Federal Financial Assistance for Crime Control: Lessons of the Leaa Experience

Abstract

Crime is once again a major issue on the political agenda. At all levels of government, policymakers are grappling with the question of what government can and should do to stem the tide of lawlessness. It is not hard to understand this concern. Just a glance at the morning headlines or the evening news reveals the American preoccupation with crime and violence. Although the stories in the media are often sensationalized, the pervasive problems they symbolize are nonetheless real and urgent. Crime-particularly violent crime-is a grave threat to the safety of all Americans. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) measure the amount of crime actually reported to the police.' According to the UCR, crime increased by nine percent in 1980 and violent crime rose by eleven percent.2 On the average, violent crime (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) is rising at an annual rate of five percent. In 1971 there were 396 reported violent crimes per 100,000 people. By 1980 the rate was 581 violent crimes per 100,000 persons.4 Historically, a great deal of crime is never reported to the police.5 The other major source of crime data, the National Crime Survey (NCS), sponsored by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, therefore attempts