Related Crimes Research Articles

Oral fluid as a new investigative matrix for the determination of organic gunshot residue exposure

In recent years, increased use of ammunition without lead and heavy metals was observed, leading to a growing interest in the detection of organic gunshot residues (OGSR) as evidence of firearms related crimes. The wide range of compounds belonging to the OGSR class hinders their mass spectrometric detection as different ionization techniques may be needed to obtain good results for all compounds.The purpose of this work was the development of a reliable analytical method by means of UHPLC-HRMS for the determination in oral fluid (OF) of the most common explosives and the most used stabilizers, arising from fire discharge and post-deflagration residues.For this purpose, SPE was used for OF clean-up before UHPLC-HRMS analysis. All target analytes were chromatographically separated by means of a Polar-C18 column. A chlorinated compound was added to the mobile phases in order to promote the formation of chloride adduct ions in the electrospray ion source operating in polarity switching to allow the best conditions for each analyte. The detection was conducted by means of a high-resolution mass spectrometer equipped with Orbitrap technology working in data dependent acquisition mode, in order to detect both the precursor ions and/or the most intense fragments for stabilizers.To verify its potential, the method was tested on real samples: a shooting session was performed in an open shooting range; the shooters fired from 2 to 20 rounds with a 9x21 caliber, thereafter OF was sampled. Samples were analyzed confirming that explosives may be detected in OF; the use of this matrix may be of great interest for investigative purposes as it is less affected by secondary transfer when compared to other commonly sampled matrices. The developed method could be a useful tool for law enforcement authorities for the detection of explosives in forensic potential scenarios, including biological matrices.

Violent crimes and homicide in New York City: The role of weather and pollution

This paper studies the effect of weather and air pollution on violent crimes and homicide. We use all crimes committed in New York City between 2006 and 2020 and match each individual crime to the measures of the nearest weather, pollution station respectively. Our results show that neither weather nor pollutants have a contemporaneous effect of on homicide. In contrast, higher concentrations of carbon monoxide increase violent crimes in a U-shaped relation, that more rainfall linearly reduces violent crimes, and that sulphur dioxide has an inverted-U shaped relationship with violent crimes. Our results have implications for policing and environmental regulation.

The Application of Role-Based Framework in Preventing Internal Identity Theft Related Crimes: A Qualitative Case Study of UK Retail Companies

This paper aims to examine the challenges of preventing internal identity theft related crimes (IIDTRC) in the UK retail sector. Using an in-depth multiple case studies of a selected number of cross-functional management teams in the UK retail companies, management roles were analysed. We used semi-structured interview as a qualitative data collection technique and used Nvivo aided thematic analysis and interpretivism underpinned by Role-Based Framework (RBF) for analysis. Our findings revealed that vagueness of roles and lack of clarity in sharing data security responsibilities are the major challenges of preventing IIDTRC in UK retail companies. We suggest an application of RBF which provides a conceptual analysis for cross-functional management team to address the challenges of preventing IIDTRC. RBF enables clarity of shared roles where both information security and crimes prevention teams work in unison is required to prevent IIDTRC to maximise internal data security. Contributions for policymakers are offered in this paper.

K-웹툰을 위협하는 사이버범죄에 대한 대응방안

As K-webtoons receive worldwide attention, Korea's status is increasing, and the Korean webtoon industry is also developing. Along with that, however, cybercrime attacking K-webtoons is also on the rise. Until now, the issue of K-webtoon infringement has been dealt with only for copyright infringement. However, from now on, it should be dealt with in terms of economic crime and cybercrime. The problem is that Korean criminal justice has limitations in responding to cybercrime. This is because the current legal system was built on the basis of analog society. Therefore, in this paper, we examined the current status and type of cybercrime attacking K-webtoons, limitations of current laws, and countermeasures. As a result, the K-Webtoon industry should continuously monitor crime damage and calculate the scale of damage more accurately. The government should strengthen public relations and monitor related crimes. In particular, investigative agencies should strengthen international investigation cooperation and strengthen punishment by treating the crime as an organized crime. The legislature should come up with a law that can deal with the problem of illegal webtoon servers as economic crimes and introduce legal grounds to recover criminal profits. And measures should be legislated to allow investigative agencies to respond appropriately to cybercrime, such as online search.
 Korea stands tall as a mainstream of world culture. One of them is the K-Webtoon. However, cybercrime is threatening the K-Webtoon. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to respond appropriately to the cybercrime. Citizens should continue to pay attention to the threat posed by K-webtoons. In addition, countermeasures against cybercrime should be discussed in the public debate. This is not just a problem for K-Webtoon writers or their industries. The legislature, the government, and all the Korean people should solve it together.

