SOCC30H3 Chapter 1-3: Chapters 1-3 (Felson Notes)
Document Summary
Thus, murder is less a crime than it is an outcome: murder has two central features: a gun too near and a hospital too far. The mass of minor offenses: property crime victimizations far exceed violent victimizations, with the simplest thefts and burglaries most common, minor drugs far exceed major drugs, and occasional usage far exceeds regular usage. None of these drugs ever does nearly as much harm, in percentage terms, as simple alcohol: crime is usually not much of a story: someone drunks too much and gets in a fight. There is no inner conflict, thrilling car chase, or life-and-death struggle. He won"t give it back: the cops-and-courts fallacy, the cops-and-courts fallacy warns us against overrating the power of the criminal justice agencies. Police can reduce crime, but only if they concentrate police efforts very intelligently. Less than 1% of offenses end with the offender caught in the act by police on patrol.
