Review of When Crime Waves.

Abstract

VINCENT F. SACCO When Crime Waves Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005, 224 pages (ISBN 0-7619-2783-2, US$32.95 Paperback) Reviewed by J. STEPHEN WORMITH Vincent Sacco has written an intriguing little book on the complex phenomenon called Overlaying his criminological perspective with a social constructionist methodology, he reveals the complexity of what might appear to be a straightforward concept. Relying primarily on case studies and historical accounts, he paints a fascinating picture of crime waves as they are constructed and perceived by society. From Salem to satanic cults, from the Black Hand to the Mafioso, he delves into the etiology of numerous crime waves, primarily in 20th century America. For Sacco, the term wave, as suggested in the pun found in the book's title, applies when the commonly held, subjective impression is that the amount of crime is changing. Depending on the breadth of these impressions, crime waves can occur at the local, national, or international level and, depending on their focus, they can pertain to crime generally or to specific types of crime, such as juvenile crime, hate crime, and white collar crime. The fundamental point is that what society perceives as a crime wave may or may not correspond to actual changes in the amount of crime or even to the population-adjusted crime rate. Instead, a complex set of factors contribute to our individual and collective perception about the prevalence of crime. The list of contributors to such a perception includes criminal justice agencies, policy-makers, politicians, individuals and groups in panic, media, and academics. Moreover, our social and political response to these perceptions may inadvertently contribute to changes in the amount of crime actually being perpetrated. The book begins with a description of the social constructionist approach and how it applies to the concept of crime waves. A second chapter provides primarily sociological explanations as to why crime rates may change. These include demographic changes, such as age, and the social processes of social dislocation, diffusion, and innovation. A third chapter completes the stage by describing commonly used ways or portraying and distorting crime statistics, such as the use of the so-called time clock and the use or percentage changes for infrequent crimes, such as murders in a small community. Three chapters are devoted to the contributions of the media, rumour, and fear to crime waves. Coupled with the ways by which crime is reported (particularly by the media), these factors form the heart of Sacco's social construction of crime waves. Underlying the construction of a crime wave are the interests of those who are doing the constructing and, not coincidentally, are most likely to benefit from a new crime wave. The prime suspects include the police, who lobby for more resources, the politicians, who want to be seen as having their constituents' best interest in mind, and the media, who are constantly scanning the news for a novel angle to attract readers and viewers. But Sacco goes further. We, as individuals, contribute to the creation of a crime wave through our own fears and behaviour. This is demonstrated by a review of popular rumours and urban legends. In reading Sacco's examples of the social construction of crime waves, one is reminded of Gladwell's (2000) popular publication, The Tipping Point, in which he describes, more generally, how, under the right conditions, a single event may be transformed into a social phenomenon. …