Morphological Characteristics and Fear of Crime: A Case of Public Spaces in the Global North and South

The morphological characteristics of a city have a direct relationship with the human activities happening in the public spaces. If, however, the public spaces become unsafe, people may avoid them. On the other hand, safe public spaces allow free movement for everyone, which is the most basic human need and a crucial part of social sustainability. By focusing on the present-day realities that create the link between the implications for ownership and the provision of the public spaces, this research aims to understand the nature of the morphological characteristics of cities in the Global North and South and its impact on and association with fear of crime. Two case study streets in Stockholm, Sweden, and Karachi, Pakistan, are selected to establish a hypothesis. The study draws upon comprehensive data through a questionnaire survey and morphological analysis. The results suggest that the selected streets in the Global North and South show a similar morphological structure in terms of street layout, land use, plot patterns, and heights of the buildings but difference in pedestrian flows. In relation to the fear of crime, both streets show parks as risky places to visit at night. The results also show some differences in terms of people's responses to the fear of crime in relation to the city's morphology. For instance, people avoid vacant plots and petrol pumps in Karachi, while entrances to metro stations and hidden corners of buildings are considered risky places in Stockholm.

“Will the law not protect survivors who don’t weep”: Twitter as a platform of feminist deliberation and democracy in India

An analysis of 40,000 tweets that trended after the Tarun Tejpal acquittal in India showed that the nature of the debate around issues of molestation and rape exhibited attributes of deliberation and demonstrated that Twitter in India, in certain cases, has strong potential to emerge as a space for deliberative feminist activism. Discussions gave impetus to advocacy around sexual molestation. While the word “victim” was used in more instances rather than the human rights–based term “survivor,” Twitter debates were supportive toward survivors of assault. There was minimum trolling and patriarchy was called out as was a legal system that sided with the influential man of power. Although city-bred English-speaking voices dominated, conversations were intersectional in nature acknowledging how the horror of physical assault was perceived by different women belonging to disparate socio-economic strata and how legal systems exacerbated gender related crimes.

Research on the restriction of "new" pocket crime under the background of the Internet- from the Amendment of Criminal Law (IX)

With the release of the criminal law amendment (9), refusing to fulfill the obligation of network security crime and helping information network crime, as two important new charges, have improved the criminal law because the responsibility of "network service provider" was introduced for the first time in the field of criminal responsibility. However, in the implementation of relevant charges, due to its limitations in legislation and the similar problems in judicial practice, the scope of related crimes is improperly expanded forming the so-called "new pocket crime". Based on this situation and the legislation in Germany, combined with our own judicial practice, the systematization of related charges should be promoted in network service providers on the legislative level of special legislation. In the judicial level, specification of "knowing" standard and expanding the application of interpretation should be adopted. These two ways can realize the reduction of pocket crime and produce positive effect on the disadvantages of the rule of law construction in China. This paper proposes the method to solve the restriction of pocket crime from two aspects. At the legislative level there are three initiatives. Firstly, special legislation network service providers should be implemented. Secondly, the criminal law charges should be set systematically based on the typing of network service providers. Lastly, the criminal responsibility should be apportioned hierarchically based on the typing of network service providers. As for the judicial level, the identification standard of "knowing" should be clarified in judicial practice. In the process of applying the extended interpretation, it is important to adhere to the same kind of interpretation. In addition, the judicial authorities should organically combine the crackdown on crime with the development of the Internet in the process of cracking down on cybercrimes.

