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                            Library & Multimedia
 Quality-of-Life Policing, Net Widening, and Crime Specialization
NCJ Number
              196674

Author(s)
          Andrew Golub;
                        Bruce D. Johnson;
                        Angela Taylor;
                        John Eterno
Date Published

May 2002
Length
              29 pages
Annotation
              This study examined whether the New York City Police's (NYPD's) policy of arresting persons for minor offenses (quality-of-life offenses) drew people into the criminal justice system who would not otherwise have become involved ("net-widening") and/or increased minority representation among arrestees.
Abstract
              Under a policy of getting tough on crime initiated in the 1990's, the NYPD instituted a policy of arresting persons for minor crimes such as fare-beating, smoking marijuana in public, graffiti, sleeping on public benches, etc. Clearly, this quality-of-life (QOL) policing increased the total number of arrests because of the expansion of the range of behaviors for which arrests were made. It is less obvious, however, whether QOL policing resulted in a wider variety of persons sustaining arrests, i.e., persons who would have otherwise been unlikely to be sanctioned. To explore this issue, 195 QOL arrestees and 265 persons arrested for serious offenses were compared on demographic characteristics, official State criminal histories, self-reports of involvement with various QOL behaviors, and recent drug use as detected by urinalysis. The study found that the two groups of arrestees had similar prior arrest records, participation in QOL offenses, and demographic composition. Blacks and Hispanics comprised close to 90 percent of both arrestee populations. These findings suggest that QOL policing as practiced by the NYPD in 1999 did not widen the net for arrest, nor did it increase minority representation among arrestees. 6 tables and 37 references
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2000-IJ-CX-0041
                                98-IJ-CX-K012
                                2000-7353-NY-IJ
                                5 T32DA07233-13


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Report (Study/Research)
                                Legislation/Policy Analysis
    
  
  
Date Published: May 1, 2002
    
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Related Datasets
        
                      http://dx.doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR03604
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      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Community policing
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