How Can Crime Best Be Measured
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- Date Submitted: 11/16/2010 08:50 AM
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How can crime best be measured? What is the general picture of crime that emerges from data on crime?
How can crime best be measures? In my opinion I find that the best way we could measure crime is by official statistics and the British crime survey (BCS). Some crimes and offences may not be recorded for many reasons for example the victim may be unaware that a crime has been perpetrated. This is especially likely if the crime is one against a large corporation such as shop lifting also the victim may be worried about other consequences of reporting, such as court. There may also be a fear of reprisals.The police also have a statutory obligation to record crimes. There are a number of rules for the collecting of criminal statistics, by the police, but the basic criteria for recording an incident as a crime are:
· There must be prima facie evidence, in the eyes of the police, that a notifiable offence has been committed.
· The case must be sufficiently serious to merit police attention-i.e.; any identified offender should in the normal course be prosecuted, cautioned or dealt with in some other formal way.
Here are some of the main police recorded crimes:
· Sexual offences
· Criminal damage
· Violence against the person
· Burglary
· Robbery
· Theft
· Fraud and forgery
The British crime survey stabilises after long periods if reduction. They also represent an important means of countering some of these problems and also providing an additional authoritative source of crime statistics. If crime as indicated by the British crime survey is substantially greater than suggested by police statistics it is still far less than the actual figure, if that could be known.
A Further factor that appears to affect the level of recorded offences is the number of police officers. The fewer officers, the lower the officially recorded crime rates will be. This may be coincidence but may also...
How can crime best be measures? In my opinion I find that the best way we could measure crime is by official statistics and the British crime survey (BCS). Some crimes and offences may not be recorded for many reasons for example the victim may be unaware that a crime has been perpetrated. This is especially likely if the crime is one against a large corporation such as shop lifting also the victim may be worried about other consequences of reporting, such as court. There may also be a fear of reprisals.The police also have a statutory obligation to record crimes. There are a number of rules for the collecting of criminal statistics, by the police, but the basic criteria for recording an incident as a crime are:
· There must be prima facie evidence, in the eyes of the police, that a notifiable offence has been committed.
· The case must be sufficiently serious to merit police attention-i.e.; any identified offender should in the normal course be prosecuted, cautioned or dealt with in some other formal way.
Here are some of the main police recorded crimes:
· Sexual offences
· Criminal damage
· Violence against the person
· Burglary
· Robbery
· Theft
· Fraud and forgery
The British crime survey stabilises after long periods if reduction. They also represent an important means of countering some of these problems and also providing an additional authoritative source of crime statistics. If crime as indicated by the British crime survey is substantially greater than suggested by police statistics it is still far less than the actual figure, if that could be known.
A Further factor that appears to affect the level of recorded offences is the number of police officers. The fewer officers, the lower the officially recorded crime rates will be. This may be coincidence but may also...