Linking the Crime and Arrest Processes to Measure Variations in Individual Arrest Risk per Crime (Q)
Author(s)
Blumstein, Alfred
Cohen, Jacqueline
Piquero, Alex R
Visher, Christy A
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2010
Metadata
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The magnitude and variation in the arrest risk per crime for individual offenders, termed Q,1 are fundamental to any characterization of crime and crime control. Obviously, Q has intrinsic value as an indicator of criminal justice performance, as well as a measure of the risk of detection faced by offenders. The variation in Q across offenders is also important as a methodological support to enable use of the widely available arrest data to make inferences about offending behavior. In particular, knowing Q is vital in attempts to estimate individual crime rates, λ, from such arrest data (Blumstein and Cohen 1979; Cohen 1986).The magnitude and variation in the arrest risk per crime for individual offenders, termed Q,1 are fundamental to any characterization of crime and crime control. Obviously, Q has intrinsic value as an indicator of criminal justice performance, as well as a measure of the risk of detection faced by offenders. The variation in Q across offenders is also important as a methodological support to enable use of the widely available arrest data to make inferences about offending behavior. In particular, knowing Q is vital in attempts to estimate individual crime rates, λ, from such arrest data (Blumstein and Cohen 1979; Cohen 1986).
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Journal Title
Journal of Quantitative Criminology
Volume
26
Issue
4
Subject
Criminology
Police administration, procedures and practice