Crime Control Digest - Vol.20 No.41 - 1985

Oct 13, 2026

Crime Control Digest (Vol.20 No.41) reports U.S. Justice Department Bureau of Justice Statistics findings on 1985, stating the National Crime Survey counted an estimated 700,000 fewer crimes than in 1984. The issue outlines declines in violent crime, robbery, personal theft, and household-related offenses, and describes the survey’s methodology and scale. Additional sections cover Mississippi deputy indictment, a national crime prevention conference, and Crime Stoppers programs described as rapidly growing crime control tools.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages11

Reading Time28 min

AccessFree to download

Crime Survey: BJS Says Number Dropped By 700,000 In 1985

Mississippi: DOJ Indicts Deputy

NCPI: Hosting Crime Prevention Conference

Crime Stoppers: Effective, NIJ Says

FBI: Held Liable In Plane Crash

SPI: Plans Internal Affairs Training

Crime ControlDigest VoL.20 No.41 For 1985... BJS NATIONAL SURVEY COUNTSABOUT 700,000 FEWER CRIMES The National Crime Survey counted an esti-mated 700,000 fewer crimes during 1985 thanduring 1984,the U.S.Justice Department'sBureau of Justice Statistics(BJS)announced onOct.8. The decline to an estimated 34.9millioncrimes continued a trend that has reduced vic-timizations to the lowest level in the 13-year his-tory of the survey—and about 16 percent belowthe 41.5 million estimated for the peak year of1981,said the Bureau.Since 1981 the number ofviolent crimes has dropped 12 percent,personalthefts 15 percent,and household crimes 18percent. During 1985 the robbery rate dropped 11 per-cent from the previous year,and the rate of per-sonal theft fell by three percent.The rates of mostother crimes—including all household crimes(burglary,household theft and motor vehicle theft)—were not measurably different between 1984and 1985.(Rates are defined as the number ofvictimizations per 1,000 persons who are at least12 years old or as the number per 1,000 house-holds.) The survey interviewed some 101,000 people12 years old or older in approximately 49,000homes last year,asking them about personal andproperty crimes they may have experienced. "The special contribution of the NationalCrime Survey is its ability to measure both crimereported to police and unreported crime,"com-mented Bureau Director Steven R.Schlesinger."The survey has consistently shown that almosttwo-thirds of all violent crimes are not reported” October 13,1986 IN THIS ISSUE CRIME SURVEY:BJS Says Number Dropped By 700,000 In 1985… ……1MISSISSIPPE:DOJ Indicts Deputy……… …2NCPI:Hosting Crime Prevention Conference ……2CRIME STOPPERS:Effective,NIJ Says… …2FBI:Held Liable In Plane Crash. …… 3SPI:Plans Internal Affairs Training… …4HOSTAGES:Proposal Would Allow Wiretaps… …4ALIENS:Apprehensions Increase… …4NIJ:Funds Study On Aliens… … ……5LETTER TO THE EDITOR… … …5REAGAN:Orders Drafting Of Test Plans… …5SEX ABUSE:Book A Good Resource……… …6SCHOOLS:Enforce Drug Peddling Law… …7NCJRS:Offers Accessions List…… ………7IN THE COURTS:The Supremes Return.…… …8PROCLAMATION:Week Focuses On Driving……10SUPERVISORS:Correspondence Course Available..10COMPUTERS:Michigan Hosting Conference………10 “FEEDING THE WHOLE BRAIN”SEMINAR A seminar on“The Care and Feeding of the WholeBrain for Police Managers”will be conducted by theSouthwesterm Law Enforcement Institute in Richard-son,Texas,on Dec.2.This program will provide infor-mation relating the rational process of decisionmakingwith whole brain synergyThe nature of the brain as aliving system is discussed and integrated with manage-ment decision choices.This program is a must for thosepolice managers interested in continuous individualmanagement development.If you are interested,con-tact:Donald T.Shanahan,Southwestern Law Enforcement Institute,P.O.Box 830707,Richardson,TX75083.Phone:214-690-2395. Page 2 CRIME CONTROL DIGEST The bulletin said that the 1985 victimizationrates for the following crimes had declined sincethe survey began in 1973 by the following percent-ages: Crime Percent Decrease Crimes of violence..………..8 Robbery.…………… ……25 Aggravated assault. …..18 Personal thefts .24 Burglary..………… …32 Household larceny.… …..9 Motor vehicle theft...… ..25 Simple assauit was the only crime that hadincreased(by eight percent)since 1973. Editor's Note:Single copies of the bulletin,Criminal Victimization in The United States,1985,(NCJ-102534),may be obtained from theNational Criminal Justice Reference Service,Box6000,Rockville,MD 20850.Phone:301-251-5500.The toll-free number is 800-732-3277.■ # MISSISSIPPI DEPUTY INDICTED The U.S.Department of Justice on Sept.24announced the indictment of the chief deputysheriff of Tippah County,Miss.,on a charge ofbeating a 75-year-old black man he arres

FAQs

What major change in crime numbers does the survey report for 1985?

The National Crime Survey estimated about 700,000 fewer crimes during 1985 than in 1984, continuing a longer-term decline.

How does the digest describe the survey’s value for understanding crime reporting?

It highlights the survey’s ability to measure both crimes reported to police and unreported crime, noting that many violent crimes are not reported.

What type of events and programs does the issue feature beyond survey results?

It includes items such as a Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design conference and Crime Stoppers programs that offer anonymous cash rewards for tips.

Oct 13, 2026

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