criminal law statistics in the UK
‘Thinking About Crime’
What are the main strengths and weaknesses of official crime statistics and victimisation surveys?
Looking at Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys can be very helpful when looking at the rates in which crimes are committed and the annual crime rate throughout the UK. This essay will cover the strengths and weaknesses of Official Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys. This will show if the strengths and weaknesses contradict each other. Presented within this essay you will find information about crime statistics and how they have changed over the past 30 years. Finally you will find a comparison of some of the crime rates and statistics from previous years dated back to the 1990’s.
Crime statistics and Victimization surveys have differed over the years as crime rates have risen and fallen depending on the rates they are consumed. When looking at the figures and facts you have to determine where the information has actually come from, whether you’re looking at a trustworthy source or not. Official Crime Statistics (OCS) is statistic’s that are published by the state that have been researched and recorded by the home office. When recording the numbers for crimes they look at the crimes that have been committed but also look into the offender’s social backgrounds. Once the results have been put together and reviewed they are published annually. Crime statistics come from the police to the home office but they are only published in the home office statistics if they are ‘noticeable offences’. Noticeable offences are the only the crimes that are reported to the home office by police (Heer, G. 2012). The more minor offences that stay in magistrate’s court and don’t go to crown court won’t get included in this. The BCS send out surveys which they have found have come back with people saying they have been victims of crime but never reporting it. This extends there results but they can’t say for definite as they have no evidence
What are the main strengths and weaknesses of official crime statistics and victimisation surveys?
Looking at Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys can be very helpful when looking at the rates in which crimes are committed and the annual crime rate throughout the UK. This essay will cover the strengths and weaknesses of Official Crime Statistics and Victimisation Surveys. This will show if the strengths and weaknesses contradict each other. Presented within this essay you will find information about crime statistics and how they have changed over the past 30 years. Finally you will find a comparison of some of the crime rates and statistics from previous years dated back to the 1990’s.
Crime statistics and Victimization surveys have differed over the years as crime rates have risen and fallen depending on the rates they are consumed. When looking at the figures and facts you have to determine where the information has actually come from, whether you’re looking at a trustworthy source or not. Official Crime Statistics (OCS) is statistic’s that are published by the state that have been researched and recorded by the home office. When recording the numbers for crimes they look at the crimes that have been committed but also look into the offender’s social backgrounds. Once the results have been put together and reviewed they are published annually. Crime statistics come from the police to the home office but they are only published in the home office statistics if they are ‘noticeable offences’. Noticeable offences are the only the crimes that are reported to the home office by police (Heer, G. 2012). The more minor offences that stay in magistrate’s court and don’t go to crown court won’t get included in this. The BCS send out surveys which they have found have come back with people saying they have been victims of crime but never reporting it. This extends there results but they can’t say for definite as they have no evidence