Trends and Sources of Crime Guns in California: 2010-2021

Firearm-related interpersonal violence is a leading cause of death and injury in cities across the United States, and understanding the movement of firearms from on-the-books sales to criminal end-user is critical to the formulation of gun violence prevention policy. In this study, we assemble a unique dataset that combines records for over 380,000 crime guns recovered by law enforcement in California (2010-2021), and more than 126,000 guns reported stolen, linked to in-state legal handgun transactions (1996-2021), to describe local and statewide crime gun trends and investigate several potentially important sources of guns to criminals, including privately manufactured firearms (PMFs), theft, and "dirty" dealers. We document a dramatic increase over the decade in firearms recovered shortly after purchase (7% were recovered within a year in 2010, up to 33% in 2021). This corresponds with a substantial rise in handgun purchasing over the decade, suggesting some fraction of newly and legally acquired firearms are likely diverted from the legal market for criminal use. We document the rapid growth of PMFs over the past 2-3 years and find theft plays some, though possibly diminishing, role as a crime gun source. Finally, we find evidence that some retailers contribute disproportionately to the supply of crime guns, though there appear to be fewer problematic dealers now than there were a decade ago. Overall, our study points to temporal shifts in the dynamics of criminal firearms commerce as well as significant city variation in the channels by which criminals acquire crime guns.

Analyzing the relationship between air pollution and various types of crime

Air pollution has a severe impact on human physical and mental health. When the air quality is poor enough to cause respiratory irritation, people tend to stay home and avoid any outdoor activities. In addition, air pollution may cause mental health problems (depression and anxiety) which were associated with high crime risk. Therefore, in this study, it is hypothesized that increasing air pollution level is associated with higher indoor crime rates, but negatively associated with outdoor crime rates because it restricts people's daily outdoor activities. Three types of crimes were used for this analysis: robbery (outdoor crime), domestic violence (indoor crime), and fraud (cybercrime). The results revealed that the geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) model performed best with lower AIC values. In general, in the higher population areas with more severe air pollution, local authorities should allocate more resources, extra police officers, or more training programs to help them prevent domestic violence, rather than focusing on robbery.

Impact of a crime prevention ordinance for small retail establishments

BACKGROUND

Ordinances requiring the implementation of robbery prevention measures have been enacted at the city level in many jurisdictions. We evaluated the impact of an ordinance requiring crime prevention measures on subsequent crime rates.

METHODS

Crime reports for robbery and aggravated assault from January 2006 through December 2015 were linked to randomly-selected convenience stores and small retail grocers in Houston (n = 293). Store characteristics and compliance with a list of safety measures were collected by surveyors in 2011. Generalized linear mixed models were used to compare rates of crime before and after the implementation of the ordinance.

RESULTS

Robberies decreased significantly after the ordinance went into effect (rate ratio = 0.38; 95% confidence interval 0.29-0.51). No individual safety measure was associated with decreased robbery rates. No similar decrease was observed for aggravated assault.

CONCLUSIONS

City ordinances mandating crime prevention measures can be effective. We could not parse out the effectiveness of individual elements, suggesting a comprehensive approach may be more effective.

Diversion of Controlled Drugs in Hospitals: A Scoping Review of Contributors and Safeguards

Drug losses and theft from the healthcare system are accelerating; hospitals are pressured to implement safeguards to prevent drug diversion. Thus far, no reviews summarize all known risks and potential safeguards for hospital diversion. Past incidents of hospital drug diversion have impacted patient and staff safety, increased hospital costs, and resulted in infectious disease outbreaks. We searched MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and Web of Science databases and the gray literature for articles published between January 2005 and June 2018. Articles were included if they focused on hospital settings and discussed either: (1) drug security or accounting practices (any drug) or (2) medication errors, healthcare worker substance use disorder, or incident reports (only with reference to controlled drugs). We included 312 articles and extracted four categories of data: (1) article characteristics (eg, author location), (2) article focus (eg, clinical areas discussed), (3) contributors to diversion (eg, factors enabling drug theft), and (4) diversion safeguards. Literature reveals a large number of contributors to drug diversion in all stages of the medication-use process. All health professions and clinical units are at risk. This review provides insights into known methods of diversion and the safeguards hospitals must consider to prevent them. Careful configuration of healthcare technologies and processes in the hospital environment can reduce the opportunity for diversion. These system-based strategies broaden the response to diversion beyond that of individual accountability. Further evidence is urgently needed to address the vulnerabilities outlined in this review and prevent harm.

