Violent crime

Alec Jeffryes, an English geneticist, discovered in the 1980s how to apply this principle to forensics. To do this, it is necessary to locate that portion of the DNA molecule in which the base sequence differs significantly from one individual to another. That part of the molecule is cut out by a "restrictive enzyme" in much the same way that trypsin splits a protein molecule into fragments. The DNA sample obtained in this way from a suspect can be compared with that derived from blood, hair, semen, saliva, and so on, found at the scene of a violent crime. 

A DNA fingerprint can be used for many purposes other than solving violent crimes. In particular, it can serve to identify deceased individuals. In June of 1998 the "Vietnam Unknown" buried in the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery was identified by DNA technology. He was shown to be First Lieutenant Michael Blassie, shot down over Vietnam in May of 1972. DNA samples taken from his mother matched those obtained from his body. A month later Blassie, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, was reburied in a national cemetery located in that city. 

The potential link between PCP use and violent crime is reflected in the legal debate regarding the defense of diminished capacity for crimes committed by persons intoxicated with PCP (Baxley 1980). It is argued that persons who have committed violent crimes under the influence of PCP are not legally responsible for their acts because they have an inability to have criminal intent. One reviewer concluded ... 

Forst, B. and Wish, E. Drug use and crime Providing a missing link. In Feinberg, K.R., ed. Violent. Crime in America Washington, D.C. National Policy Exchange, 1983. pp. 84-95. 

Miller, T., Cohen, M. and Rossman, S., Victim costs of violent crime and resulting injuries. Health Aff Millwood 12(4), 186-197, 1993. 

There is also evidence from a large number of studies that homicide and violent crime are substantially more common in less egalitarian countries. (A meta analysis carried out by Hsieh and Pugh showing violent crime and homicide rates related to income inequality covers 34 studies (Hsieh and Pugh, 1993).) All of this evidence strongly suggests that as social status differences in a society increase, the quality of social relations deteriorates. The countries studied included the US, UK, Italy, and Japan, plus a number in Eastern Europe. 

Hseih, C. C. and Pugh, M. D. (1993), Poverty, income inequality, and violent crime a meta-analysis of recent aggregate data studies , Criminal Justice Review, 18, 182-202. 

Leap into the Air (196). Wells continues In the year 1955 the suicide rate for the United States of America quadrupled any previous record. There was an enormous increase also in violent crime throughout the world. The thing had come upon an unprepared humanity it seemed as though human society was to be smashed by its own magnificent gains (196). This insight into the unexpectedly disastrous consequence of sudden scientific advances dominates most of the rest of the novel. 

The stress disorders, PTSD and acute stress disorder (ASD), occur in the after-math of exposure to traumatic events such as combat, violent crimes, natural... 

Fact 2 Violent crimes committed by juveniles have quadrupled since 1973. 

Sentence Children s Watch, a nonprofit dedicated to researching children s issues, claims that the number of violent crimes committed by juveniles has quadrupled since 1973—a fact that won t be overlooked by the government, since the group s annual report, The State of Our Children, is required reading for members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate. 

MADD s mission is to stop drunk driving, support the victims of this violent crime, and prevent underage drinking. ... 

Another big victory for gun control advocates came in 1994 with the passage of the Violent Crime Control Act, which banned the manufacture, sale, and import of a large variety of semiautomatic weapons such as the Uzi, Tec-9, and similar copycat weapons. The list of banned weapons was later expanded, but weapons manufactured or imported before the ban... 

Under federal law, silencers are treated in the same category as automatic weapons. Armor-piercing ammunition (popularly called cop-killer bullets) were banned in 1986, with an expanded definition of banned bullets in the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that includes bullets made of tungsten, beryllium, depleted uranium, and other exotic materials. Other accessories can also cause a weapon to be banned (see Assault Weapons above). 