Türkiye’deki Orman Suçlarının Değerlendirilmesi

Özet
 Ülkemizin 22,9 milyon hektar olarak belirlenen orman varlığı birçok tehditler altında bulunmakta ve bu tehditlerin en önemli kaynağını insanlardır. Ormanlarda insan müdahaleleri sonucu oluşan zararların büyük bir bölümü kırsal kesimde yaşayan orman köylüsü tarafından yapılmaktadır. Orman suçları olarak adlandırılan bu fiiller ülkemizde halen görülmekte ve bir çevre sorunu olarak karşımızda durmaktadır. Orman suçu; orman varlığının geleceğini tehdit eden düzenli ve sürdürülebilirlik niteliğini ihlal eden, dolayısıyla bu milli serveti tehlikeye sokan bütün fiilller olarak mütalaa edilmiştir. İlk bakışta orman suçları, birçok kimse tarafından ağaçların kesilmesi ve ormanın açılması ile yakılması şeklinde anlaşılabilir ve buna bağlı olarak basit ve sayıca az görülebilir. Bu çalışmada, 1988-2019 yılları arasında Türkiye’de işlenen orman suçları; orman ağaçlarını kaçak kesme, orman ürünlerini kaçak nakletme, ormanda usulsüz alan açma, ormanda usülsüz alan işgal etme, orman alanlarını usülsüz kullanma, izinsiz otlatma gibi suç oluşturan konular bakımından irdelenmiştir. Ayrıca, suçlarla ilgili istatistiki bilgiler verilerek bu suçların sebepleri ve engellenmesi için yapılması gerekenler hakkında öneriler getirilmeye çalışılmıştır.

RETRACTED: Standards for ensuring the legality of covert activities in criminal proceedings through the prism of European Court of Human Rights

The subject of research is the implementation of covert activities in criminal proceedings through the prism of international acts, decisions of the European Court of Human Rights.The purpose of the work is to formulate common standards for ensuring the legality of implementing covert activities in criminal process through the prism of legal positions of the European Court Of Human Rights.The methodological basis or research isthe totality of general and special scientific methods of scientific cognition. The formal-legal (legal-technical) method was used to study the rules of law, to analyze the features of legal technique; and the hermeneutical method revealed the legal content of the norms, legislative proposals and defects in legal regulation. The statistical method helped to generalize judicial practice of ECHR. While building up the system of the standards for the ensuring the legality of implementing covert activities in criminal process we used the system-structural method.The main results and conclusions. The analysis of the legal positions of the ECHR made it possible to conditionally single out the following standards for ensuring the legality of the implementation of covert activity in criminal proceedings:– predictability. Its essence lies in the fact that the grounds, procedural order, conditions, timing, the circle of persons and crimes in relation to which it is allowed to carry out covert activities should be as detailed, clear and accurate as possible in the criminal procedural legislation. Moreover, any person had the opportunity to familiarize himself with the relevant regulatory prescriptions and foresee the actions that can be carried out in relation to him;– warranty against abuse. The content of this standard can be disclosed by more detailed highlighting of clarifying provisions ("substandards"). These include: control of interference in human rights and freedoms; the certainty of the circle of persons in relation to whom it is possible to carry out secret activities; limited corpus delicti, for the purpose of investigation or prevention of which covert activity is allowed; the existence in national legislation of procedures that facilitate the law of the implementation of covert activity in criminal proceedings; the temporary nature of the implementation of secret activities in the criminal process;– verifiability. The essence of this standard can be disclosed through the establishment of judicial control over the decision of the issue regarding the possible destruction of information obtained in the course of conducting covert activities, which is not relevant to criminal proceedings, as well as the requirement for the mandatory opening of decisions that were the basis for conducting covert investigative actions;– exclusivity. The main content of this standard is that covert activity in criminal proceedings can be carried out only in cases where the disclosure or prevention of a crime in another way is impossible or is too complicated;– proportionality of the intervention and its expediency. The essence of this standard is that the implementation of certain covert coercive actions that are associated with the restriction of human rights and freedoms must be proportionate to the goals for which such actions are directed. Moreover, these goals and the applied coercion must be necessary in a democratic society;– inadmissibility of tacit interference in the communication of some subjects. First of all, this requirement concerns the need to legislatively guarantee non-interference in communication between a lawyer and his client, a priest and an accused, etc., which means a ban on targeted control over the communication of certain subjects, as well as the obligation to destroy information obtained in the course of an accidental, situational interfering with their communication.