What To Do When Employees Steal: Medical Practices Are a Ripe Target for Embezzlement

Medical practices are a ripe target for embezzlement.

Deterring delinquents with information. Evidence from a randomized poster campaign in Bogotá

In this article, we test whether an isolated information campaign can deter criminals by appealing to their apprehension risk perception. A randomized trial was conducted around 154 high crime housing blocks in Bogotá. With support of the Colombian Police, half of the blocks were exposed to a three month poster campaign reporting the number of “arrests around this street block” and half to a no-treatment control condition. The main outcome measure (total registered crime) and secondary outcome measures (calls to the emergency line for thefts and attacks, and minor wrongdoings) were provided by the Police. Additionally, trust in police, security perception, and police performance perception were measured among residents and workers in the treatment and control areas (N = 616) using a post-treatment survey. Measures were analyzed with linear regression analysis and two-sample t-tests. Over the course of the treatment period, premeditated crime was reduced, while spontaneous crime remained unchanged. Overall levels of crime were not significantly altered. Also, a moderate crime reduction is detectable during the first month of the treatment period. The posters were highly visible (93% of respondents in the treated areas recalled them) and positively received (67% “liked” them). Perceptions of security and police among locals improved, though not significantly. Inherent among residents of Bogotá is a pervasive feeling of impunity and low trust in authorities, making the city a hard test case for an offender-targeted advertising campaign. Initial reductions of crime and overall reductions of premeditated crime are thus noteworthy. These results align with key principles of apprehension risk updating theory.

The role of security in the prevention, detection and response to drug diversion by healthcare personnel

Drug diversion by healthcare personnel poses substantial and growing risks to patients, staff, healthcare institutions and the community, the author reports. It is essential that clinical, pharmacy, and security personnel work together on diversion-related issues to reduce those risks, she says. In this article she spells out the critical roles of security personnel in the investigation of suspected diversion and the response to confirmed diversion.

The Effects of Local Police Surges on Crime and Arrests in New York City

The New York Police Department (NYPD) under Operation Impact deployed extra police officers to high crime areas designated as impact zones. Officers were encouraged to conduct investigative stops in these areas. City officials credited the program as one of the leading causes of New York City's low crime rate. We tested the effects of Operation Impact on reported crimes and arrests from 2004 to 2012 using a difference-in-differences approach. We used Poisson regression models to compare differences in crime and arrest counts before and after census block groups were designated as impact zones compared to census block groups in the same NYPD precincts but outside impact zones. Impact zones were significantly associated with reductions in total reported crimes, assaults, burglaries, drug violations, misdemeanor crimes, felony property crimes, robberies, and felony violent crimes. Impact zones were significantly associated with increases in total reported arrests, arrests for burglary, arrests for weapons, arrests for misdemeanor crimes, and arrests for property felony crimes. Impact zones were also significantly associated with increases in investigative stops for suspected crimes, but only the increase in stops made based on probable cause indicators of criminal behaviors were associated with crime reductions. The largest increase in investigative stops in impact zones was based on indicators of suspicious behavior that had no measurable effect on crime. The findings suggest that saturating high crime blocks with police helped reduce crime in New York City, but that the bulk of the investigative stops did not play an important role in the crime reductions. The findings indicate that crime reduction can be achieved with more focused investigative stops.

