Crime in Urban America

Race Relations in Urban America - Class Notes - 4/14/09

2007: Detroit as "nation's most dangerous city," based on:

• Homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and auto theft
• FBI Data

"Detroit Police there to protect the assets of city, and not the people of the city" - student in class

Bias Data on Crime

• Police are assigned to lower socio-economic areas
• Data skewed toward those who are apprehended
• Low income/High Crime areas are more likely to report crimes

Defining Crime

• Pervasiveness of violence in culture: road rage, fights at sports events, workplace violence, family violence
• Some violence praised: War, Vigilantes
• Social Control - capacity of a social group to regulate itself according to a set of higher moral principles beyond those of self interest
• Social Mechanisms: Internalization and Sanctions; Informal and Formal

Theoretical Perspectives

• Conflict: Crime -illegal exploitation by the rich and powerful; Rebellion
• Functionalist: Crime - Occurs when socially approved means are not available for the realization of highly desired goals: Goals, Opportunities, Means
• Interactionist: subcultural approach; differential association

Broken Window Theory

• "The citizen who fears the ill-smelling drunk, the rowdy teenager, or the importuning beggar is not merely expressing his distaste for unseemly behavior; he is also giving voice to a bit of folk wisdom that happens to be a correct generalization-namely, that serious street crime flourishes in areas in which disorderly behavior goes unchecked. The unchecked panhandler is, in effect, the first broken window. Muggers and robbers, whether opportunistics or professional, believe they reduce their chances of being caught or even identified if they operate on streets where potential victims are already intimidated by prevailing conditions. If the neighborhood cannot keep a bothersome panhandler from annoying passerby, the theif may reason, it is even less likely to call the police to identify a potential mugger or to interfere if the mugging actually takes place" (Wilson & Kelling, Broken Windows, 1982).