Week 11 Reading Assignments

Week 11 Reading Assignments 2 Read the article and answer the questions listed at the bottom of this page. Crime and the Magic Kingdom David Fabianic, University of Central Florida Free Inquiry in Creative Sociology, 1991,Vol. 19, No. 1, pp. 97-101.     (1)      Rapid population growth is a salient fact of social and economic life in many parts of the country. The State of Florida is among those areas which have experienced substantial population growth since the 1960s. The migratory trend to Florida has been inspired by several factors, including the climate, tax advantages and relative economic prosperity. Among the items accounting for the latter has been the developing tourism industry which includes the construction of tourist attractions and the other facilities and services necessary to support them.   (2)      The Central Florida area, the area surrounding the city of Orlando, has been in the forefront of this development. In particular, the advent of Disney World has been a major force in subsequent development of other tourist attractions such as Sea World and Epcot Center and the construction of hotels, restaurants, stores, shopping centers and other commercial establishments. Today the Orlando area is recognized as one of the premier places for economic development and population growth.   (3)      Accompanying the growth and development are an assortment of problems and difficulties which are normally associated with rapid population growth and social change. The literature in sociology details the effects of rapid population growth on community resources. Primarily this literature concerns “boom town” effects in communities experiencing rapid growth because of energy development (Freudenburg 1981, 1984; Jobes & Parsons 1975). These communities undergo significant in-migrations of individuals from outside the community. People enter a social community and contribute to ongoing normative change. Consequently, there are at least two factors influencing community change. First, the normative structure of the community is diluted and weakened, and there is less community cohesiveness with which to identify and develop normative ties. And second, people coming into the community from other areas bring with them different patterns of behavior and expectations, some of which may be in conflict with those of their new community.   (4)      These thoughts are often expressed by the citizenry of Orlando and the surrounding area (Orlando Sentinel 1989 a-g; 1990). Frequently comparisons are made to an alleged period of relative calm which preceded the settlement of the Disney Corporation in Orange County in the late 1960s. Newcomers are often held in mild contempt by some of the more vocal natives and media personalities. While there is an appreciation for the good things which have emerged as a result of the development, there is also concern and alarm often expressed about some unfavorable things also regarded as a consequence of the change.   (5)      Next to horrendous traffic congestion, a principal factor of concern which arises in public forums is that of crime. In particular, a part of conventional wisdom among people currently residing in the area is the belief that crime is much worse today than it was before Disney’s construction of the Magic Kingdom and the subsequent growth, that the rapid development of the area is a key factor in the emergence of crime, and that crime has become worse in the Orlando area and a special and extraordinary problem. It is this contention which is examined here as an instance of a very special case of social growth and development. That is, the question of crime in Orlando, its growth and its relationship to crime in the state in general is an appropriate question to examine not only to respond to the popular proposition that the Magic Kingdom of Disney has produced crime in the process of producing prosperity. It is also relevant because Orlando is unique in that no other place has experienced as much growth centered around a single tourist attraction. Information pertaining to this question is appropriate to our understanding of social change and the manner in which communities grow. The facts pertaining to the changes in the Orlando area represent those which are relevant to scholars interested in the processes and effects of rapid population growth and social change.   (6)      The literature regarding the effects of rapid population growth has its roots at least as far back as Durkheim (1964). He speculated that social change could lead to the weakening or disappearance of social norms in a community. Individuals might suffer as well by being unable to accurately anticipate the actions of others and becoming detached from unifying values and beliefs. Crime was regarded as one manifestation of this occurrence.   (7)     More recent research and literature has focused on more specific aspects of the impact of rapid population growth. This literature reflects the complexity of the proposition that rapid growth necessarily results in increased patterns of deviance (Covey, Menard 1984; Diamond 1971; Finsterbusch 1982; Freudenburg 1981,1984; Wilkerson el al 1982). While yielding results generally compatible with Durkheim’s central proposition, recent studies have done much to identify exceptions and qualifications as well.   (8)     The general proposition to be examined concerns a comparison of crime rates in Orlando (Orange and Seminole counties), with: 1) several points in the past; and 2) crime rates for other areas. That is, concerns expressed in the media by citizens, politicians and journalists indicate these as legitimate points of reference for current perceptions of crime. These perceptions are critical for many reasons, one of which is that state policy regarding prison construction and correctional practices are heavily influenced by them. However, it is also significant to note that these perceptions of crime may not be accurate or consistent with the facts. Also what is precisely meant by “crime” in the general sense may vary from one source to another.   (9)      As a result of a tourist based economy in Orlando, the area is affected by a unique feature. In addition to the in-migration population growth, the tourists add people to the day-to-day population, presenting an undetermined but substantial number of uncounted people in the area. The Orlando area as defined in this study includes approximately one million people, but another 15 million people visit the area each year as tourists. These people are consumers and users, and by their presence present opportunities as both victims and perpetrators of crime.     Methods   (10)    In order to examine these questions, standard data and definitions were employed. The measure of crime employed was the number of offenses known to the police. In addition to providing the greatest comparability across the time period under consideration, this index of criminality more properly reflected community concern about crime than did that of arrests. Data were gathered from the Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports (1966-1988); Florida Statistical Abstract (1967-1988); the Crime In Florida Annual Report (1971-1987); and the County and City Data Book (1967, 1972, 1977, 1988). Crime was defined as those acts reflected in the serious crime index. The focus of this study was the Orlando area which for purposes here consisted of Orange and Seminole counties. Disney World and other major tourist attractions in the general area are located in Orange County, and the impact of related growth has been registered throughout Orange and Seminole Counties. The regions of interest were the data for the United States (USA); the South Atlantic region of the United States (SATL) which included the states of Delaware, Florida, Maryland, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia and Washington, D.C.; the State of Florida (FL); the Florida Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas (FSMSA); and the Orlando Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area (ORLANDO). The latter consisted of Orange and Seminole counties in 1966, the first year of the comparison. In 1987 the Orlando SMSA included Osecola County as well and therefore the figures for that county were subtracted out of the total in order to provide comparability with 1966. The figures for Orange and Seminole Counties were subtracted from the total figures for the Florida SMSAs and from the totals for the State of Florida as well. This permitted a comparison of the Orlando SMSA with larger units of which it was a part without including its direct effects on the tows of these units.   (11)    The years selected for comparison were 1966, 1972 and 1987. The year 1966 was selected bemuse it was that which preceded the announcement by Disney that the corporation was contemplating development in Central Florida. The year 1972 marks the yew Disney World opened and Central Florida began to become a major tourist attraction. The year 1987 was the latest year for which crime statistics permitting this examination were available.   (12)    One of the principal elements in the proposition of the relationship between rapid growth and escalating crime is the addition of people to the population ranks. Table I contains the figures for population growth in the five areas examined. The Florida component grew much more than that for the United States (USA) or the South Atlantic Region (SATL). Within Florida, it can be seen that the FSMSAs grew more than Orlando or the remainder of the state. Orlando (Orange and Seminole Counties) grew more than the rest of the State of Florida, but not as much as the FSMSAS. It is clear that rather phenomenal growth did occur in Florida, Orlando and the FSMSAs over the time periods under review.     Results   (13)     The basic exercise for this study was the examination of the crime rate for Orlando (Orange and Seminole Counties) over a 21 year period, and a comparison of its crime rates with other geographical units. This was accomplished in two ways. First, the crime rate for Orlando was compared with those of the United States (USA), the South Atlantic Region of the country (SATL), the State of Florida (FL), and the other Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the State of Florida (FSMSA). Second, the rates of change across the designated years were compared within and among the regions to examine relative changes in the rate of crime growth.   (14)     The first comparison is a simple one examining the crime rates for the five areas at three time periods. From Table 2 it can be seen that Orlando ranked third in crime rates in 1966, 1972 and 1987. The crime rates increased for all the areas under consideration, but Orlando’s rank did not change. The only change in rank occurring during this period was between the USA and the SATL areas which reversed their rank order between 1972 and 1987. Therefore, the Orlando area has had a general crime rate below that of the State of Florida, and below that of other SMSAs in Florida throughout the period under examination. At the same time, Orlando’s crime rate has been above that for the SATL Region and the USA as a whole throughout this period.   (15)     Having established how the Orlando crime rate compares to other areas, the second task was to examine the relative rates of change from 1966 to 1987. The rate of change in the crime rate for each area was examined for the time periods of 1966 to 1972; 1972 to 1987; and 1966 to 1987. The results are also in Table 1.   (16)    In the period 1966 to 1972, the rate of change for Orlando crime was greater than that for FSMSAS, but less than that for the USA, FL or SATL. From 1972 to 1987, the post-Magic Kingdom era, the rates of change in general crime rates were similar for Orlando, FSMSAS, SATL and FL, although the rate of change for the USA lagged behind.   (17)     Overall from 1966 to 1987, the rate of change was greatest for the SATL, followed closely by FL. Third in descending order was Orlando, followed by some distance by USA and FSMSAS.   (18)     Examining the information for the entire period more closely, it can be seen that Orlando had the third highest crime rate in 1966 and 1987, and the third highest rate of change in the general crime rate over this period of time as well. The crime rates for FL and the FSMSAs were higher than that of Orlando in both 1966 and 1987, and the rates for the USA and SATL were lower for both years. The rate of increase between 1966 and 1987 was higher for SATL and FL than for Orlando, and lower for USA and FSMSAs than that for Orlando. This latter figure is likely affected by the point at which the initial figure for calculating change is marked. An area with an initial low rate of crime has more potential for increase than that which is high. To some extent, this is reflected in the data in that the area with the lowest initial rate of crime (SATL) was that with the greatest rate of change. Conversely, the area with the highest initial rate of crime (FSMSAs) was that which had the lowest rate of change. (19)     Another factor involved in the interpretation involves what aspect of crime one is considering and how this is generalized to the perception of crime. The most salient aspect of the total crime picture is that of violent crime. That is, many people think of violent crime first when they think of crime. These types of offenses are those which seem most threatening person- ally, are easily sensationalized and commonly reported by the media. The question then becomes one of whether or not the impression of Orlando as having be- come an area with a disproportionate amount of crime is one that is predicated on impressions of particular crime categories. Put another way, is there an instance within the general crime profile which conforms more closely to the popularly held belief that Orlando has had a disproportionate growth in crime since the advent of the Magic Kingdom?   (20)     The two broad categories of crime included within the general crime index are violent and nonviolent crime. Considering violent crimes, in 1966 the lowest rate among the five areas under review was for the USA, and the highest rate was for the FSMSAS. Orlando had the third highest violent crime rate in 1966. In 1987, USA and SATL region had the lowest violent crime rates, the FSMSAs had the highest, and Orlando remained third highest. Therefore, Orlando’s relative position with regard to the violent crime rate did not change from 1966 to 1987.   (21)     With respect to the amount of change in the violent crime rate between 1966 and 1987, the percent change was calculated for each area and are presented in Table 1. Between 1966 and 1972, Orlando experienced the lowest percentage change in violent crime rate, and the USA had the highest. However, between 1972 and 1987, Orlando had the highest rate of in- crease, and for the overall period of 1966 to 1987, Orlando had the highest rate of increase for violent crimes. Therefore, Orlando remained third in rank among the areas from 1966 to 1987 as far as violent crime rate was concerned-, however, its violent crime rate grew at a faster rate than in other areas during that time period.   (22)     With respect to the other major category of crime within the general crime profile, that of nonviolent crime, Table I indicates that the nonviolent crime for Orlando ranked third among the areas in 1966, 1972 and in 1987. Over the same time period the rate of nonviolent crime in Orlando grew at a rate greater than that for FSMSAs and the USA, but less than that for FL and SATL. Therefore, when compared to other areas, the more substantial change in the general crime profile in Orlando has been in violent crime and not in the nonviolent crime category.   (23)     Whether or not one regards the rate of crime in Orlando increasing disproportionately depends on several factors, among them the point of reference in time and the area to which the comparison is being made, and what aspect of crime is being singled out. The basic question being addressed here is whether or not Orlando has experienced more crime since the advent of the Magic Kingdom than what otherwise would have been expected as a consequence of being part of Florida, the South Atlantic region, or another SMSA in Florida. No attempt is made here to separate out the effects of growth from the singular effect of the development of Disney. The meaning of Disney to the inhabitants of the Orlando area is inextricably bound to the growth and social change it inspired.   (24)     Between 1972 and 1987, the post-Magic Kingdom years, the crime rate grew in Orlando at about the same rate as the other arm, except that of the USA which grew more slowly. It is possible to conclude that the Magic Kingdom has meant little in the way of in- creased general crime rate during this period over what one might expect of other areas in the SATL region or in the State of Florida in general. Thus, from this perspective the increase in crime rate in Orlando after the N4agic Kingdom is not extraordinary.   (25)     Between 1966-87, Orlando’s crime rate in- creased although its rate of growth is comparable to that of SATL and FL. Therefore, in terms of general crime, there is not unqualified support for the claim of extraordinary crime growth in Orlando during the period 1966-87. At the same time, however, the crime rate in Orlando rose more than that for the USA or other FSMSAS. Thus, if the point of reference is the latter areas, the extraordinary growth contention is unsupported. If the point of reference is the former, the contention is supported.     Discussion   (26)     It is possible, however, that the belief of an extraordinary increase in crime is created by the sharp in- crease in violent crime. It is reasonable to conclude that to the extent to which the belief of increased crime is valid in Orlando, it applies to violent crime from 1966 to 1987. To the degree to which violent crimes contribute to the popular image of crime in general, concentration on these types of offenses correctly reinforces the notion that there is substantially more crime in Orlando today than in the time period preceding the N4agic Kingdom. In addition, the rate of increase for violent crimes is greater in Orlando than for other areas. The increase in violent crimes is consistent with “boom town” growth. The literature on many of these communities also alludes to an abnormal increase in rates of violent offenses. Thus, to at least some degree, the “boom town” communities whose growth was based on energy development are similar to Orlando whose growth is due to tourist attraction development.   (27)     It would appear then that the image that the Magic Kingdom and its associated growth have produced an extraordinary increase in crime is reinforced by the violent crime rate in particular. These crimes are the more salient ones, the ones that concern the public more strongly. Violent crimes receive more coverage from the media and are easier to sensationalize. Thus, the increasing rate of violent crimes, and perhaps their media coverage, produce an overall impression of the Magic Kingdom having a negative effect on the Orlando community with respect to crime.     References   County and City Data Book 1967, 1972, 1977, 1988 United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Census, Superintendent of Documents. Washington, DC:USGPO   Covey HC, S Menard 1984 Response to rapid social change J Police Sci Admin 12 161-169   Crime in Florida Annual Report 1971-1987 Tallahassee, FL: Florida Department of Law Enforcement   Crime in the United States, Uniform Crime Reports 1966-1988 Washington, DC: Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Justice   Diamond S 1971 The rule of law versus the order of custom Soc Res 38 42-72   Durkheim E 1964 The Division of Labor in Society NY: Free Press   Finsterbusch K 1982 Boomtown disruption thesis Pacific Sociolog Rev 25 307-22   Florida Statistical Abstract 1967-1988 Bureau of Eco- non-dc and Business Research, College of Business Administration, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL: U Presses of Florida   Freudenburg V;R 1981 Women and men in an energy boomtown Rural Sociol 46 220-44   —– 1984 Boomtown’s youth Amer Sociol Rev 49 697-705   Jobes P, M Parsons 1975 Satisfaction, Coal Development and Land Use Planning: A Report of Attitudes Held by Residents of the Decker-Birney-Ashland Study Area Helena, MT: Montana Energy Advisory Council   Orlando Sentinel 1989a Lamar left his critics frustrated. January 1, a-I   —– 1989b The Floridian of the year, Jack Eckerd’s project. January 1, h-I   —– 1989c Crime figures rated a master of dis- guise. April 25, a-I   —– 1989d Compiling crime figures-a mind- boggling job for law agencies. May 9, a-9   —– 1989e Florida’s crime report-who, when and how. May 9, a-1   —– 1989f State faces ‘nightrnme’ in prisons. August 8, a-1   —– 1989g When the bad guys go free in Floir- ida, special report. August 13, 14, 15, 16, a-I   —– 1990 Crime image haunts Atlanta. April 22, g-4.   Wilkerson KP, JG Thompson, RR Reynolds Fr, LM Ostresh 1982 Local social disruption and western energy development. Pacific Sociological Review 25 275-96