Preventing and Recognizing Embezzlement

It is estimated that approximately one in six physicians will be the victim of embezzlement at least once during his or her lifetime. This may be due to the trusting nature of physicians, a lack of business training about separating duties in transactions involving money, or employees' feeling overworked, underpaid, or underappreciated. The best protection against embezzlement is prevention. This article informs the reader of the steps to take to prevent stealing in the medical office, how to recognize if it is occurring, and how to obtain restitution or prosecution.

Top Ten Embezzlement Risks in Your Medical Practice

Medical practices are often faced with employee embezzlement and theft. To protect themselves and their practices, physicians and practice executives should have in place policies and procedures for identifying and handling unethical behaviors by employees. This article deals with the common risks in healthcare practices and provides suggestions to help mitigate the risk of embezzlement.

Reducing security risk using data loss prevention technology

Data loss/leakage protection (DLP) technology seeks to improve data security by answering three fundamental questions: > Where are confidential data stored? > Who is accessing the information? > How are data being handled?

Cybersecurity: The heat is on

Breaches of confidential patient information are proliferating and the culprits are more sophisticated and sinister than ever. Hospitals and health systems are using smarter and faster tactics to stay one step ahead of the bad guys.

Practice-Based Research: Ex Post Facto Evaluation of Evidence-Based Police Practices Implemented in Residential Burglary Micro-Time Hot Spots

BACKGROUND

Police agencies around the country are implementing various strategies to reduce crime in their communities that need to be evaluated. These strategies are often based on systematic crime analysis and are focused on crime occurring in hot spots, which are areas of disproportionate amounts of crime.

OBJECTIVE

This article takes a practice-based research approach to evaluate whether evidence-based police strategies implemented by one police agency as its normal everyday crime reduction practice are effective in reducing residential burglary incidents in micro-time hot spots.

RESEARCH DESIGN

A quasi-experimental ex post facto design is employed using 5 years of data from one police agency that has institutionalized the identification and response to micro-time hot spots into its day-to-day practices. Propensity score matching is used to match 54 pairs of micro-time hot spots using logistic regression to compute the propensity scores and greedy 1 to 1 matching with a caliper width of 0.5 of the standard deviation of the logit to match the cases.

RESULTS

Independent t-tests show that tactical police response to micro-time hot spots can lead to significant reductions in residential burglary incidents without the spatial displacement of crime.

CONCLUSION

Tactical police responses that seek to achieve short-term reductions in crime appear to be well suited for micro-time hot spots since they are, by nature, short term. Importantly, the conclusions are based on the evaluation of an agency's systematic implementation of the evidence-based practices as its normal practices and not for the sake of research.

Effects of a youth substance use prevention program on stealing, fighting, and weapon use

Using a sample of sixth graders in 11 public schools in a large Southwestern city, this longitudinal study examined how a model substance use prevention program, keepin' it REAL, that was implemented in 7th grade, influenced three other problem behaviors (fighting, weapon use, stealing), measured in 8th grade. Using a non-equivalent control group design, we compared 259 students in the intervention to 322 students in a treatment-as-usual condition. At baseline, 37% of the sample reported fighting in the last 30 days; 31% reported stealing in the last 30 days, and 16% reported using a weapon in the last 30 days. Regression analyses adjusted for students nested in schools through multi-level modeling and for missing data through multiple imputation. We found that at posttest the rates of all three behaviors were lower in the intervention group than the control group at posttest: 35 versus 37% got into a fight in the last 30 days; 24 versus 31% stole something in the last 30 days; and 16 versus 25% used a weapon in the last 30 days. The program impact for fighting and stealing was not statistically significant and involved minimal effect sizes. The program impact for weapon use was not statistically significant but had an effect size comparable to that for other problem behavior interventions. Promoting positive development via life skills may be a key to broadening program impact.

