Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

The Effectiveness Of Using Homicide And Auto Theft Rates As Indicators Of Violent And Property Crime In The United States, Joseph Allan Schwartz

Theses Digitization Project

The primary goal of this study is to determine whether the use of homicide and motor vehicle theft rates can predict overall violent and property crime rates respectively. Recent studies indicate that homicide rates seem to act as a primary and reliable representation of other violent crime rates, while motor vehicle theft rates seem to act as a primary representation of other property crime rates. This research for the author's thesis indicates otherwise. Measures considered include the Uniform Crime Report, the National Crime Victimization Survey, and the National Incident-Based Reporting System.