Comparing Exceptionally Cleared Homicides to Open Homicide Cases: A Chicago Dataset Analysis

• In Event: Justice and Recovery Post-Homicide

Abstract

Due to the declining nature of clearance rates among homicide cases, police departments have been administratively clearing cases without making lawful arrests. This procedure is commonly referred to as an “exceptional clearance” and has usually been reserved for rare cases. However, over time the definition has expanded to incorporate more types of cases, including barred from prosecution cases, cases in which prosecutors have decided against authorizing arrests and, for whatever reason(s), police departments have decided to clear them exceptionally under the bar from prosecution classification. Using homicide data from Chicago, this study compares the cases that have been barred from prosecution to the uncleared cases that have remained opened. As such, this study reveals the differences between cases that have been cleared without a lawful arrest to those that have remained open for investigative purposes. The findings reveal that victim characteristics, geographical location and type of weapons used are influential variables in police decisions to bar a case or keep it open for investigative purposes.

Author

• John George Boulahanis, Southeastern Louisiana University