Reduction in Reported Crime May Be a Bad Thing
Kim Workman writes: “The 2010 6.8% drop in reported crime, may have very little to do with increased Police numbers, tasers, digital communications, and crime fighting” says Kim Workman, Director of Rethinking Crime and Punishment. “It may have more to do with public reluctance to report offences to the Police”. He was commenting on the Minster’s media release which credited the crime drop to Police crime fighting techniques.
“The 2009 NZ Crime and Safety Survey puts the issue of who reports crime into perspective. While the victims surveyed were prepared to report property offences, violent offences were seriously underreported. Ninety four percent of assaults and 62% of robberies and theft were not captured in Police statistics. The prospect of car loads of Police arriving to investigate an assault or robbery armed with tasers, and firearms, may in fact discourage the public from seeking help.”
“Of those who chose not to report offences to the Police, 24% said they felt that the Police either could not, or would not, have done anything to help, or were too busy to deal with the matter. Another 20% said they considered the matter to be private”.
An increase in reported crime may be a positive thing, and the history of family violence reporting is evidence of this. Around 2006, the “It’s Not OK” campaign resulted in an increase in family violence reporting. In 2007/8 family violence reporting went up by 28.1 percent, in 2008/2009 they went up by 13.1 per cent, and in 2009/2010 by 8.5% .. This year’s 1.2% percent increase indicates that the reporting of family violence is flattening out, and we may have a more accurate measure of the problem. There is also evidence that the actual incidence of family violence is reducing. The New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey showed a drop in the incidence of confrontational offences by partners from 22 crimes per 100 adults in 2005, to 14 per 100 in 2008.
“The Police can take a lot of credit for this result. Instead of responding to family violence by arresting and charging the offender on every occasion, they have responded to each incident on its merits. Some offenders and their whanau and family have been referred to community agencies for support and counselling, or treatment. Trust and respect for the Police has increased, and vulnerable families and communities are more likely to seek their help. Those families would not have responded the same way faced with the prospect of tasers and firearms.”
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