POLICE PRODUCTIVITY AND CRIME RATES: 1973-1992*

According to the Uniform Crime Reports, violent crime rates increased dramatically over the past two decades. National Crime Victimization Survey data, on the other hand, indicate that the rates of violent crime remained relatively stable or dropped during this period. Which series provides a “correct” estimate of crime-rate trends is of more than academic interest. Highly publicized statistics on crime trends influence the public's concerns about crime and the decisions of policymakers both directly through their own perceptions of crime trends and indirectly through demands by the general public to control crime. This article compares these two major series on trends in violent crime rates in the United States for the period 1973–1992, with the goal of assessing the extent to which they measure the same underlying phenomenon: fluctuations in violent crime rates. The series are related (but not strongly). My conclusion, with some reservation, is that changes in law enforcement agencies rather than changes in the rates of violent crime incidents have created the upward trend in UCR violent crime rates during the past two decades.     

The Political Organization of Soviet Society: Principal Emphases in Scholarly Research (A Survey of the Literature of 1973-75)

The decisions of the Party orient all the social sciences, including the legal disciplines, to deeper and more diverse investigation of various spheres of the sociopolitical life of Soviet society and to study of the most recent tendencies and phenomena in the work of various sociopolitical institutions. An important place in this regard is occupied by the treatment of questions pertaining to the political organization of Soviet society. Considerable attention has been paid in our literature and in that of the socialist countries to study of this subject, particularly in recent years. This is shown, in part, by the appearance of a number of specialized books treating various aspects of the political organization of Soviet society and also by a large number of articles. (1)     

Alcohol in a series of medico-legally autopsied deaths in northern Norway 1973-1992

It is well established that use of alcohol increases the risk of fatal injuries. The presence of blood alcohol in autopsied deaths is regularly encountered in medico-legal practices. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and concentration of alcohol in 1539 medico-legal autopsies in two counties in northern Norway in the period 1973-1992, and the reporting of acute alcohol influence among these deaths to the official cause-of-death statistics. Blood alcohol concentration (BAC) >/=0.5 per thousand (50 mg/100 ml) was found in 47.6% (n=456) of violent deaths tested, and in 93% (n=426) of these the BAC was >/=1.0 per thousand. In 17.4% (n=55) of tested natural deaths the BAC was >/=0.5 per thousand. Acute alcohol-influenced violent deaths were under-reported to the cause-of-death statistics. Deaths by motor vehicle traffic accidents did not differ from other violent deaths in this respect. The under-reporting among violent deaths was 41% in cases with BAC >/=0. 5 per thousand and 37% where the BAC was >/=1.0 per thousand during the whole period. It is concluded that post-mortem BAC >/=0.5 per thousand, should be regarded as a possible contributory cause in all violent deaths, and reported accordingly.     

Jock Young (1942-2013)

More than any other criminologist of his generation, Jock Young shaped the nature and direction of the discipline and has been at the forefront of almost every major development in the sociology of crime and deviance over the past four decades. Revered and respected for his scholarly activities, he will also be remembered for his charisma, humour and famously warm and relaxed manner that inspired all those who knew and worked with him.     

Identification of 1-butyl-3-(1-(4-methyl)naphthoyl)indole in a herbal mixture

Besides the cannabinoid mimetic JWH-073, a novel 4 methylnaphthoyl homologue of JWH-073 was detected in a herbal mixture. The structure of the compound was elucidated after thin layer chromatographic enrichment from the herbal mixture by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and gas chromatographic mass spectrometric (GC-MS) analysis. The paper outlines data after GC-MS, liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and NMR spectroscopy, and describes the structure elucidation.     

Katharine Bement Davis (1860-1935)

Abstract

Katharine Bement Davis is a significant figure in American criminology, homosexuality studies, penology, and several social movements, including women's suffrage, African Americans' civil rights, and the social settlement. Although Davis was a widely recognized criminologist for almost three decades, her life and career are acknowledged rarely in the annals of the profession. To address this serious omission in the history of criminology, I introduce her biography, analyze her theory and practice, and locate her in a historical context of powerful women who changed American life and politics.     

固相微萃取技术的进展

衍生化顶空固相微萃取是将样品衍生化和顶空固相微萃取结合,使顶空固相微萃取技术扩展到难挥发性样品分析中。作者就衍生化顶空固相微萃取的发展历史、衍生化反应类型,以及在生物基质、水基质内痕量物质检测研究中的应用进行了综述。