According to previous studies, violence is prevalent in Broward and Dade counties in Florida. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence crime vulnerability and their effect on crime levels. The study also looked at the efficacy of the policies that have been implemented to reduce crime in the counties. An inquiry was conducted into the relationship between race, age, gender, and crime rates. According to the results, males with a black skin tone were more resistant to crime than white males. Further, community policies and deployment of resources enhanced a reduction in the level of crime in the counties. There was an investigation on the relationship of factors such as ethnicity, age, and gender with respect to the levels of the crime rate. The findings revealed that males with a black skin tone were more vulnerable to crime compared to the whites. Further, community policies and deployment of resources enhanced a reduction in the level of crime.
Introduction
The research aims at exploring the level of crime rates in Broward and Dade count,ies in the state of Florida. Crime in this county has become of great concern in the recent past. Particularly, in Broward county, the crime instances drastically decreased by 9.6 percent between 2013 and 2014, (Florida Department of Law and Enforcement, 2015). Broward county crime rates have been influenced by the passiveness of local law enforcement agencies besides the need to integrate better technology that would foster community outreach. Research has shown that among the major types of crimes in Florida, only a number of reported forcible rapes in Broward County increased by 8%. The crime rates have been broadly classified into various categories ranging from sexual assault to controlled substances.
According to a research by the US bureau, it was uncovered that different counties exhibited different levels of crime rates. The crime levels range from human assault, burglary, homicides to animal violence. Further, the decline in crime rates has influenced the economy positively thereby restoring the reputation of the county. The situation has been influenced by various factors including government intervention and the community awareness of the negative effects of crime among others. However, as much as there are strategies put into place to reduce crime rates, there are factors that influence the vulnerability to commit a crime as well as the risks. Therefore, the main goal of the current study is to raise the level of awareness within our community on the problem of the crime in Florida, identify factors that influence the level of crime rates. Further, the research also seeks to identify the impact and effectiveness of the different strategies used to reduce the level of crime in Broward and Dade County, Florida.
The research will also utilize the following questions as a benchmark towards achieving the aim of the study:
1. How has ethnicity and/or race influenced the level of crime rates?
2. How has age influenced the level of crime rate?
3. How has gender influenced the risk of committing a crime?
4. How has effective community policing influenced the level crime rates?
5 How has a tactical deployment of resources influenced the level of crime rates?
The objectives of the research, on the other hand, will be;
To analyze the relationship between ethnicity and crime rate.
To explore the relation between age, and the risk to commit a crime.
To analyze the relationship between the gender and the risk to commit a crime.
To investigate the effectiveness of community policing and deployment of resources in reducing the level of crime rates.
Literature Review
Criminology, which is the study of crime has drawn a theoretical basis on various disciplines ranging from psychology to sociology. Different theories have been laid in the field of criminology to foster an understanding of criminal behavior in a particular setting. The routine activities theory by Cohen and Felson (1979) is based on the daily activities that lead to criminality. Further, this theory states that the disruption of daily activities provides an avenue for people to commit a crime. In rational theories, major aspects are evident; the opportunity to commit a crime, the purpose of the crime, the target, and the influences to commit a crime. These theories are important in the research, in analyzing the factors determining the levels of crime.
Crime has been defined by different scholars in various ways. According to Tappan (1947), crime is an act in violation of criminal law committed without an excuse and is subject to penalty by the state. Crime is classified into three: violent, economic and victimless as stated by Brown, Esbensen, and Geis (1996). Some crimes are of serious nature, especially murder, assault rape, and robbery. In all types of crimes, there are individuals who are more vulnerable to crime than others. The case depends on factors including race, sex, and age. According to research done by Tulloch (2000), the perception of personal risk is strongly influenced by age and gender.
Globally, crime has been in existence since the ancient times. However, types of crime differ from one country to another and among different regions. Since 1963, crimes, especially in the United States, have risen drastically over the years up to 1990. This has been as a result of government policies and the effort of law enforcement agencies (Florida Department of Law Enforcement 2016). As the crime rates have declined over the years, various regions in the United States (U.S) including New York depicted high rates of crime than European regions such as London. The period between 1970-1990’s crime rate of property was exceedingly high compared to other types of crime.
