Stitch and Sew: The Impact of Medical Resources Upon Criminally Induced Lethality

Abstract

One theoretical explanation for the consistently high Southern homicide rates is that the South constitutes a “regional culture of violence.” Although this perspective has not garnered much empirical support, sound theoretical alternatives have not emerged. The present study attempts to fill this gap by suggesting that emergency medical services are an overlooked intervening influence in the production of homicide and aggravated battery rates. Analysis of data from the 67 counties in Florida provides some support for the notion that the differential distribution of medical resources is partially responsible for variation in criminally induced lethality rates

The impact of agency context, policies, and practices on violence against police

“…Levels of felonious killings of officers have been attributed to some factors that represent agency context, such as region (Boylen & Little, 1990;Kaminski, Jefferis, & Chanhatasilpa, 2000), population characteristics (Chamlin, 1989;Kaminski, Jefferis, & Gu, 2003), economic disadvantage or disparity (Jacobs & Carmichael, 2002;Kaminski & Marvell, 2002;Lester, 1987;Peterson & Bailey, 1988), violent crime (Fridell & Pate, 1995;Jacobs & Carmichael, 2002;Kaminski et al, 2003), emergency medical services (Doerner & Speir, 1986), and to factors representing agency policy and practice, such as better tactics and safety-facilitating policies/procedures, and the use of soft body armor (Bristow, 1963;Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1992;Fyfe, 1987;Konstantin, 1984;Sherman, DeRiso, Gaines, Rogan, & Cohn, 1989). Kaminski (2002) drew upon routine activities theory to examine the factors that impact on levels of violence against police.…”

Murder and Medicine

“…The results were mixed. Using as independent variables countywide measures of structural poverty (Loftin & Hill, 1974) and medical resources, Doerner and Speir (1986) extended Doerner's 1983 study by looking at homicide in Florida's 67 counties from 1968 to 1972. As their main dependent variable, Doerner and Speir used a new variable they constructed called percent lethality, or simply the ratio of recorded homicide cases to the number of recorded homicide and aggravated assaults.…”

“…Although not explicitly concerned with describing or explaining national historical trends involving the aggravated assault/ homicide paradox, previous criminological research that examines the link between medical resources and homicide, particularly Doerner's work (1983Doerner's work ( , 1988Doerner & Speir, 1986), provides a critical building block in our analysis (see also Barlow & Barlow, 1988;Giacopassi, Sparger, & Stein, 1992;Long-Onnen & Cheatwood, 1992). Relying on this research, we think the best starting point in explaining the homicide paradox involves the observation of parallel, dramatic developments in medical technology and related support services, 2 developments that may have functionally, and equally dramatically, suppressed the homicide rate compared to what it would be had such progress not been made.…”

Do career criminals exist in rural America?

“…An enormous corpus of research employing diverse sources of data and analytical methods demonstrated that crime rates were dramatically lower in rural locations compared to urban and suburban areas. Moreover, phenomena such as violent crime, delinquent gangs, and fear of crime were appreciably lower in rural areas and among rural citizens (Bachman, 1992;Clinard, 1944;Doerner & Speir, 1986;Fagan, Piper, & Moore, 1986;Gibbons, 1972;Laub, 1981Laub, , 1983Miller, Hoiberg, & Ganey, 1982;Smith & Huff, 1982;Weisheit & Donnermeyer, 2000;Weisheit & Wells, 1999).…”