Solving Residential Burglaries in the United States: The Impact of Forensic Evidence on Case Outcomes

Abstract

Despite recent developments and the growth of forensic science services in the United States, little published research exists on the impact of forensic evidence on criminal case outcomes. The present study focused on the influence of forensic evidence on the case processing of residential burglary incidents in the United States. The study utilised a prospective analysis of official record data that followed cases in five jurisdictions from the time of police incident report to final criminal disposition. The study results showed that most residential burglaries went unsolved. Only 8.2 per cent of the 1,263 burglary incidents resulted in arrest and only 3.2 per cent of all incidents had a conviction. Cases were more likely to have arrests and referrals to the district attorney when witnesses and victims provided information to the police and forensic evidence was collected at crime scenes. The only significant predictor of case charges was witness reports. Forensic evidence variables did not influence case charges or convictions significantly. The study results suggest that forensic evidence was auxiliary and non-determinative for residential burglary incidents. Research for this article was supported through National Institute of Justice (NIJ) research grant # 2006-DN-BX-0094. Points of view expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the NIJ.