Clearance from a Victim’s Perspective: Patterns and Trends in National Clearance Rates from the National Crime Victimization Survey

• In Event: Understanding Patterns and Trends in Clearance of Lethal and Non-lethal Criminal Victimization

Abstract

Clearance rates are often used by law enforcement agencies and the public as a measure of police performance. In this study, we describe an alternate nationally representative data source for capturing non-lethal crime clearance rates from the perspective of crime victims. Using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), we assess the annual level and trend in victims’ reporting of whether offenders in their criminal victimization were recently arrested or charged. We provide a descriptive analysis of patterns and trends in these victim-reported clearance rates by various individual demographics and contextual characteristics of the victimization incident. Analyses focus on differences in levels and trend both within and across crime types from 1993 – 2022.

Authors

• Maribeth L. Rezey, Loyola University Chicago

• Paige E. Vaughn, Spring Hill College

• Lee Ann Slocum, University of Missouri-St. Louis