INFLUENCE OF SECURITY MANAGEMENT MECHANISM IN ADDRESSING EMERGING BODA-BODA SECURITY THREATS IN CHANGAMWE SUB-COUNTY, MOMBASA COUNTY, KENYA

This paper uses data collected for an MA Thesis on the influence of security management mechanism in addressing emerging Boda-Boda security threats in Changamwe Sub-County in Mombasa County, Kenya. The study has been necessitated by the conception that management of Boda-Boda security threats will significantly lower Annual crime patterns like terror attacks, kidnappings, robberies, target violent crimes among others. According to this study, the sector operated without proper regulation and or control. The study was guided by three specific objectives; to establish the types of emerging Boda-Boda security threats prevalent in Changamwe Sub-County, to examine perceptions of security personnel on emerging Boda-Boda security threats, and to establish security management mechanism adopted by security personnel in addressing Boda-Boda Security threats in Changamwe Sub-County in Mombasa County. This study was focused by crime pattern and Routine Activity Theory. The study comprised of 144 respondents. Stratified random sampling method and purposive sampling techniques were used to select respondents and descriptive statistics used in data analysis. According to the study, the main types of Boda-Boda related crimes prevalent in Changamwe Sub-County were robberies, thefts, kidnappings, murders and other forms of gun violence. One of the major perceptions of emerging security threat is that of motor bike related gang that has increased vulnerability of many businesses and targets due to their disguised surveillance on unsuspecting victims and targets. According to the study Boda-Boda related crimes are largely under regulated. As one of the major policy concerns, concerted efforts by the Government and the Private sector to come up with preventive social programmes such as economic empowerment and alcohol and drug control programmes that will potentially avert the identified pushing factors responsible for rampant Boda-Boda sector related crimes; Poverty and alcohol consumption and drug use. Social programmes may also come up with mechanisms of social justice to supplement government enforcement mechanisms. Finally, National Police Service should increase intelligence and surveillance of the sub-sector to identify crime patterns, trends and hot spots in order to cut this problem at the nib.

Spatial point pattern analysis of drug related crimes in October 2017 in Manila City

ABSTRACT Many studies and statistical reports presented by anti-drug agencies in the Philippines suggest that illicit drug use in the Philippines had been increasing substantially. This study aims to analyse the locations of drug-related incidents in Manila City in October 2017 through the analysis of spatial point patterns. The point pattern for drug-related crimes was then tested for spatial dependence with specific establishments in Manila City such as schools, churches, and police stations. Notable results presented in this paper are: (i) the imposition of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to handle all drug-related crimes had significantly decreased the number of reported drug crimes, (ii) drug-related crimes were clustered on residential areas, (iii) drug-related crimes were inclined to happen far from colleges and universities, and (iv) drug-related crimes happened more frequently near public high schools.

