Crime Data and Analysis

Taking a look at the most recently available data from UCRs (Uniform Crime Reports) for the state of Kansas, which is from 2008, one statistic stands out among all others: the striking frequency of property crimes compared to all other crimes. The only crime that came close in quantity was larceny, barely ²/3 as common as property crimes. Most other crimes were at moderate levels, with the lowest being murder (113), rape (1,190) and burglary (1,684). Figures were generally lower in 2008 than in 2007, but typically by only a small margin. Although a statistic for 2008 was not available, one number that attracts attention was that in both 2006 and 2007, Kansas was ranked 6th-highest for incidents of rape per 100,000 people.

In analyzing the UCR data, some questions could be asked to help gain further insight:

1. The drop in frequency of property crimes from 2007 to 2008 was rather significant. Why did this happen?
2. Larceny was the second most common crime in Kansas in 2008. What items were being stolen most often?
3. Why might Kansas have a higher rate of rape relative to other states?

If NCVS data from the state of Kansas were analyzed, the following questions could be asked:

1. Were the trends of high rates of property crimes and larceny reflected in NCVS data?
2. Could the decrease in property crimes from 2007 to 2008 be explained by people not reporting the crimes?
3. Of the victims of property crimes, is there a common profile that might explain why they were victimized?

Research questions that could be asked regarding self-report data include:

1. Was the data accurate compared to the UCR data? What about the NCVS data?
2. Property crimes were the most common type of crime in Kansas. How many people admitted to committing property crimes?
3. How many of the criminals were repeat offenders?

Associated Press (2009, September 14). Dumpster Love Broken Up by Theives. Action News KSHB-TV.

In this article, a couple went into a dumpster to have an "intimate moment" around 6 PM. Soon after, they were robbed at knife point by two suspects. Their shoes, jewelry, and the man's wallet were later found and returned (Press, 2009) [3].

The theory this crime most relates to is the theory of victimization. The victims put themselves (foolishly) in a vulnerable position, making it easy for the criminals to find them and rob them. If they had not been in a secluded place with no protection or help around them, they probably would not have been the victim of this crime. In the future, the victimized couple should probably find a safer place, such as a bed and breakfast, for their intimate moments. Criminals could be lurking in dark alleys and around every dumpster. The best way to prevent being a victim, according to the Victimization Theory, is to not put oneself in a bad or dangerous situation in the first place.

Growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, one tends to believe everything is as commonplace as things would happen here. Las Vegas thrives on tourism and what better way to draw in the crowds than the casinos along the Strip.

[2]

Times are difficult, though, and in this economy, fewer and fewer people are traveling to enjoy the leisure that is Las Vegas. That's not to say that it still is not pulling in a decent amount of cash. In 2008, the casinos along the Strip took in roughly $25,000,000,000 USD during a major slump. Year after year, the state of Nevada gets a bulk about of funding from gambling taxes. This income is seldom seen elsewhere across the United States.

This is not to say that other states don't have their own means of obtaining funds to better themselves and their country. Kansas in particular has one of the largest farm-driven economies in the nation, hosting over 65,000 farms (Parker, 2009) [4]. They provide a great service to the nation with their crops. It's a noteworthy (please don't be offended, Kansas) self-sacrifice. The land is vast and unemployment has increased in the past year - legalization of gambling may be a great kick start. The state's motto is Ad Astra per Aspera, Latin for "To the stars with difficulty" and that's just what Kansas is doing. They're working harder than other states just to get the same results. Kansas's Code 21-4302 et seq.; 74-8801 et seq. should be edited to allow commercial gambling (Reuters, 2009) [5]. The state only allows gambling under two different pretenses:

• That all gambling must be hosted by a non-profit organization and it must be based on a test of skill (strength, speed, intelligences, and other traits disregarding luck).
• It is illegal except in accordance with Indian tribal gaming statutes.

We realize that gambling is controversial, but not too long ago the only state in the union that allowed commercial gambling was Nevada. Now, it is a topic of debate among several states who are considering the switch and others have already legalized it. Kansas should join in the fray instead of abiding by William Allen White's old quote, "Kansas is a state of the Union, but it is also a state of mind, a neurotic condition, a psychological phase, a symptom, indeed, something undreamed of in your philosophy, an inferiority complex against the tricks and manners of plutocracy - social, political and economic." The ban on commercial gambling should be overturned.

As for laws that Kansas should add, there is a saying, "The law paces itself slower in the race against technology." One surprising fact about Kansas is the fact their laws do not prohibit the use or cell phones in any manner while driving for full-fledged drivers. I wouldn't say this is because they haven't gotten to the point of discussion or barring it yet like "this is brand new news to them" since it had already been discussed, debated and ruled upon.

The laws of Kansas prohibit novice drivers, or by definition anybody under the age of 20 from using a cell phone for talking, texting or any application while they are currently driving. Anybody over the age of 20 is in the clear and may not be pulled over, cited or charged for cell phone usage (GHSA ,2009) [6].

