MEASUREMENT ERROR IN CALLS-FOR-SERVICE AS AN INDICATOR OF CRIME*

Several recent studies have used records of calls-for-service (CFS) to police 911 centers to measure crime at the address, neighborhood, and city level. This article examines the limitations of this “new” indicator of crime. After pointing out several types of error in dispatch records, we use data from an observational study of policing in 60 neighborhoods to examine empirically how these errors might bias CFS-based crime counts and discuss the consequences of such bias. We conclude with suggestions for future research on the validity of CFS as an indicator of crime.     

NARCOTICS USE AND CRIME: A MULTISAMPLE,MULTIMETHOD ANALYSIS*

Various addict behaviors that are relevant to the narcotics-crime relationship are examined throughout the course of the addiction career. Anglo and Chicano methadone patients are studied and several methodological approaches are utilized. The data are representative of numerous critical periods within the addiction career as well as periods immediately preceding and subsequent to it. The results from the various methodological analyses converge to indicate that while involvement in property crime activities generally precedes the addiction career, after addiction occurs the highly elevated property crime levels demonstrated by addicts appear to be regulated by similarly high narcotics use levels. During periods of curtailed narcotics use produced by treatment, property crime levels are significantly reduced and become extremely low after termination of the addiction career. The findings are compared with results previously reported and new results are presented. Theoretical consideration of circumstances that significantly moderate the narcotics-crime relationship, such as geographic and sociodemographic differences, drug trafficking, and other behaviors, are discussed.