The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 made further changes to the system. License holders are now photographed and fingerprinted and are required to comply with applicable state and local laws. Dealers must report any thefts of weapons within 48 hours and must immediately respond to the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Ttibacco, and Firearms requests for firearm traces. 

A number of laws regulate the importing of firearms. The Mutual Security Act of 1954 (P.L. No. 83-665) led to the establishment of import controls under the Office of Munitions Control of the Department of State. The Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (P.L. No. 90-351) together with the Gun Control Act of 1968 banned the import of Saturday night specials and restricted imports of automatic weapons. Further restrictions on semiautomatic assault weapons were added by the Omnibus Violent Crime Control and Prevention Act of 1994 (P.L. No. 103-322). 

Gun Control Act of 1968 U.S. v. Warin Gun Free School Zones Act U.S. v. Lopez Omnibus Violent Crime Control and Prevention Act of 1994 U.S. V. Fmerson... 

Worsnop, Richard L. Gun Control Will It Help Reduce Violent Crime in the U.S. CQ Researcher, vol. 4, June 10, 1994, pp. 507ff. Introduces the debate over gun control as it focuses on the assault weapons ban debated in Congress in 1994. The article also includes discussion of political, social, and criminological aspects, as well as sidebars on specific gun topics. 

Wintermute, Garen, et al. Ejfectiveness of Denial of Handgun Purchase by Violent Misdemeanants, Final Report. Sacramento University of California, Davis. Violence Prevention Research Program, available through Rockville, Md. National Institute of Justice, 2002. This report compares persons convicted of at least one violent misdemeanor who were denied purchase of a gun ftom a licensed dealer to similar persons who were able to purchase a gun prior to enactment of the California law. The study concludes that the successful purchasers are more likely to be arrested for new gun and/or violent crimes thus the law has a crime-reducing effect. 

Kovandzic, Tbmislav V., and Thomas B. Marvell. Right-to-Carry Concealed Handguns and Violent Crime Crime Control through Gun Decontrol Criminohg and Public Policy, vol. 2, July 2003, pp. 363-396. The authors were unahle to find a statistically significant correlation in 58 Florida counties from 1980 to 2000 between the number of concealed carry permits issued and a reduction in violent crime. 

The graph Violent Crime Trends, 1973-2002 provides a measure of trends in violent crime as a whole without regard to weapon (if any) used. In general there is a peak about 1980 and a similar peak about 1993. Since then crime rates have declined substantially, although recorded crimes and arrest rates may be leveling off. 

Arrests for violent crime — — Crimes recorded by the police... 

Note The serious violent crimes included are rape, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide. Because of changes made to the victimization survey, data prior to 1992 are adjusted to make them comparable to data collected under the redesigned methodology. Estimates for 1993 and beyond are based on collection year while earlier estimates are based on data year. 

Although gun crimes have a higher potential for serious injury or death than other types of violent crimes, the graph Violence by Type of Weapon, 1993-2001 shows that violent crimes involving weapons (and firearms in particular) are a relatively small portion of violent crime as a whole. The rate of firearm violence also seems steadier, perhaps reflecting a relatively hard core of criminals who decide to regularly use guns. 

Source National Crime Victimization Sunrey, Weapons Use and Violent Crime," 1993-2001, p. 9, available online at URL http //www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/pub/pdf/wuvc01. pdf. 

AUTHORIZATION OE APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be appropriated for grants under paragraph (1), which may be appropriated from the Violent Crime Reduction Trust Eund established by section 1115 of title 31, United States Code, a total of 200,000,000 for fiscal year 1994 and all fiscal years thereafter. 

Children with histories of maltreatment are at higher risk for aggression, violent crimes, and j uvenile arrests (Commission for the Prevention of Youth Violence, 2000). 

A Finnish birth cohort study found that schizophrenic men were 3.6 times more likely to commit violent crimes than controls, and individuals with other types of psychoses were 7.7 times more likely to commit violent acts (Rasamem et al. 1998). 

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