However, the recorded statistics regarding the crime rates in specific regions like Broward and Dade counties in Florida have changed continuously due to the random changes in the population with respect to each county. According to a research conducted by Florida Department of Law Enforcement (2016), the analysis conveyed that the top region where crime rates were reported to be the highest was Miami. However, the crime rates were much higher than in Broward and Dade. In Miami, it was recorded that one individual out of nine was at risk of being a victim of crime. Further, in Broward County, Fort Lauderdale exhibited the highest crime rates followed by the rest of the regions such as Pompano Beach, Lake Worth, West Palm Beach among other locations.
It is evident that Broward and Dade counties are among the top 20 counties with a considerable prevalence of crime. The State of Florida is among the states with the top seven most unsafe counties, led by Broward County. Additionally, research has shown that Dade County is one of the most populous counties but despite the population, the crime rates are high. The population could be a factor resulting in high rates of crime (Brown, Esbensen & Geis 1996). Other factors including abuse of drugs contribute to the heightening crime rates. The addiction to hard drugs, for example, cocaine has been prevalent among the youth in Broward and Dade counties. In the two counties, a considerable number of the youth have become drug addicts, which is of great concern especially its contribution to criminal activities. Drug users may experience distress, depression, hallucinations, and self-denial among others. This may lead to committing crimes such as suicide and theft so as to acquire money to buy more drugs. The situation enhances violence among the youth.
The crime rates in multiple U.S countries have attracted attention in public debates and the media. The government has come up with ways to address and assess crime issue as a social concern and examine the factors that lead to crime among the youth. The strategies involved include developing programs that create awareness to the youth and the society. In this context; Broward County Crime Commission conducted a research on matters relating to youth violence. The analysis showed that the possible circumstances that led to committing murder were more of psychological and sociological. For instance, in a family set up, where a child faces abuse or is neglected by the guardians, the child grows up with a low esteem and lacks the confidence to face challenges of life. This results in the development of a negative attitude towards life and self-denial hence resulting to committing suicide (Brown, Esbensen & Geis, 1996).
Another factor for crime includes family history of criminal violence. The home environment subjects a person to emulating the activities going on in the environment. The act of crime can be passed on from the family members to children. Further, there are cases whereby individual have shown the history of arrests. People have different behaviors. Ideally, there are some individuals who have committed crime previously have been arrested and later joins the society. These individuals are at risk of committing a crime again. Gang membership also contributes in committing a crime. Many students in major counties of the U.S involve themselves in crime as a result of peer pressure. Most students carry weapons to schools and the risk of using the weapons to commit a crime is high. Regardless of laws, rules and regulations, possessing weapons have become easy as the weapons are available in the market.
Further, having weapons in the house such as guns can be a contributing factor too. Availability and accessibility of weapons increase the chances of committing a crime. Although some perceive having a weapon to be a protective measure in case an attack occurs, it can be a causal factor. Research has shown that in Broward County, many reported crime cases, victims were attacked by use of guns along the beach (Florida Department of Law Enforcement, 2016). Further, mental disability and neurological disorder is a condition that causes the individual to perceive life differently and the victim is at risk of committing any sort of crime for the conscious is not aware of the deed.
In the recent past, different theories have explained the factors leading to decline in Crime rates. Some of these factors include an increase in the number of police officers. The police force keeps an eye on the regions with high crime rates, the government through the law, has laid down programs strategies that help to prevent crime. Additionally, the use of technology to enhance security has greatly impacted on the reduction in crime rates. Use of security technology has facilitated in the reduction of car thefts and burglary significantly.
Another factor that has led to declining crime instances is the rising income among the working population. Most individuals tend to commit crime especially theft, due unemployment or low income which cannot sustain their basic needs. They end up stealing to provide for their need or commit suicide due to depression resulting from an uncomfortable lifestyle. Further, a change in demographic composition has also resulted in a decline in the crime rates. For instance with an aging population, and crime rates tend to decline compared to a population where the young dominate. Immigration also is another factor. When individuals with different cultural values migrate to a country, the civic perception of the country also changes.
