Homicide in Puerto Rico
HOMICIDE
IN
PUERTO RICO
Table of Contents
Abstract …………………………………………………………….3
Statement of the problem………………………………….4
Social Disorganization Theory of Crime………………7
The Social Learning Theory of Crime…………………..9
Recommendations…………………………………………….10
References…………………………………………………………12
Abstract In recent years Puerto Rico has shown staggering homicide rates, establishing the cause(s) for this development would be the first step in resolving the dilemma. Researching an assortment of criminological theories, history and statistics should be used to explain the increasing rates before offering any recommendations to Puerto Rican Homicide investigators and governmental authorities (local or federal).
Statement of Problem Homicide rates in Puerto Rico have in the past few years been distressing; though the island of Puerto Rico is smaller in size to many “mainland” metropolises, it records a higher homicide rate than some of the largest metropolitan statistical areas in the entire United States. For statistical purposes I have chosen the Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (DT-MSA) and the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (RS-MSA) as a comparison to Puerto Rico (PR). As of 2009 Puerto Rico has an approximate population of: 3,967,288, DT-MSA: 4,404,083 and RS-MSA: 4,208,217 (Tables 5 & 6 UCR, 2009).
According to Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) 2009 Unified Crime Report (UCR) a person is two and a half times more likely to be a victim of a Violent Crime in the DT-MSA, there is twice the likelihood of being murdered in Puerto Rico than in the DT-MSA and four times as likely than in the RS-MSA217. While the Robbery numbers for all three MSA’s are amazingly similar, a person is two thirds LESS likely to be a victim of Aggravated Assault in Puerto Rico, and Forcible Rape is almost non-existent (Tables 5 & 6 UCR, 2009):
|Metropolitan |Population |Violent Crime |Murder and
IN
PUERTO RICO
Table of Contents
Abstract …………………………………………………………….3
Statement of the problem………………………………….4
Social Disorganization Theory of Crime………………7
The Social Learning Theory of Crime…………………..9
Recommendations…………………………………………….10
References…………………………………………………………12
Abstract In recent years Puerto Rico has shown staggering homicide rates, establishing the cause(s) for this development would be the first step in resolving the dilemma. Researching an assortment of criminological theories, history and statistics should be used to explain the increasing rates before offering any recommendations to Puerto Rican Homicide investigators and governmental authorities (local or federal).
Statement of Problem Homicide rates in Puerto Rico have in the past few years been distressing; though the island of Puerto Rico is smaller in size to many “mainland” metropolises, it records a higher homicide rate than some of the largest metropolitan statistical areas in the entire United States. For statistical purposes I have chosen the Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area (DT-MSA) and the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario (RS-MSA) as a comparison to Puerto Rico (PR). As of 2009 Puerto Rico has an approximate population of: 3,967,288, DT-MSA: 4,404,083 and RS-MSA: 4,208,217 (Tables 5 & 6 UCR, 2009).
According to Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) 2009 Unified Crime Report (UCR) a person is two and a half times more likely to be a victim of a Violent Crime in the DT-MSA, there is twice the likelihood of being murdered in Puerto Rico than in the DT-MSA and four times as likely than in the RS-MSA217. While the Robbery numbers for all three MSA’s are amazingly similar, a person is two thirds LESS likely to be a victim of Aggravated Assault in Puerto Rico, and Forcible Rape is almost non-existent (Tables 5 & 6 UCR, 2009):
|Metropolitan |Population |Violent Crime |Murder and
References: Federal Bureau of Investigation (2009). Crime in the United States: Unified Crime Reports Retrieved on 21 December 2010 from http://www2.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm Office of National Drug Control Policy (1997). Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse. Sutherland E and Cressey D. (1970). Criminology. By Cressey, Donald Ray, 1919-, Sutherland, Edwin H. (Edwin Hardin), 1883-1950 Lippincott Publishers. Montalvo-Barbot A. (1997). Crime in Puerto Rico: Drug Trafficking, Money Laundering, and the Poor. Crime & Delinquency, Vol. 43, No. 4, 533-547 Reinarman, C., & Fagan, J Porgarsky G, Kim D and Paternoster R. 2005. Perpetual Change in national youth Survey: lessons for deterrence theory and offender decision-making. Justice Quarterly. 22. 1-29 Federal Bureau of Investigation (2010)