Police Recorded Crime Statistics Essay

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Pages: 3

Police recorded crime statistics consist of recorded crimes from 43 territorial police forces, and the British transport police. Police recorded data differs from the Crime Survey for England and Wales in that it relies from reports from the public, therefore it does not include crimes that have not been reported, or that the police have decided not to record. These differences can affect the accuracy of the statistics, and the trust the public have in both crime statistics, and the police force.
The questionable accuracy of police recorded crime data derives partially from the fact that the recording of a crime is subject to the officer’s integrity. The Public Administration Select Committee (PASC) investigation, Caught Redhanded: Why we can’t rely on Police Recorded Crime Statistics, revealed that there was “strong evidence” that police under-recorded crimes, believing this was due to “lax compliance with agreed national standards of victim focussed crime recording.” This can be seen in Her Majesty's Inspectorate of
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The issue here is the willingness of the public to report crimes they are a victim of, or have witnessed. This inclination to report depends on factors such as the expectations of, faith in the police force, the ease of reporting, and the nature of the crime.8 With approximately 60% of crimes not reported to the police (2006, A Smith), it is clear that accuracy within police recorded data is flawed, as more than half of crimes are not reported to the police. Public reporting behaviour can also be influenced by high profile cases, which lead victims to step forward. The NSPCC reported that after Jimmy Saville scandal there was an 80% rise in in reported child sexual abuse cases.9 This suggests that there is “strength in numbers” when reporting crimes. However, this may affect the accuracy of the figures as it suggests that victims who feel alone may refrain from