However, despite the diminishing rates of crime, crime rates are still in existence especially in Broward and Florida County. In crime, there are factors that lead to one’s vulnerability to commit a crime and the level of risk in the society. In a research conducted in New South Wales through focus groups, the research found out that one’s perception of risk is influenced by age and gender. Younger women perceive themselves to be victims of crime. On the other hand, the old worry less, due to their tendency to avoid risky areas.
Further, education and wealth were positively related and is perceived to increase the risk of crime. There is a possibility that the educated are aware of the trends in crime. Additionally, ethnicity/racism is suggested to have an impact on the vulnerability of a person to a crime. Especially in countries where the blacks are discriminated, crime levels of the blacks tend to be high than that of the whites. However, in order to reduce the crime rates, different strategies such as policies, government law enforcements have been found to help control the crime rates. Therefore it is essential to look at what factors causing vulnerability to crime and the strategies that can be used to control crime.
Methodology
In any research, is it significantly important to comprehend the functions of the research methods and the instruments used to facilitate research in order to achieve the aim of the study. It comprises the approaches used by researchers in order to achieve their goals as well as supporting them with the tools necessary for analysis,(Ingham& Broomfield,2015). In this research, a qualitative approach is significant to develop the relation between factors influencing vulnerability to crime and the level of crime. However, the generalist approach required in this research is conducting a cross-sectional study of crime victims’ characteristics in Broward and Dade County Florida between 2004 and 2007.
The study will be employed to answer the following questions;
Does ethnicity affect vulnerability to crime and the level of crime?
This question will seek to evaluate the effect of racism on the levels of crime rates. The blacks tend to be discriminated than the whites especially in the states. This exposes the blacks to committing the crime.
Do age and gender influence the level of crime?
This question seeks to evaluate the influence of age and gender on the levels of crime in Dade. Age can be a causal effect as the youth tend to involve themselves in crime due to social and environmental pressures. In gender, the male has been seen to involve them in crime more than the female.
Do community policies positively influence the level of crime?
This question seeks to evaluate the impact of policies in controlling the level of crime. The community plays a major role in curbing crime. Community assists the state in acquiring information on those committing crime.
How does deployment of resources influence the level of crime?
This question seeks to establish the impact of this strategy in controlling crime levels. Sometimes the crime is as a result of unemployment and lack of basic needs. Hence, social economic factors may lead to people involving themselves in crime.
Data Collection and Methodology
The data was obtained from the U.S Census Bureau, Federal bureau of investigation and the counties Medical Examinations ‘offices. The variables included were gender, ethnicity, age and selected social economic factors. In the data collection, victims of all types of crime were classified in the original database as only Blacks and whites. However, an additional ‘other' race was included so as to accommodate an individual who is neither a black nor a white. Hence, the data was reclassified so as to include the missing race.
The age of the victim was measured in years where age groups were constructed in the analysis: Below 14 years of age, from 14 to 17, 18-24 and above 25 years of age. The sample used was 100,000 victims of crime in a population. Further, data related to social economic factors that influenced the level of crime were extracted from Census Bureau. Data on the impact of deployment of resources and policies was also retrieved so as to enable the fulfillment of the goals of the research.
Statistical Analysis
Data was organized and validated by use of Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). To analyze qualitative variables, indicators of central tendency and dispersion were used. This includes: mean, standard deviation at (95% interval).Frequencies and percentages were also used. In order to identify associations between risk factors and outcomes, Chi-square test was used. A correlation analysis was also performed using deployment of resources and community policies in the U.S.
Results
In a span of four years, the total number of murder victims through homicide in both Broward and Dade counties was found to be 15,000 deaths per 100,000 populations. Over the years, it is evident that crime in form of homicide has increased gradually compared to the rate in other counties. Particularly, in Broward County, there was a consistence rise in the risk of dying from that particular crime. Further, other crimes such as robbery, rape, and assault were found to be high in other counties such as Miami as compared to Florida counties. Motor vehicle theft was also seen to occur in both counties.
