Measuring Crime and the Prevalence of Crime

police data only provide information on those criminal offenses that have come to the attention of police

Jurisdictions have the same rules for recording crime

not all crimes reported to police are actually recorded by police

data is limited to the particulars of information collected by police and the level and accuracy of detail recorded in respective systems

different recorded crime rates may be a reflection of policing practices and community attitudes

not all crimes committed are reported to the police

changes in recorded crime rates may be a reflection of changes in policing practices and community attitudes

concerns about reliving the event by retelling the storing

Information of criminal offences that have come to the attention of police

Crime that is not detected or reported

The Uniform Crime Report- information formally recording crime from a whole population e.g. the International Crime Survey

Administrative data - including records maintained by the police, courts, corrective services and hospitals

National Database- ongoing statistics recorded and accumulated daily on database

Crime victimisation surveys - these survey the general population and seek to obtain information including which crimes are reported to police and those that are not and why

number

sample

ratio

correlational statistics

rate

Rarely reported crime: drug offenses, copyright, white collar crime

When the victim is not at fault: sexual abuse (rape), domestic violence

the belief that the incident was too trivial or unimportant

fear they may be at fault

that the offence was a personal matter or would take care of it themselves

cultural barriers

worry for their own safety

concerns about reliving the event by retelling the story

fear of police and their reactions

expectations around police reaction

lack of understanding the criminal justice system

Fallen since 1900's. 18th year of falling rates. All crimes have gone down.

Fallen since the 1980's. 17th year of falling crime rates. Crime have gone up.

Help understand macro crime patterns

Give an indication of where laws should be implemented

For comparison of previous years to discover trends in crime

Basis for where criminologists to explain crime

Help understand micro crime patterns

Show where police should concentrate resources to reduce crime

Give statistics that are accessible to all departments and current affairs

1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police interpretations/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Changing definitions of crime and the role of government/policy

1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police position/relationship/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Changing definitions of crime and the role of government/policy

1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Fear of police reinforcements 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Changing definitions of crime and the role of government/policy

1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police interpretations/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Consequences of government/policy

1. Not all crime is reported or recorded 2. Police interpretations/bias/activity 3. Laws vary from state to state 4. Media attention and reporting

A national survey where offenses are recorded and documentation over a period of time.

A sample of the population, either locally or nationally, is asked which offenses have been committed against them over a period of time.

Where victims of crime record their account of offenses over a period of time.

Statistic from a population, either locally or nationally, where offenses are recorded by people who have have been subject to them over a period of time.

Uncover selected offenses

Overcomes the "dark figure" of crime

Overcomes the "hidden figure" of crime

Allows to measure the extent of crime in community and reasons for not reporting

Gives a picture of the extent and patterns of victimisation

Trends over time

Dependent upon people who are aware of being victims in crime

Recollections are biased or faulty

Does not reveal victim-perpetrator relationships

Fail to capture youth and homeless people

Accounts are incorrect

Not enough people are willing to report and therefore small sample size

Unwillingness to report

Categorise and overlook a range of crimes

Unreliable source

Offence definitions

Counting rules

Police recording practices

All of the above