The scary thing is according to the Governors Highway Safety Association, commercial drivers in Kansas are allowed to use cell phones freely. That's right, truck drivers and school bus drivers are both welcome to pull out their iPhones and play with all the latest apps. Pardon the cliche, but
(Copyright The Simpsons)

Considering the amount of publicized commercial drivers getting into accidents in the media (celebrated cases if you will) like the train accident on October 2, 2008, this is just shocking. The train conductor had been found texting moments before the train's deadly impact. This completely preventable accident ended up killing twenty-five people and injured over one hundred others. It was deemed one of the worst train crashes in history (Chatterjee, 2008) [7].

One of the authors of this blog has had personal experience with cell phone-related accidents. The first occasion was when he unfortunately drove into a light post while attempting to dial a number. $2300USD later, he learned his lesson. The other instance was when he was attempting to make a left turn at a light and stopped in the middle of the street to allow traffic to pass. A young lady behind him had saw him advance and assumed he left when she was texting, and ended up pushing him into oncoming traffic.

According to the FOX news network back in 1997 (yes, that far back when cell phones in Japan were talking about how they were getting cameras next year), "Younger and older drivers with a cell phone faced essentially the same risk" [8] (Bluejay, 1997) There has been no change in their publishing since then and instead have only furthered to push that using a cell phone while driving is as dangerous as driving drunk. According to LiveJournal, accidents involving cell phones resulted in 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries as well each year in the U.S. (Roy Brit, 2005) [9].

This is as controversial as gambling. Would banning cell phone usage when driving make a politician Pro-Not Dying or Seriously Injuring Themselves, Their Family or Others Citizens and force them to drop out from re-election or further any political campaign? Ban cell phones in Kansas.

[1] The Disaster Center (2009). Kansas Crime Rates 1960 - 2008. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from Disaster Center Website: http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/kncrime.htm
[2] Wild Nature Images. Panoramic Photo of the Las Vegas Strip. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from Wild Nature Images Website: http://www.wildnatureimages.com/Las%20Vegas%20Pano.htm
[3] Associated Press (2009, September 14). Dumpster Love Broken Up by Thieves. ABC News, Retrieved September 15, 2009, from NBC Website: http://www.nbcactionnews.com/content/news/kansas/story/Dumpster-Love-Broken-Up-by-Thieves/g84Bpy0O6Uib-4KTB9Ho1w.cspx
[4] Parker TP (2009). Data Sets. Economic Research Service. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from http://www.ers.usda.gov/stateFacts/KS.htm
[5] Reuters TR (2009). Kansas Gambling Laws. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from FindLaw Website http://law.findlaw.com/state-laws/gambling/kansas/
[6] Governors Highway Safety Association (2009). Cell Phone Driving Laws. Retrieved September 14, 2009, from Governors Highway Safety Association Website: http://www.ghsa.org/html/stateinfo/laws/cellphone_laws.html
[7] Chatterjee, SC (2008, October 02). Train Engineer Was Texting Just Before California Crash. Retrieved September 14, 2009, from Reuters Website: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN0152835520081002
[8] Bluejay, MB (1997, February 13). Cell Phones: As Dangerous As Driving Drunk. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from Bicycle Universe Website: http://bicycleuniverse.info/cars/cellphones.html
[9] Roy Brit, RBB (2005, February 01). Drivers on Cell Phones Kill Thousands, Snarl Traffic. Retrieved September 15, 2009, from LiveScience Website: http://www.livescience.com/technology/050201_cell_danger.html

Criminal Justice and the Wedding Cake

Samuel Walker a writer for Wadsworth CJR publishing created a model to explain the different elevations of Criminal Justice Courts which was contradictory to the President's Commission Model back in 1997. He dubbed it the Wedding Cake Model of criminal justice. Just as in a traditional wedding cake (not like this) there are four layers of the cake. Their names, starting from the top they are: Celebrated Cases, Heavy Duty Felonies, Light Weight Felonies and A World unto Itself, respectively.


(Image Taken from Fancy Cakes Shop of PA)

The relation is fairly easy to grasp. Here are some related cases from Kansas that fit into the criteria:

The lowest level of the cake is built to handle the bulk of all cases, or the misdemeanors (lesser). Generally misdemeanors will not end up as news even for small towns, but oddities do pop up every now and then in the "A World unto Itself" layer. The range of misdemeanors is extensive from drug possession to trespassing. One thing to note is also a person's professional conduct. What a "reasonable" professional would do in their field. Two years back, an abortion clinic doctor in Kansas preformed several late-term abortions in which all he said were clear and legal to do while they were all risky and near if not past the final date according to the law. A reasonable doctor would have gotten a second opinion on more then 19cases, and so the state's attorney general filed 19 charges of found ill-conduct acts [1].

