Solving Property Crimes
Property crime offenders have high recidivism rates, their crime and violence can escalate, and property crime cases often go unsolved.[1] It has been estimated that each burglar in the top 10 percent of burglars commits more than 232 burglaries per year.[2] Several police departments in the United States are finding that they may be able to change these trends. When they analyze DNA from a burglary, they get evidence that often solves several other cases as well. And they are finding that biological evidence collected from property crime scenes can prevent future property crimes and more serious offenses.
Notes
[1] Langan, P.A., and D.J. Levin, Recidivism of Prisoners Released in 1994, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2002 (NCJ 193427): 1, 8; Crime in the United States 2002: 221, 223. Burglary had the lowest clearance rate of any Index crime. (Violent crimes are often more rigorously investigated, which explains why their clearance rate is higher than for property crimes.)
[2] Chaiken, J.M. and M.R. Chaiken, Varieties of Criminal Behavior, Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, 1982 (NCJ 87680): 44.
Content on this page was excerpted from the InShort DNA in "Minor" Crimes Yields Major Benefits in Public Safety, developed under an award from the Office of Justice Program's National Institute of Justice. See award product disclaimer.