Gender
According to the analysis, victims constituted the vast majority of all crimes apart from sexual assault and rape which was dominated by the female. Crime rates are found to increase constantly in both counties.
Race/Ethnicity
Blacks and ‘other races’ were found to be involved in homicide crime than the whites. However, according to Census Bureau, Dade and Broward County showed that a significant proportion of the victims belonged to an ethnic group. The male victims in all types of crimes excluding sexual assault were found to be higher in Miami-Dade County compared to Broward. Further, the proportion of female victims of homicide in Miami- Dade counties was two times higher among the whites than the blacks.
Age
In the age analysis, victims of crime were found to be higher among the young people compared to the old (17-35) years of age. For instance, the proportion of victims of homicide aged between 14 and 17 years has been increasing in Miami- Dade County. However, in Broward, no clear trend of victims observed over the same time period. Proportionally, more children died as victims of homicide in Broward County than in Dade County.
Other Factors
There was a significant inverse relationship between crime rates and the proportion of adult individuals, with higher education. From the analysis, it was evident that the more educated the state population is, the lower the risk of crime, especially homicide. However, crime rates were constantly higher in those states with a higher population living under the poverty level and unemployment. Further, according to the analysis, community policy and deployment of resources had a significant positive effect on reducing the level of crime in both Dade and Broward counties.
Further, the probability of being a victim in homicide crime was found to be higher in Dade County than Broward County. According to a report by Crime Digest control, Florida crime rates have been highly recorded compared to Broward County. Dade County had the second highest murder rate in Florida among those counties with more than one million population. A substantial portion of crime victims was the youth. Additionally, according to the U.S department of Justice, black males between 18-24 years of age were more vulnerable to crime than the whites due to discrimination and environmental conditions. From the analysis, it is evident that age, gender, ethnicity, social factors are positively correlated to vulnerability to one’s exposure to crime risk.
Conclusion
With respect to previous research, there is a direct correlation between overall violent crime, the rate of homicide crime, and the level of city disadvantage especially where poverty exists. Education, poverty level, and unemployment appear to be significant factors associated with crime in Broward and Dade counties. Dade County shows a significant disparity in poverty levels when broken down by race. The study clearly shows that Black males are more vulnerable to crime than the Whites. Any intervention aimed at curtailing violence must pay attention to the social justice paradigm in place. However, various strategies have been put into place to reduce the level of crime rates in the counties including the development of community policies to create awareness on the impact of crime and deployment and equal distribution of resources so as to reduce poverty levels and unemployment.
Dissemination of these facts about violent crimes and its impact on the society should be a priority for law enforcement agencies and educators as well as health professionals. It is also essential to increase awareness of the social problem affecting the society and the nation as a whole. However, this study suffered from various limitations. The classification of victims in ethnicity /crime was exclusively whites and blacks. However, there are other predominant ethnic groups in the counties thus denoting an underrepresentation of the races. Additionally, there is a need for further study on the factors influencing crime rates and come up with major strategies to curb crime in the entire U.S counties in the long-run.
References
Brown S., Esbensen A., & Geis, G. (1996). Criminology: Explaining Crime and It's context. Cinncinnati, OH;Anderson Publishing
Cohen, L & Felson, M. (1979). Social changes and crime rates trends: A routine activity approach.Sociological review, 44(4), 588-608.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (2016). Retrieved from .http://www.fdle.state.fl.us/fsac/Crime_Trends/total_Index/2006
U.S Department of Justice—Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Report- Crime in the United States, Table 1. Retrieved from: http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/cius2006/data /table_01.html
Hispanic Black Non-Hispanic White Non Hispanic
MDC BC MDC BC MDC BC
Average cases 72 8 126 48 24 34
Rates 5.0 2.2 28.4 11.6 6.2 3.8
Appendix
This table shows the homicide rates by Race in Miami-Dade County& Broward County between2004-2007, per 100000 Populations
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