TY - JOUR
T1 - Why homicide clearance rates decrease
T2 - Evidence from the Caribbean
AU - Maguire, Edward
AU - King, William R.
AU - Johnson, Devon
AU - Katz, Charles
N1 - Funding Information:
Funding for this research was provided by the Ministry of National Security of Trinidad and Tobago. Portions of this research were approved by the Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB) at Bowling Green State University under Project # H09P242EE5; other portions were deemed exempt from review by the HSRB. The points of view expressed in this paper are those of the authors alone and do not represent the official policies or positions of the Ministry of National Security or the Trinidad and Tobago Police Service.
PY - 2010/12
Y1 - 2010/12
N2 - Police agencies and researchers have devoted significant attention to under-standing and improving homicide clearance rates, which often serve as an overall barometer of police performance. Using quantitative and qualitative data, this study examines the factors that contributed to a rapid decline in homicide clearances in the developing island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. A variety of explanations are explored, including characteristics of homicide incidents, the communities where they occur, and the agencies that process these cases. The findings indicate that substantial changes in the nature of homicides, combined with insufficient organisational capacity within the criminal justice system to detect and respond to these changes, explain the declining homicide clearance rate. Theoretical explanations for homicide clearances must represent a blend of insights from criminology and organisational science to account for both the offence itself, as well as how it is processed by the police and other agencies.
AB - Police agencies and researchers have devoted significant attention to under-standing and improving homicide clearance rates, which often serve as an overall barometer of police performance. Using quantitative and qualitative data, this study examines the factors that contributed to a rapid decline in homicide clearances in the developing island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. A variety of explanations are explored, including characteristics of homicide incidents, the communities where they occur, and the agencies that process these cases. The findings indicate that substantial changes in the nature of homicides, combined with insufficient organisational capacity within the criminal justice system to detect and respond to these changes, explain the declining homicide clearance rate. Theoretical explanations for homicide clearances must represent a blend of insights from criminology and organisational science to account for both the offence itself, as well as how it is processed by the police and other agencies.
KW - Caribbean criminology
KW - Clearance rate
KW - Homicide
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=78650263229&partnerID=8YFLogxK
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U2 - 10.1080/10439463.2010.507869
DO - 10.1080/10439463.2010.507869
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78650263229
SN - 1043-9463
VL - 20
SP - 373
EP - 400
JO - Policing and Society
JF - Policing and Society
IS - 4
ER -