Assignment 1: LASA 2: Predicting Crime with the Uniform Crime Reporting System

In your final consulting assignment, the mayor of Centervale and the city counsel have asked you to help them understand how to better predict crime rates.

An important part of the criminal system is tracking data to help society develop a better understanding of crime and to prevent further crime in the United States. Every year, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) releases a statistical report on crime in the United States, called the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). In this assignment, you will access this report, familiarize yourself with its functionalities, and analyze the data to develop a prediction.

All the information you provide is to be presented in a formal 3- to 6-page paper that properly uses subheadings to categorize information. Be sure to use specific information from external sources to support your ideas.

Part 1: Learning the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting System

Access the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting System at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr and familiarize yourself with the site.

Using research and data from the site, address the following:

• Explain how individual agencies classify information that is compiled into the report.
• Analyze and identify resources public safety officials, like sheriffs or police chiefs, have to classify or categorize crimes in their cities, counties, and states.
• Discuss the pros and cons of the Uniform Crime Reporting System and the yearly reports.

Part 2: Analyzing Specific Data

An important goal of the criminal justice system is to use the information gathered about crimes to understand and predict criminal behavior. Access the homepage of the UCR (http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr) and complete the following steps:

1. Select a type of crime to research (e.g., “Violent Crime” or “Property Crime”). Then, choose a specific crime within one of those categories (e.g., Violent Crime: Murder).
2. You will need both national data and your state’s data for the crime you chose.
1. Choose your state to research that type of crime: Under “Browse By,” click “City Agency,” click “Table 8,” and choose a state.
2. Gather the national data for that type of crime: Under “Browse By,” click “National Data”; use the tables to answer the questions.

Using research and data from the site and other external sources, address the following:

• Explain how the UCR can help public safety officials predict crime and present crime rates to the American public.
• Based on the data and what you have learned in the course, forecast the criminal activity for the nation, your state, or a selected city.
• Compare the UCR data for the crime you selected with the same statistical information for that crime in 1950 (you will need to search for these statistics). Are there similarities or differences or can you infer from the data that the trends have remained the same?
• How can government officials use the crime statistics data from the 1970s to predict crime twenty years later? How reliable are the statistics in the UCR? Are law enforcement agencies required to report their criminal incidents for compilation in the yearly UCR?

Include a title page with your name, date, and assignment title and check for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and usage. Provide at least three references (one may be your textbook) in the APA format that you used in writing your paper (make sure all your in-text citations link to a reference in your list). You should read the grading rubric before starting your paper to ensure you cover all the material appropriately.

Submission Details:

• Save the final report as M5_A1_Lastname_Firstname.doc.
• By Monday, June 1, 2015, submit your final report to the M5: Assignment 1 Dropbox.

LASA 2 Grading Criteria and Rubric

All assignments in this course will be graded using a rubric. This assignment is worth 300 points. Download the assignment rubric and carefully read it to understand the expectations.  

Final Project Annotated Bibliography

Craft a research question on the topic you selected in your first discussion question post. Then locate at least five articles from peer-reviewed journals that pertain to your question that will be used to write the introduction section of your research proposal.

Submit these five citations in the form of an APA-style reference page. Under each citation, write one paragraph summarizing the main points of the article. As you read your articles, keep the following questions at hand; these will help you generate the information about each article.

• What were the topic/research questions being investigated?

• How was the study conducted (participants, materials, procedure, etc.)?

• What did the results reveal?

• How might these methodological considerations affect the research findings and the conclusions drawn from them?

• How does this article fit in with your paper? How did it influence your own ideas about your paper?

Based on your reading of the literature, what do you expect to find?

Include a hypothesis and a title page for your submission.

Submit your paper to the M1: Assignment 3 Dropbox by Wednesday, February 4, 2015. All written assignments and responses should follow APA rules for attributing sources.

Support or contradict this statement: “Given the realities of today’s economy and the rapid changes occurring in business technology, all competitive advantages are short lived. There is no such thing as a sustainable competitive advantage that lasts over the long term.”

• Defend your position

Scenario:

Jill Jones is a bright 45-year-old woman who is the vice-president of sales in a mid-sized family owned Candy Corporation.  She began her career at the company right out of high school, and over the years earned two college degrees while working her way up the organizational ladder.

One day, Jill was stunned to learn that the firm’s head, William Potter, was considering placing his oldest son, Henry, in the position of CEO while he became chairman of the board. Years earlier, when Jill was in a middle management position, Henry had unsuccessfully propositioned her and made her life miserable. She had never mentioned the incident to anyone and had put it behind her when he was promoted to head the Miami branch of the business.  However, now as she looks at William Potter she becomes even more shocked to hear him say” I can’t be objective about him Jill, You have always been so loyal to the company and successful in hiring excellent people for the sales force I want you to review him objectively and give me your recommendation.” Conflicting thoughts rush through her mind, the awful past, the all so possible awful future with him as her boss, the clear knowledge that he has done a great job with the Miami branch, and of course the knowledge that he is the bosses son. What should she do? 

“Jill” has just come up against one of the myriad ethical dilemmas companies of all sizes and their employees face on an ongoing basis.  Deciding the best course of action might be easy in some cases, when there are clear-cut choices between “right” and “wrong.”  But there are many gray areas, like Jill’s, when it’s harder to know what the right choice is for you and your company.

Assignment #1:  Making an Ethical Decision (15%)

In this assignment, students will respond to a short case study demonstrating an understanding of an ethical dilemma and the ethical theories presented in the course.  

Required Elements of Assignment #1 – Making an Ethical Decision:

• Read critically and analyze the scenario provided;
• Answer the question, “What would you do?;”
• To answer the question, students must identify the ethical dilemma;
• Apply at least three theories to make the decision;
• Compare and contrast your results using the three theories;
• Choose the result that you consider to be the best resolution of the dilemma and explain why;

Required Formatting of Assignment #1:

• This paper should be double-spaced, 12-point font, and three to four pages in length excluding the title page and reference page;
• Title page;
• Introductory paragraph and a summary paragraph;
• Use headings to demarcate your discussion;
• Write in the third person;
• Use APA formatting for in-text citations and a reference page.  You are expected to paraphrase and not use quotes. Deductions will be taken when quotes are used and found to be unnecessary;