Charles Katz | Arizona State University (original) (raw)

Papers by Charles Katz

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the Validity of Self-Reports by Gang Members: Results From the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program

Crime & Delinquency, 2006

Scholars who study criminal and delinquent behavior rely on the self-report method for measuring ... more Scholars who study criminal and delinquent behavior rely on the self-report method for measuring crime and delinquency. Gang researchers also rely on the self-report method for determining gang involvement and measuring criminal and delinquent behavior of gang members. This study examines disclosure rates of recent drug use by gang members in comparison with their urinalysis outcomes. A substantial body of

Research paper thumbnail of Less than meets the eye: police department bias crime units

American Journal of Police, 1995

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of foreclosures on neighborhood disorder before and during the housing crisis: testing the spiral of decay

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine whether an increasing number of foreclos... more Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine whether an increasing
number of foreclosures in a neighborhood subsequently increase disorder and whether
the temporal relationship between foreclosures and disorder is different before and
during the housing crisis. Methods. We employ longitudinal data to examine the
impact of foreclosure on crime in Glendale, Arizona, a city at the epicenter of the
nation’s foreclosure problem. We rely on three data sources: (1) foreclosure data, (2)
Computer-Aided Dispatch/Police Records Management System data, and (3) U.S.
Census and census estimate data. Results. Our findings suggest that foreclosures do
have a short-term, four-month effect on overall disorder and social disorder; however,
that relationship only holds during the months preceding the housing crisis. During
the housing crisis, there is no effect of foreclosures on disorder. Conclusions. Our
results suggest that instead of the long-standing negative impact that foreclosures
have on disorder in communities, their negative effect is short lived and limited.
Thus, foreclosures during the housing crisis do not signal disorder and decay as
expected. A number of communities across the country have enacted prevention,
enforcement, and reuse policies and programs aimed at foreclosure for the purpose
of reducing disorder and subsequent crime; our results suggest that some of these
policies and programs require substantial resources and might not have their desired
impact.

Research paper thumbnail of A Longitudinal Assessment of the Impact of Foreclosure on Neighborhood Crime

Objectives: To examine possible effects of housing foreclosure on neighbor- hood levels of crime ... more Objectives: To examine possible effects of housing foreclosure on neighbor- hood levels of crime and to assess temporal lags in the impact of foreclosure on neighborhood levels of crime. Methods: Longitudinal data from Glendale, Arizona, a city at the epicenter of the nation’s foreclosure problem. The authors rely on four data sources: (1) foreclosure data, (2) computer- aided dispatch (CAD)/police records management system (RMS) data, (3) U.S. census and census estimate data, and (4) land use data. Results: Foreclo- sure has a short-term impact, typically no more than 3 months, on total crime, property crime, and violent crime, and no more than 4 months for drug crime. Conclusions: Foreclosures do not have a long-term effect on crime in general, and have different, though modest effects on different types of crime. The relationship between foreclosure and crime is not linear in nature but rather is characterized by a temporal, short-term flux in crime.

Research paper thumbnail of Community policing, loose coupling, and sensemaking in American police agencies

... sample of 2,314 US police and sheriffs' agencies about their community po-licing... more ... sample of 2,314 US police and sheriffs' agencies about their community po-licing practices (Annan, 1994 ... the following question: Which of the following statements best describes your agency's current situation with respect to the adoption of a community policing approach? ...

Research paper thumbnail of Using the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program to further understand the relationship between drug use and gang membership

In this paper, we examine the relationship between drug use and gang membership using data from t... more In this paper, we examine the relationship between drug use and gang membership using data from the Arizona Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, which collects both self-report and hard measures (i.e., urinalysis) of drug use. Our analyses revealed that self-reported recent drug use (i.e., drug use in the past three days) and urinalysis outcomes were similarly associated with the gang-membership variables. These findings suggest that self-reported data obtained from gang members is a particularly robust method for gathering information on their recent behavior. Additionally, our results were supportive of the social facilitation model, showing that current gang members were significantly more likely to use marijuana and cocaine compared with former gang members. The implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross-National Comparison of Gangs in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago

International Criminal Justice Review, 2011

This study compares the scope and nature of the gang problem in two communities: one in the Unite... more This study compares the scope and nature of the gang problem in two communities: one in the United States and one in Trinidad and Tobago, a small-island developing state in the eastern Caribbean that has experienced a serious outbreak of violence over the past decade. Data drawn from surveys of adult arrestees reveal that among respondents, 3.2% of those in

Research paper thumbnail of Risk and protective factors associated with gang-involved youth in Trinidad and Tobago

To examine the prevalence of gang involvement, the risk and protective factors associated with ga... more To examine the prevalence of gang involvement, the risk and protective factors associated with gang involvement, and the association between gang involvement and exposure to multiple risk and protective factors among school-aged youth in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods. A survey instrument was administered to 2 206 students enrolled in 22 highrisk, urban public schools, from March-June 2006. It measured 30 risk factors and 13 protective factors within four domains: community, school, family, and peer-individual, plus levels of alcohol/drug use and delinquency. Results. About 7.7% of youth reported being a gang associate; 6.8%, a former gang member; and 6.2%, a current gang member. Gang involvement was associated with perceived availability of handguns, residential mobility, having parents who favor antisocial behavior, early initiation of antisocial behavior, intention to use drugs, having antisocial peers, and having peers who use drugs. Those with social skills, belief in moral order, and interactions with prosocial peers were significantly less likely to self-report gang membership. Additionally, the probability of gang involvement increased as the number of risk factors increased.

