.2 percent were
solved within 1 year. Two data collection instruments were used.
The Homicide Attribute Coding Instrument provided a detailed
description of the circumstances surrounding the homicide case,
along with information regarding prior criminal records of
victims and suspects, the relationship between victims and
suspects, drug use by suspects or victims at the time of the
incident, number of eyewitnesses, and suspected motivation for
the homicide. The Investigative Instrument provided information
on the process used by homicide detectives to investigate the
cases, such as the status of the case, the number of detectives
assigned to the case, the evidence found at the crime scene and
the types of checks and tests performed on the evidence, whether
search warrants were issued, who was interviewed, and what
information was obtained by following up on the initial stages of
the investigation. The study found that certain persistent
factors are related to an agency's ability to clear homicide
cases. These factors can be divided into two categories: police
practices and procedures, and case characteristics. Findings
suggest that a law enforcement agency's policies and practices
can have a substantial impact on the clearance of homicide cases
and can be increased by improving certain investigation policies
and procedures that involve the actions take by the first officer
on the scene, how quickly detectives arrive on the scene and the
subsequent actions they take, and how many resources the agency
dedicates to the investigation. Drug cases continue to be the
most difficult for police to solve, but the results of the
homicide clearance study show that even in drug cases, police
response can lead to an arrest. 4 notes |
|
Main Term(s):
|
Criminology |
|
Index Term(s):
|
Clearance rates ; Homicide ; Investigative techniques ; Homicide investigations |
|
Note:
|
Dataset may be archived by the NIJ Data Resources Program at the National Archive of Criminal Justice Data |
| |
To cite this abstract, use the following link:
https://www.ncjrs.gov/App/Publications/abstract.aspx?ID=181728
|
* A link to the full-text document is provided whenever possible. For documents
not available online, a link to the publisher's web site is provided.
|
|
Help | Contact Us | Home