UNLAWFUL MEDICAL INTERRUPTION OF PREGNANCY IN THE SYSTEM OF CRIMES AGAINST LIFE AND HEALTH

In this article, the author aimed to analyse the question of the place of illegal abortion in the system of crimes against life and health. In order to achieve this goal, a layer of tasks was accomplished: consideration has been given to the present stage of the development of the legal regulation of illegal abortion and the doctrinal approaches available regarding the legal regulation of this procedure and its legal consequences, as well as the criminal law analysis of this offence. Separately, in order to achieve the above objectives of the study, the author highlights the aspects of proper qualification of illegal abortion, as well as the analysis of features (criteria) differentiating between illegal abortion procedure, murder and murder of a newborn baby by the mother. Ultimately, the author, using general scientific methods of research, as well as private scientific methods, among which are comparative-legal and system-structural methods, concludes that the problem of distinguishing related crimes against life and health is relevant, both for Russia and for other countries of the world. The correct location and proportion of illegal abortions, which may be differently labelled in other countries' legislation, is essential for the case-by-case management, correct sentencing and the prevention of similar crimes in the future.

ASSESSING THE PREPAREDNESS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENTS IN DEALING WITH WHITE-COLLAR CRIMES: A CASE OF NAIROBI CITY COUNTY, KENYA

Purpose: This study sought to assess the preparedness of Law Enforcement Officers in handling white-collar crimes within Nairobi City County. The research objectives were to establish the adequacy of current resources available to effectively manage white-collar crimes in Nairobi City County, to explore the competencies of the law enforcement agents in investigating white-collar crimes in Nairobi City County, to examine the challenges encountered by Law enforcement agents face in thwarting white-collar crimes within Nairobi City County and finally to establish the strategies for enhancing the capacity of law enforcement agents in handling white-collar crimes in Nairobi City County. Methodology: The target population was largely drawn from the Kenya police, Directorate of criminal investigations and the Kenya Anti-corruption commission with a sample size of 371 respondents drawn from the DCI and KPS. This study adopted quantitative and qualitative research methods. It used a descriptive survey design. Data was collected through questionnaires and interviews. The study was guided by the Rational Choice Theory. Quantitative data was analysed through the SPSS tool version 23. The reports from qualitative data were presented using descriptive statistics. This included frequencies, modes, means, variances and standard deviations. Qualitative data was first coded, patterns established themes and finally reported narratively. Results: The study revealed that there was a significant and strong relationship between the four variables and preparedness level to deal with white collar crime, however the enforcement agents in Nairobi County-Kenya were found to be generally ill prepared to fight white collar crime. The study revealed that corruption tendering and other acts of bribery; money laundering, embezzlement/misappropriation of public funds/resources as the most prevalent crimes. Cyber-hacking and other forms of internet fraud were also perceived to be problematic, yet security agents were inadequately prepared to deal with these kinds of crimes as they lacked resources and the relevant training to enable them to investigate, arrest, and prosecute the culprits. Unique Contribution to Theory, Policy and Practice: The study recommended that the government should allocate more funds and resources to enable law enforcement agents procure modern gadgets that track internet activities; the officers/forensic experts need to have proper training and be recruited from the smart people in society who are perceived to be supper intelligent for them to be smart in their investigations; there is also need to strengthen the existing and establish relevant laws (legal and institutional frameworks) aimed at combating corruption related and other economic crimes.

From Residential Neighborhood to Activity Space: The Effects of Educational Segregation on Crime and Their Moderation by Social Context

The segregation–crime relationship is a classic topic in sociology and crime geography, yet existing literature mainly focuses on the impact of racial segregation at the global scale. Little is known about the impact of local segregation of other socioeconomic characteristics such as education level, an important segregation factor for racially homogenous countries like China. Also unknown is their impact beyond the residential domain. Using the Baidu Map Location-Based Service population data set and court records in 863 local geographic units of the central urban area of Beijing during 2018 and 2019, this study uncovers the spatial pattern of segregation between people with and without a bachelor’s degree measured in the residential space and activity space and further investigates the influence of these two types of educational segregation and their interaction effects with social context on theft and violent crime. Results show less segregation in the activity space than in the residential space. Both types of segregation, however, significantly increase the risk of theft and violence, with activity space–based segregation more consequential. Moreover, the positive segregation–crime link is moderated by the local social context measured by the educational composition among residents and the ambient population. Compared with residential segregation, activity space–based segregation is more detrimental for places dominated by the less educated. Our results highlight the elevated influence of segregation on safety beyond the residential space, especially for areas clustered with the less educated ambient population.

