OBSERVATIONS ON CRIME REPORTING IN A DEVELOPING NATION*

The literature from developed countries hypothesizes that crime-reporting practices vary by levels of incident-specific, victim-specific, and environment-specific correlates. To date these correlates have not been used to investigate crime-reporting behavior in developing countries, nor have they been explored simultaneously. This research attempts to fill this void by analyzing data from a household victimization survey conducted in Belize, Central America. A crime-reporting model based on research findings from developed nations, especially the United States, is tested. Bivariate findings are presented and a multivariate logistic model is estimated, Contrary to prediction, the findings from the Belize sample are generally similar to those reported in developed nations. As in developed nations, incident-specific correlates play a significant role, individual-specific correlates pray a minor role, and environment-specific correlates play no role in inducing citizens to report a crime to the police. The findings indicate that factors that affect reporting in Belize seem not to be conditioned by the particularistic social structure of policing in that nation.     

The Deterrent Effects of Automobile Insurance and Tort Law: A Survey of the Empirical Literature

One of the central issues in the debate concerning no-fault insurance is the question of whether tort damages can deter accidents. Although a large, scientific literature exists which could cast light on this question, the participants in the debate have made little reference to that literature. In an attempt to rectify this omission, the following paper surveys a large segment of the statistical results, and comments on the implications which those results have for the no- fault debate.     

CRIME AS AN OCCUPATION

Students of crime have traditionally stressed the uniqueness of the criminal world and have developed special concepts in their attempt to explain the functioning of this “special” domain. In contrast, others in the field have asserted that the concepts used to investigate the coventional world can also be employed to provide insight into its criminal counterpart. This sentiment has been particularly evident among those who have utilized the concept of “occupation” to analyze criminal behavior. Building on the “crime as work” perspective, this research illustrates that, similar to conventional occupations, criminal work is stratified by prestige and stereotyped by sex. Further, the data suggest that Davis and Moore's (1945) functional theory may be a useful explanation not only of the stratification of conventional work but of criminal occupations as well.     

No Blues in Beijing

Foreign acts are coming to play - and stay - onChina's vibrant music scene. THERE was a time whenWestern music in Beijingwas provided by a hardcore of Filipino coverbands and the odd part-time collective of embassy staff andforeign journalists. Today, however,foreign acts are coming to Beijing toplay - and stay. Many hotels in the citycontinue to hire Filipino groups butacts have increasingly been comingfrom more diverse places. Trained atone of Bulgaria's most prestigiousuniversities, Ir…     

MANAGING THE DIARY: WHAT DOES A POLICE COMMISSIONER DO?

What do we know about the work of a Police Commissioner? Using the example of Australia, this article provides a perspective of the working environment within which a Police Commissioner operates. The emphasis is on the Commissioner’s office and how that office manages a constantly changing diary in an unpredictable and uncertain environment both internally and externally. Through an analysis of a workplace diary spanning five years, interviews and non‐participation observation notes, the article reflects on the working life of an Australian Police Commissioner. It demonstrates that this Police Commissioner divides her time between management duties and representing the Office of Commissioner in the wider community. It also highlights the importance of external leadership and the importance of working with communities and connecting with external constituencies. The article shows that qualitative analysis in the form of interviews and non‐participant observation can provide a stronger interpretation and understanding of quantitative data.     

DETERRENCE AND DETERRABILITY*

The first forays into Western criminological theory came in the language of deterrence (Beccaria, 1963 [1764]). The paradigm itself is simple and straightforward, offering an explanation for crime that doubles as a solution (Pratt et al., 2006). Crime occurs when the expected rewards outweigh the anticipated risks, so increasing the risks, at least theoretically, will prevent most crimes in most circumstances. If deterrence describes the perceptual process by which would-be offenders calculate risks and rewards prior to offending, then deterrability refers to the offender's capacity and/or willingness to perform this calculation. The distinction between deterrence and deterrability is critical to understanding criminality from a utilitarian perspective. However, by attempting to answer “big picture” questions about the likelihood of offending relative to sanction threats, precious little scholarship has attended to the situated meaning of deterrability. This article draws attention to this lacuna in hopes of sensitizing criminology to an area of inquiry that, at present, remains only loosely developed.