Why are reported rapes declining?

Jet, March 3, 1997

Nationally, rapes reported to law enforcement authorities fell from a high of 109,000 in 1992 to 97,000 in 1995, the lowest number of rapes since 1989.

The sizable decrease was welcomed news to police across the country, among them, Black police chiefs who explained to JET the reasons for the decline.

Police Chief Bennie Holder of Tampa, FL, says harsher punishment, such as increased jail time, for rape offenders plays a hand in why reported rapes have declined.

"Law enforcement officials have become more aggressive in their investigation and more sensitive to the victim," he says. "Prosecutors are throwing the book at them (offenders), and judges are throwing the book at them."

According to the Justice Department's report, titled "Sex Offenses and Offenders," law enforcement agencies reported to the FBI that about half of all reported forcible rapes were cleared by an arrest.

In Tampa, convicted rape offenders have to serve 85 percent of their sentence. This requirement, Chief Holder says, lets convicted rapists know that law enforcement and the judicial system will seriously punish them for this crime.

"Repeat offenders are getting the message and are either staying in jail or turning their lives around," Chief Holder tells JET.

Police Chief Jerry Oliver of Richmond, VA, notes that reported rapes have decreased because of all the attention that has been given to personal safety.

"When you educate people, they protect themselves better, and crime rates start to fall," he says.

He reveals that there has been a steady decline in the number of reported rapes in his city. From December of 1995 to December of 1996 the number of reported rapes in Richmond was down 16.3 percent.

Chief Oliver says the community service arm of his police department does presentations with women's groups, elderly groups and residents of housing projects to remind them and to educate them about basic safety measures in protecting themselves.

Chief Oliver adds that public safety through environmental design is another protective measure, which in turn has an effect on the drop in reported rapes and other crimes. Public safety through environmental design means places like shadowy entrances that "give bad guys a place to hide" are either eliminated or people are addressed on how to avoid them.

Chief Isaiah McKinnon of Detroit, also says public education has a lot to do with why reported rapes are declining. In addition to working with the media, he says his police department particularly targets schools and churches to better educate the public about rape issues.

For victims 12 or older, one violent sex offense for every 435 residents was reported in 1993. That number declined to one offense for every 625 residents in 1995, according to the report, which was written by Lawrence Greenfeld, a senior statistician in the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Education is particularly important to young people because, "Unfortunately, so many sexual assaults are committed by people who know one another." He says young people are educated about avoiding situations where they could become victims.

McKinnon adds that his department places particular focus on those individuals who might be repeat offenders. Detroit's Violent Crime Task Force makes it a point to gather as much information as possible about repeat offenders to keep track of them. "We know that if we have locked a person up for rape, it's probably not the first time he has committed that act," McKinnon notes.

New Orleans Police Superintendent Richard Pennington says much of the drop in reported rapes has to do with new laws enacted in regard to sex offenders.

In New Orleans where reported rapes fell from 453 in 1995 to 344 in 1996, Pennington says sex offenders' names are published in newspapers, and the department monitors where they live. He also notes that the department does a much better job with being more effective at the scenes of crimes, which includes collecting more evidence and dealing with victims. This aids officers in apprehending suspects and results in more arrests. With a greater chance of being arrested and the public humiliation that may follow with the publishing of their names, Superintendent Pennington says these efforts help to deter potential offenders from committing this violent crime.

Some critics of the Justice Department's study say that the decline in reported rapes does not necessarily mean that rape is occurring less often.

Law enforcement officials, however, tell JET that because education has helped to rid the negative stigma that has been attached to rape victims, and law enforcement has done a better job of catching offenders and keeping them behind bars, most victims are no longer afraid to come forward.

"Fifteen years ago I would have agreed (that reported rapes do not indicate a reduction in the crime). But in the past few years victims have been more apt to report the crime," Chief Holder comments. "It's like domestic violence: When you take a strong stand against something, you can do something about it."