COUNTERACTION TO FINANCIAL CRIMES IN THE SYSTEM OF FIGHT AGAINST LEGALIZATION (LAUNDERING) OF CRIMINALLY OBTAINED FUNDS

Abstract. Counteraction to financial crimes in the system of fight against legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained funds in the context of globalization and European integration is one of the priority directions of public policy in the financial sphere. Crisis phenomena of financial and economic, as well as socio-political nature, which are present in Ukraine, increase the risks of committing financial crimes and legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained funds as a result of illegal activities. The growing trends of increasing financial crime necessitate effective counteraction to destabilizing factors and the development of an effective mechanism to combat this destructive phenomenon. The article defines the essence of financial crimes and legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained funds, substantiates the relationship and interdependence of financial crime with the legalization (laundering) of criminal income. The economic and legal analysis of normative and legal support of counteraction to financial crime and legalization of economy is carried out. The research of the dynamics of the number of financial crimes committed in Ukraine, the amount of legalized (laundered) funds and property, as well as the amount of legalized (laundered) funds obtained as a result of tax evasion, is conducted. The peculiarities of assessing the risks of legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained funds, based on the use of risk-oriented approach, are analyzed, and the most significant risks of legalization (laundering) of illegal funds are identified. In order to improve and ensure effective counteraction to financial crimes in the system of fight against legalization (laundering) of criminally obtained funds, the main measures of counteraction to financial crime in Ukraine are proposed, the implementation of which requires strengthening economic, legal and administrative cooperation of economic agents. Keywords: financial crimes, financial system, legalization of funds, system of counteraction to funds laundering, predicate crimes, legal relations, law. JEL Classification H26, K42, O17 Formulas: 0; fig.: 6; tabl.: 0; bibl.: 21.

Teoretikalaspekts of the fundamentals of military law in the context of the stady of prevention and military crimes prevention

The article examines the concept * and criminological nature of Military crime as a social phenomen, examines the basics of military law, including from the perspective of the general system of prevention and prevention of military crimes. The causal relationship of military crimes, legal regulation in the field of military affairs, the possibility of applying a comprehensive legal approach to building a crime prevention system in the armed Forses of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been studied. The author pays attention to the basic construction of a system of crime prevention and offenses with synchronization of the activities of other support systems in field of defense and military servise. The practical implementation of the studied issues is considered in the context of building a system of prevention and prevention of the commission of military crimes, organization and legal support for the activities of the Armed Forces of the Republic of the Kazakhstan.

Qualification of crimes of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment

The study provides, giving a detailed legal definition of the criminal structure of crimes of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, comparative and legal analysis of national and foreign legislation on liability for torture and related crimes with the usage of international conventions, qualification of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. In addition, clear and detailed proposals have been put forward to improve the legislation, in particular the Criminal Code, through the study of international experience and norms of international law. A number of recommendations have been developed for a fundamental improvement in law enforcement practice, with an analytical and legal analysis of existing shortcomings in the legal system based on the results of data on cases of torture. With this topic it is clarified the composition of crimes related to torture and other illegal treatment or punishment. The subjective and objective sides of the crime and the basis of qualification, as well as its problems on qualifying the crime are clearly defined

Research on the Detection Countermeasures of Telecommunication Network Fraud Based on Big Data for Killing Pigs and Plates