Opportunity, Choice, and Burglary Victimization in Taiwan

This study examined burglary victimization in Taiwan with an application of the structure-choice model that included four theoretical dimensions: proximity to crime, exposure to crime, target attractiveness, and guardianship. Drawing on the 2000 Taiwan Areas Criminal Victimization Survey, the results of the current study showed a moderate effect of the opportunity model on Taiwan's burglary victimization. Also, this study found both consistent and conflicting findings in the current data. The null effect of motorcycles (including scooters) that represented the concept of target attractiveness in relation to burglary risk reflected a difference in population density and transportation needs between Taiwan and the West. Clearly, the role of social context needs to be understood when studies apply a Western model to a non-Western context.

Is your practice at risk for medical identity theft?

Medical identity theft has become increasingly prevalent. Medical practices need to take action and have policies and procedures in place to prevent data breaches. This will protect both the patient and the practice from medical identity theft.

Some facts and issues related to livestock theft in Punjab province of Pakistan --findings of series of cases

Stock theft is an endemic crime particularly affecting deep rural areas of Pakistan. Analysis of a series of cases was conducted to describe features of herds and farmers who have been the victims of cattle and/buffalo theft in various villages of Punjab in Pakistan during the year 2012. A structured interview was administered to a sample of fifty three affected farmers. The following were the important findings: i) incidents of theft were more amongst small scale farmers, ii) the rate of repeat victimization was high, iii) stealing was the most common modus operandi, iv) the majority of animals were adult, having high sale values, v) more cases occurred during nights with crescent moon, vi) only a proportion of victims stated to have the incident reported to the police, vii) many farmers had a history of making compensation agreements with thieves, viii) foot tracking failed in the majority of the cases, ix) all the respondents were willing to invest in radio frequency identification devices and advocated revision of existing laws. The study has implications for policy makers and proposes a relationship between crime science and veterinary medicine.

Factors influencing law enforcement decisions to adopt an evidence-based robbery prevention program

Homicide is the leading cause of workplace death among small retail and service businesses in the United States. Evidence-based programs have been shown to reduce robbery and robbery-related crimes in small retail businesses; however, reaching small businesses with programs has been difficult. As small businesses typically have no corporate backing or trade affiliation, police departments have been identified as potential vehicles for program dissemination. A national sample of 300 law enforcement agencies was surveyed to identify facilitators and barriers to adoption and sustainability of an evidence-based program. The questionnaire was developed using behavioral theory concepts and administered via telephone. Preliminary findings suggest the primary facilitators to program adoption included organizational capacity factors such as staff buy-in, dedicated personnel and financial support. Competing responsibilities was the primary barrier identified by agencies. Agency size and program complexity were identified as potential predictors of program adoption. Identifying agency and program-specific characteristics that influence program adoption by law enforcement agencies will be valuable for marketing programs to agencies that have the infrastructure to support and sustain program dissemination. Understanding these factors will optimize the reach of evidence-based strategies to small businesses.

Common embezzlement myths

With published statistics suggesting that embezzlement strikes three in five doctors at some point in their careers, this topic is of interest to every professional owning a medical or dental office, and tackles some of the biggest areas of misunderstanding concerning embezzlement in professional offices. Many readers will be surprised to learn that many of the steps that are frequently advocated to control embezzlement are, in fact, ineffective. This article suggests an approach that is quite different from what is normally recommended, and yet is far easier to implement than conventional embezzlement-control strategies.

HIPAA risk is contagious: practical tips to prevent breach

As of January 1, 2013, the Department of Health and Human Services had reported 81,790 breaches of patient information in healthcare affecting millions of patients. HIPAA fines are growing, and penalties are becoming more onerous. The final omnibus HIPAA and HITECH rule has been announced, and compliance dates are set. Now is the time for medical practices to revisit HIPAA compliance, update policies, and prepare to meet new requirements. This article will help your practice protect patient information and reduce your overall HIPAA risk.