Research paper thumbnail of Assessing the Validity of Self-Reports by Gang Members: Results From the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program

Crime & Delinquency, 2006

Scholars who study criminal and delinquent behavior rely on the self-report method for measuring ... more Scholars who study criminal and delinquent behavior rely on the self-report method for measuring crime and delinquency. Gang researchers also rely on the self-report method for determining gang involvement and measuring criminal and delinquent behavior of gang members. This study examines disclosure rates of recent drug use by gang members in comparison with their urinalysis outcomes. A substantial body of

Research paper thumbnail of Less than meets the eye: police department bias crime units

American Journal of Police, 1995

Research paper thumbnail of The impact of foreclosures on neighborhood disorder before and during the housing crisis: testing the spiral of decay

Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine whether an increasing number of foreclos... more Objectives. The objectives of this study were to examine whether an increasing
number of foreclosures in a neighborhood subsequently increase disorder and whether
the temporal relationship between foreclosures and disorder is different before and
during the housing crisis. Methods. We employ longitudinal data to examine the
impact of foreclosure on crime in Glendale, Arizona, a city at the epicenter of the
nation’s foreclosure problem. We rely on three data sources: (1) foreclosure data, (2)
Computer-Aided Dispatch/Police Records Management System data, and (3) U.S.
Census and census estimate data. Results. Our findings suggest that foreclosures do
have a short-term, four-month effect on overall disorder and social disorder; however,
that relationship only holds during the months preceding the housing crisis. During
the housing crisis, there is no effect of foreclosures on disorder. Conclusions. Our
results suggest that instead of the long-standing negative impact that foreclosures
have on disorder in communities, their negative effect is short lived and limited.
Thus, foreclosures during the housing crisis do not signal disorder and decay as
expected. A number of communities across the country have enacted prevention,
enforcement, and reuse policies and programs aimed at foreclosure for the purpose
of reducing disorder and subsequent crime; our results suggest that some of these
policies and programs require substantial resources and might not have their desired
impact.

Research paper thumbnail of A Longitudinal Assessment of the Impact of Foreclosure on Neighborhood Crime

Objectives: To examine possible effects of housing foreclosure on neighbor- hood levels of crime ... more Objectives: To examine possible effects of housing foreclosure on neighbor- hood levels of crime and to assess temporal lags in the impact of foreclosure on neighborhood levels of crime. Methods: Longitudinal data from Glendale, Arizona, a city at the epicenter of the nation’s foreclosure problem. The authors rely on four data sources: (1) foreclosure data, (2) computer- aided dispatch (CAD)/police records management system (RMS) data, (3) U.S. census and census estimate data, and (4) land use data. Results: Foreclo- sure has a short-term impact, typically no more than 3 months, on total crime, property crime, and violent crime, and no more than 4 months for drug crime. Conclusions: Foreclosures do not have a long-term effect on crime in general, and have different, though modest effects on different types of crime. The relationship between foreclosure and crime is not linear in nature but rather is characterized by a temporal, short-term flux in crime.

Research paper thumbnail of Community policing, loose coupling, and sensemaking in American police agencies

... sample of 2,314 US police and sheriffs' agencies about their community po-licing... more ... sample of 2,314 US police and sheriffs' agencies about their community po-licing practices (Annan, 1994 ... the following question: Which of the following statements best describes your agency's current situation with respect to the adoption of a community policing approach? ...

Research paper thumbnail of Using the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program to further understand the relationship between drug use and gang membership

In this paper, we examine the relationship between drug use and gang membership using data from t... more In this paper, we examine the relationship between drug use and gang membership using data from the Arizona Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program, which collects both self-report and hard measures (i.e., urinalysis) of drug use. Our analyses revealed that self-reported recent drug use (i.e., drug use in the past three days) and urinalysis outcomes were similarly associated with the gang-membership variables. These findings suggest that self-reported data obtained from gang members is a particularly robust method for gathering information on their recent behavior. Additionally, our results were supportive of the social facilitation model, showing that current gang members were significantly more likely to use marijuana and cocaine compared with former gang members. The implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of A Cross-National Comparison of Gangs in the United States and Trinidad and Tobago

International Criminal Justice Review, 2011

This study compares the scope and nature of the gang problem in two communities: one in the Unite... more This study compares the scope and nature of the gang problem in two communities: one in the United States and one in Trinidad and Tobago, a small-island developing state in the eastern Caribbean that has experienced a serious outbreak of violence over the past decade. Data drawn from surveys of adult arrestees reveal that among respondents, 3.2% of those in

Research paper thumbnail of Risk and protective factors associated with gang-involved youth in Trinidad and Tobago

To examine the prevalence of gang involvement, the risk and protective factors associated with ga... more To examine the prevalence of gang involvement, the risk and protective factors associated with gang involvement, and the association between gang involvement and exposure to multiple risk and protective factors among school-aged youth in Trinidad and Tobago. Methods. A survey instrument was administered to 2 206 students enrolled in 22 highrisk, urban public schools, from March-June 2006. It measured 30 risk factors and 13 protective factors within four domains: community, school, family, and peer-individual, plus levels of alcohol/drug use and delinquency. Results. About 7.7% of youth reported being a gang associate; 6.8%, a former gang member; and 6.2%, a current gang member. Gang involvement was associated with perceived availability of handguns, residential mobility, having parents who favor antisocial behavior, early initiation of antisocial behavior, intention to use drugs, having antisocial peers, and having peers who use drugs. Those with social skills, belief in moral order, and interactions with prosocial peers were significantly less likely to self-report gang membership. Additionally, the probability of gang involvement increased as the number of risk factors increased.