USA Today — Data from big cities suggests most violent crime fell last year. It’s not the full picture, experts say.

Crime is a “complicated social phenomenon” with many causes, said Jeffrey Butts, director of the Research and Evaluation Center at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City. “Easy answers are popular, but they are never accurate,” he said. Continue reading USA Today — Data from big cities suggests most violent crime fell last year. It’s not the full picture, experts say.

School Crime Has Declined Sharply since the 1990s

Butts, Jeffrey A. (2012). School Crime Has Declined Sharply since the 1990s. Research and Evaluation Data Bits [2012-04]. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. After any horrific act of school violence, many parents, students, and community officials fear that schools are becoming increasingly dangerous. Yet, the most severe forms of violence remain very rare in … Continue reading School Crime Has Declined Sharply since the 1990s

Recent Increases in Drug Arrests Were for Possession, Not Sales

Butts, Jeffrey A. (2012). Recent Increases in Drug Arrests Were for Possession, Not Sales. Research and Evaluation Data Bits [2012-02]. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. The number of drug-related arrests reported by U.S. law enforcement agencies increased sharply between 1980 and 2010, with the largest growth occurring between 1991 and 2006. During … Continue reading Recent Increases in Drug Arrests Were for Possession, Not Sales

As Serious Juvenile Crime Declined, Police Made More Arrests for Less Serious Offenses

Butts, Jeffrey A. (2012). As Serious Juvenile Crime Declined, Police Made More Arrests for Less Serious Offenses. Research and Evaluation Data Bits [2012-01]. New York, NY: Research and Evaluation Center, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York. Between 1995 and 2010, juvenile arrests overall dropped nearly 40 percent. The level of violent crime arrests in 2010 was half the level of … Continue reading As Serious Juvenile Crime Declined, Police Made More Arrests for Less Serious Offenses