Appendix B: Survey of District Attorneys: Questions and
Descriptive Statistics
Regional
Variation in Response to Survey
|
Region |
Original
Sample, 100 Cities |
Response
Group |
|
Northeast |
3.5% |
5.4% |
|
Midwest |
23.9% |
24.3% |
|
South |
27.4% |
27.0% |
|
West |
45.1% |
43.2% |
City
Size Variation in Response to Survey
|
Statistic |
Original
Sample, 100 Cities |
Response
Group |
|
Mean Population |
265,536.4 |
324,424.3 |
|
Median Population |
141,993 |
135,160 |
What was the total annual budget for your entire
office in 1998?
mean
$42.5 million; n=32
How many full-time staff members did your office
have in 1998? mean 443; n=37
How many full-time attorneys did your office employ
in 1998? mean 144; n=37
Administrative
Procedures and Practices Questions
Does your office have staff that are devoted to or
specialize in prosecuting bias or hate crimes? (by hate crimes we mean crimes
committed because of the victims race, ethnicity, gender, disability, or sexual
orientation)
43.2% no
56.8% yes
n=37
Does your office require training for your staff on
the identification prosecution of hate or bias crimes?
48.6% no
51.4% yes
n=37
Does your office have any programs or make any special
efforts to hire persons from the following groups?
--African
Americans 37.5% No 62.5% Yes
--Hispanics 43.8% No 56.3% Yes
--Asian
Americans 50% No 50% Yes
--Native
Americans 59.4% No 40.6% Yes
--Lesbians
and gays 56.3% No 43.8% Yes
n=32
Implementation
Effort Questions
On a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 meaning not serious
at all and 10 meaning very serious, please rate your perception of how seriously your staff members (including
lawyers) take hate crimes and the enforcement of hate crime laws
|
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Mean |
|
N=36 |
0% |
0% |
5.6% |
0% |
0% |
13.9 % |
0% |
0% |
13.9% |
16.7% |
63.9% |
9.28 |
On a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 meaning poor and 10
being excellent, please rate your perception of your police department's effort
to track, classify, and report hate crime incidents (in percent)
|
|
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 |
Mean |
|
N=35 |
0% |
2.9 |
0 |
5.7 |
2.9 |
8.6 |
0 |
5.7 |
25.7 |
14.3 |
31.4 |
8.00 |
Based on your knowledge of the behavior of hate
crime victims would you say that hate
crime victims:
0.0%
never report hate crimes
14.3% often do not report hate crimes
48.6% sometimes do not sometimes do report hate
crimes
37.1% often do report hate crimes
0.0%
always report hate crimes
n=35
Please rate the degree to which local groups
concerned about hate crimes attempt to influence your office's activities
related to hate crimes:
8.3%
Never try to influence our activities related to hate crimes
16.7% Almost never try to influence our activities
58.3% Sometimes do not sometimes do try to
influence our activities
16.7% Often try to influence our activities
0.0%
Always try to influence our activities
n=36
Based on your experience, how much impact do you
think hate crime laws have on reducing the number of hate crimes in your city?
13.9% No impact
30.6% Very little impact
33.3% Some impact
22.2% Quite a bit of impact
0.0%
A very large impact
n=36
How strongly do you agree with the following
statement "Hate motivated crimes are more serious than other, similar but
non-bias motivated crimes."
8.1%
Strongly disagree
5.4%
Disagree
24.3% Neither disagree or agree
48.6% Agree
13.5% Strongly agree
n=37
Obstacles
to Prosecution
How much of a problem is lack of funding in your
office’s efforts to prosecute hate crimes?
75.0% Not a problem
11.1% Slight problem
11.1% Problem
0.0%
Severe problem
2.8%
Severe and continuing problem
n=36
How much of a problem is lack of training in your
office’s efforts to prosecute hate crime laws?
50.0% Not a problem
47.2% Slight problem
2.8%
Problem
0.0%
Severe problem
0.0%
Severe and continuing problem
n=36
How much of a problem is resistance from police
officers in your office’s efforts to prosecute hate crimes?
58.3% Not a problem
38.9% Slight problem
2.8%
Problem
0.0%
Severe problem
0.0%
Severe and continuing problem
n=36
How much of a problem is a lack of cooperation from
police department officials your office’s efforts to prosecute hate crimes?
80.6% Not a problem
16.7% Slight problem
2.8%
Problem
0.0%
Severe problem
0.0%
Severe and continuing problem
n=36
How concerned have local politicians in your city
been about the issue of hate crime in the past three years?
5.6%
Not at all concerned
38.9% Somewhat concerned
41.7% Concerned
13.9% Very concerned
n=36
Hypothetical Scenario Questions
How likely is it that the police officers on the
scene will classify the crime as a hate crime? (in percent)
|
|
0 Very Unlikely |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 Very Likely |
Mean |
|
N=36 |
5.6 |
0 |
0 |
5.6 |
5.6 |
16.7 |
2.8 |
11.1 |
11.1 |
25 |
16.7 |
6.97 |
How likely is it that an arrest will be made in the
case?
|
|
0 Very Unlikely |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 Very Likely |
Mean |
|
N=36 |
8.3 |
0 |
2.8 |
5.6 |
8.3 |
11.1 |
0 |
11.1 |
16.7 |
22.2 |
13.9 |
6.61 |
How likely is it that the district attorney will
pursue the case?
|
|
0 Very Unlikely |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 Very Likely |
Mean |
|
N=36 |
11.1 |
0 |
0 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
11.1 |
5.6 |
11.1 |
11.1 |
13.9 |
30.6 |
7.06 |
How likely is it that a conviction will be made in
the case?
|
|
0 Very Unlikely |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
9 |
10 Very Likely |
Mean |
|
N=36 |
11.1 |
0 |
0 |
2.8 |
2.8 |
30.6 |
0 |
5.6 |
11.1 |
25 |
11.1 |
6.36 |