Sociology Plus
Crime Statistics Definition
Crime statistics refer to a range of official figures used to measure various aspects of criminal activity, including detection rates, clear-up rates, and conviction rates. These statistics are often considered ‘soft’ because their collection and compilation are subject to social negotiation at every stage. In England and Wales, these official statistics are compiled from the records of ‘notifiable offences’ that each police force is required to assemble.
Reliability and Biases
There is ongoing debate regarding the reliability of these official figures as true indicators of crime incidence, as they primarily record only reported crime. Numerous biases and sources of inaccuracy exist within the collection process. For instance, certain categories of crime, such as white-collar crimes or offences committed by women, appear to be systematically underrecorded due to police decision-making regarding prosecution. Conversely, other categories, such as ‘mugging’ or drug offences, which attract significant public concern, may receive disproportionate police attention. Furthermore, variations in the efficiency of data collection exist both across different police forces and over time.
Alternative Data Sources
An alternative method for assessing crime incidence involves using crime surveys (e.g., Jones et al., 1986). These surveys suggest that official statistics often underestimate the actual frequency of certain criminal categories; for example, in Britain, official figures may underestimate the incidence of crimes like vandalism and minor thefts by a factor of five, with smaller but still substantial underrecording occurring across other categories.