Recently, states have enacted teacher-carry laws. While controversial, little scholarship has tapped public attitudes toward such reforms. Because public opinion shapes policy, the public is an important stakeholder in this debate. Thus, we investigated three questions. First, how supportive is the public of arming teachers? Second, what…

After 14 years of decline, cities across the nation are reporting spikes in crime rates, which many law enforcement officials attribute to decreased federal spending on crime prevention and more juveniles becoming involved in violent crimes. This report highlights the "after-school" gap: 20-25 hours per week that children are out of…

This paper is an empirical analysis of the determinants of crime in Virginia. Over a dozen explanatory variables that current literature suggests as important determinants of crime are collected. The data is from 1970 to 2000. These include economic, fiscal, demographic, political, and social variables. The regression results indicate that crime…

This report is in response to a Virginia state legislature mandate of a study of security on the campuses of Virginia public institutions of higher education. The study scope included institutional characteristics, security department characteristics, personnel and training, information about relations on and off campus, needs and concerns of the…

The purpose of this report is to present the results of a crime victimization survey conducted among Virginia residents. The description of the findings is divided into four sections: criminal victimization experiences, reporting of victimizations, attitudes toward crime, and crime prevention and protection measures. The report is offered as a…