Correlates of City Crime Rates: Victimization Surveys versus Official Statistics

The effect of eight factors, thought to influence the incidence of crime, on indices based on Uniform Crime Reports and victim surveys, are examined. A comparison of the results reveals that different conclusions would be reached about the correlates of crime depending on the index used. Lacking evidence showing one measure as the more valid indicator of crime, we conclude that neither index is satisfactory for purposes of exploring the causes of crime.