This paper uses big data analysis to conduct in-depth analysis and research on the investigation countermeasures of the pig-killing dish telecommunication network fraud. This paper takes the case of “piggy bank” as a perspective, starting from analyzing the concept and characteristics of “piggy bank” type network fraud, analyzing the current phenomenon of this type of network fraud crime, and analyzing the current situation of the relevant laws, to explore the judicial situation regarding this type of network fraud crime, and to explore the problems and dilemmas in the judicial determination of such network fraud crimes, the determination of evidence, the determination of principal and accessory in joint crimes, the determination of crime amount, the determination of attempt and attempt form, and the determination of related crimes. Based on the analysis of the problems, the judicial determination process of “piggyback” network fraud is improved in terms of perfecting the evidence determination process, combining the facts of the whole case to determine the joint crime, accurately characterizing the associated criminal acts, regulating the judicial determination rules of the crime amount, and strictly applying the criteria of the circumstances of attempt and completion. This paper explores the forward shift of investigation work, anticipating telecommunication network fraud crimes in advance or the middle of the matter through active investigation, taking technical countermeasures, especially early warning and dissuasion to avoid the occurrence of telecommunication network fraud crimes, and reversing the unfavorable situation of passive investigation in the past. Finally, it focuses on the strategy and innovation points of the use of network investigation methods in telecom fraud crimes and proposes the investigation method of tracing the money chain and information chain along the line and cross-complementing the two lines at the same time according to the characteristics contained in telecom fraud crimes, relying on multiple groups such as public security, hackers, and network volunteers to jointly combat in a variety of network environments.

"They Did Not Have to Burn My Sister Alive": Causes and Distribution by State of Dowry Murders in India

Dowry, the money, goods, property, or gifts given by the bride’s family to the groom or his family at the time of marriage, is a common custom in South Asia. Although it is illegal to demand—or offer—a dowry in India, it is a nearly universal custom in many parts of the country. If, after marriage, a husband’s family feels that the wife’s dowry was insufficient, they may harass or inflict other forms of domestic violence on her to put pressure on her family to provide an additional dowry. At its most extreme, this violence may lead to the murder of the wife. An increase in dowry mur-ders, commonly by immolation, in the 1980s and 1990s was reflected in important studies of the phenomenon and changes to the law to prevent the crime. Although the number of dowry murders has grown in succeeding decades, there have been few recent studies; rarer still is research from an all-India perspective. In this paper, I examine trends in and causes of murder for dowry and the related crimes of domestic violence. Prominent theories are tested for their ability to explain the incidence of murder for dowry. Dowry murders are concentrated in north India. Because the marriage alliance systems of the north differ from those of the south, the impact of Indian kinship systems is explored. The multi-generation or ‘joint’ family—nearly universal in India—has been found by Umar to be a common factor in many cases of dowry murder he studied. By contrast, Oldenburg has argued that changes in land tenure during Brit-ish rule created individual property rights for men, leading to a preference for sons and the emergence of demands for dowry and, ultimately, dowry murder. Most case studies of dowry murder have been drawn from India’s larger cities; the impact of urbanisation is also studied. Economists have suggested structural factors, such as population growth, the economic value of women’s work, poverty, income inequality, and conspicuous consumption as possible causes driving domestic violence and murder for dowry. The institutional capacity of an Indian state to provide education, health, and enforcement of laws such as those prohibiting dowry is also examined. This study identifies five principal causes which explain nearly 80% of the variation in dowry murders at the level of individual Indian states: its prevailing kinship system, the prevalence of the joint family, the extent of women’s workforce participation, income inequality, and the institutional performance of a state.

Multi-layer data integration technique for combining heterogeneous crime data

Analysis of publicly available human and drug trafficking crime data faces the challenge of finding a comprehensive dataset that includes a sufficiently large number of crime incidents. Our proposed methodology attempts to address this challenge by using entity resolution techniques to merge multiple state-wide crime datasets and a county-wide incident report dataset to get a clearer picture of a category of criminal activity in a geographical area. This methodology combines incident reports, crime reports, and court records to close any gaps that may be present in a single data source. We apply this methodology to create a dataset that includes drug and human trafficking related crimes and incidents from three distinct sources (from Louisville Open Data Crime Reports, Federal Bureau of Investigation Kentucky Crime Incidents, and the Kentucky Online Offender Lookup website) to provide researchers data to study the link between drug and human trafficking related crimes. In a case study performed with the new merged dataset, an XGBoost classifier was able to label a 7-day sliding time window, within any given county, as containing a human trafficking related incident or not with a Matthews correlation coefficient of 0.86.