Analyzing Criminal Cases: Arson Data Interpretation

The question asks us to find the number of solved Arson cases in the year 2015 as an approximate percentage of all the pending Arson cases from the year 2015 to 2020. To answer this, we need to extract the relevant data for Arson cases from the provided table and perform a couple of calculations.

Extracting Arson Case Data

Let's pull out the numbers for Arson cases for each year from 2015 to 2020, focusing on Registered and Pending cases.

Calculating Solved Arson Cases in 2015

The number of solved cases in a year is typically estimated by subtracting the pending cases from the registered cases in that year. For Arson cases in 2015:

Solved Arson Cases in 2015 = Registered Arson Cases in 2015 - Pending Arson Cases in 2015

Using the data from the table:

\begin{align*} \text{Solved Arson Cases (2015)} &= 55 \text{ (Thousands)} - 29 \text{ (Thousands)} \\ &= 26 \text{ (Thousands)}\end{align*}

So, there were 26 thousand solved Arson cases in 2015.

Calculating Total Pending Arson Cases (2015-2020)

Next, we need to sum up the pending Arson cases for all the years from 2015 to 2020.

Total Pending Arson Cases (2015-2020) = Pending (2015) + Pending (2016) + Pending (2017) + Pending (2018) + Pending (2019) + Pending (2020)

Summing the pending values from the table:

\begin{align*} \text{Total Pending Arson Cases (2015-2020)} &= 29 + 26 + 39 + 20 + 49 + 18 \text{ (Thousands)} \\ &= 181 \text{ (Thousands)}\end{align*}

The total pending Arson cases from 2015 to 2020 is 181 thousand.

Calculating the Required Percentage

Now, we need to find what percentage the solved Arson cases in 2015 (26 thousand) is of the total pending Arson cases from 2015 to 2020 (181 thousand).

Percentage = \left( \frac{\text{Solved Arson Cases in 2015}}{\text{Total Pending Arson Cases (2015-2020)}} \right) \times 100\%

Plugging in the calculated values:

\begin{align*} \text{Percentage} &= \left( \frac{26 \text{ (Thousands)}}{181 \text{ (Thousands)}} \right) \times 100\% \\ &= \frac{26}{181} \times 100\%\end{align*}

Let's calculate the value:

\frac{26}{181} \approx 0.143646

Percentage \approx 0.143646 \times 100\% \approx 14.36\%

We are asked for an approximate percentage. Looking at the options, 14.36% is closest to 15%.

Conclusion

The number of solved Arson cases in the year 2015 is approximately 15% of all the pending Arson cases from the year 2015 to 2020.

Revision Table: Arson Case Analysis

• Concept: Calculating solved cases.
• Method: Registered Cases - Pending Cases.
• Key Data: Arson cases from 2015-2020 table.
• Calculation 1: Solved Arson in 2015.
• Calculation 2: Total Pending Arson 2015-2020.
• Final Step: Percentage calculation and approximation.

Additional Information: Understanding Criminal Case Statistics

When analyzing criminal case data presented in tables like this, it's important to understand the terms used:

• Registered Cases: These are the new cases that have been officially recorded by the authorities during a specific period.
• Pending Cases: These are cases that are still active or unresolved at the end of a specific period. They might be under investigation, awaiting trial, or going through the judicial process.
• Solved Cases: While often estimated as Registered minus Pending for a single year, the term "solved" in official statistics can sometimes refer to cases where an offender has been identified, arrested, and charged (cleared by arrest) or cleared under exceptional circumstances. The calculation used in this problem (Registered - Pending) gives a rough idea of cases that moved out of the 'pending' category, which could include solved cases, dismissed cases, etc., but is the standard approach for this type of data interpretation question unless otherwise specified.

Analyzing trends in registered, pending, and solved cases over time helps understand the workload on the legal system, the effectiveness of law enforcement, and changes in crime rates.