The "Light Weight" Felonies layer isn't exactly as minor as the name would imply. Generally most cases that would fall on the 2^nd level are crimes without assault, the use of a weapon or Larceny. This may be an extreme example of Larceny, but on August 21^st, 2009 a Kansas citizen held a lottery scam. One victim in particular forwarded roughly $93,000 USD as "taxes" to collect her winning lottery pot of $1,500,000 USD to the perpetrator. He was found, arrested and jailed in the state of Missouri where the elderly lady he scammed ninety-three thousand from lives[2].

The 3^rd layer of the cake is "Heavy Duty" felonies. These are crimes done with strong intent and include a list of drug trafficking, arson, grand theft, battery, rap, murder and robbery. One prime example would be one of the largest pharmacy robberies Kansas has ever seen. Four men armed with assault rifles and handguns rushed and robbed a pharmacy on May 11,2008. In just a few short minutes, they bound a pharmaceutical workers and ran off with roughly 2,500 liquid doses and 45,000pills which included powerful painkillers, morphine meperidine and fentanyl. The four who took place in the robbery had been caught and another person involved as well was brought in. They were convicted on September 6^th, 2009 for their crimes [3].

The cake's top is called "Celebrated Cases." For all practical purposes, they do not trump "Heavy Duty" felonies in any sense. They however are more widely known and publicized often for a celebratity, large company, Supreme Court Justice review, or another oddity like attacking another individual with a jellyfish. Earlier this evening, a man pleaded guilty to soliciting sex from a minor. The man drove across stateliness into Kansas in response to a trap ad placed by Kansas Police. Once he paid the $60 USD to the "pimp and underage hooker" disguised cop, he was handcuffed and jailed [4].

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"The Department of Corrections, as part of the criminal justice system, contributes to the public safety and supports victims of crime by exercising safe and effective containment and supervision of inmates, by managing offenders in the community, and by actively encouraging and assisting offenders to become law-abiding citizens. [5]" - Kansas Department of Corrections, exhibiting a rehabilitation model

"The Kansas Supreme Court sits in Topeka in the Kansas Judicial Center and is the state court of last resort. It hears direct appeals from the district courts in the most serious criminal cases and appeals in any case in which a statute has been held unconstitutional. It may review cases decided by the Court of Appeals, and may transfer cases from that court to the Supreme Court. It also has original jurisdiction in several types of cases. [6]" - Kansas Judicial Branch, displaying the due process model

Interestingly, the Kansas Department of Public Safety does not have a website listed on either the Kansas Agency and Association Listing or a directory of department of public safety websites.

Federal statistics show us that the total justice system expenditures for 2006 in Kansas were $1,299,830. When you break that number down into the various systems that spent the money, $634,827 (48.8%) was spent on police protection, $288,607 (22.2%) was spent on judicial and legal, and $376,396 (29%) was spent on corrections.

The police protection system spends the most money due to several factors. First of all, there are extensive training programs to become police officers and sergeants. Field training, academy classes, and maintaining the institutions, these take up a lot of time and money. Some other examples are police vehicles and maintaining them, ammunition and guns, uniforms, etc. Another big issue is that the police department tends to be the first step in the justice system. They make the arrests and hold people in jail and it is important to have the technology and facilities to carry out these actions. The size and population of the town or city will also greatly affect spending. Some examples are how many officers they have and their salaries, how many police stations or vehicles are needed to cover the entire city, and crime rates.

[1] Winter, MW (2007, June 28). Kansas abortion doctor charged with 19 misdemeanors. Retrieved September 7, 2009, from USA Today's Website http://blogs.usatoday.com/ondeadline/2007/06/kansas-abortion.html?csp=34

[2] The Associated Press, AP (2009, August 21). Kansas man held without bail in lottery scam. Retrieved September 7, 2009, from The Kansas City Star's Website http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1396961.html

[3] Rizzo, TR (2009, September 06). To date, five convictions and sentences in big KC pharmacy robbery. Retrieved September 7, 2009, from The Kansas City Star's Website http://www.kansascity.com/115/story/1428487.html

[4] Rizzo, TR (2009, September 08). Olathe man admits seeking sex with a minor girl. Retrieved September 7, 2009, from The Kansas City Star's Website http://www.kansascity.com/news/breaking_news/story/1432652.html

[5] Kansas Department of Corrections. Retrieved September 8, 2009, from Kansas Department of Corrections Website: http://www.doc.ks.gov/

[6] Kansas Judicial Branch. Retrieved September 8, 2009, from Kansas Judicial Branch Website: http://www.kscourts.org/kansas-courts/supreme-court/default.asp

Not in Kansas Anymore...

Not in Kansas Anymore is a group of several students from UNLV blogging about criminal justice for CRJ104. The blog will focus on various aspects of criminal justice, specifically from the state of Kansas. Check back for future updates!