Crime Statistics:
Community Indicators
What makes crime a complex
issue?
crime is a "hidden" event and can be difficult to
describe
crime is a local phenomenon: variations
between neighbourhoods are important
conceptual issues can be complex
obtaining data directly is dependent on police
records or on special purpose surveys
ƒ police data tied to legal definitions
ƒ surveys are expensive and have limitations
Example indicators
prevalence of crime at national, state and
community levels
reported and unreported crimes - rates of
reporting
"nuisance" incidents - graffiti, being "hassled" or
abused
perceptions of safety and beliefs about
community crime levels
Possible data sources
national crime victimisation surveys
ƒ Crime and Safety survey, Personal Safety
survey, International Crime Victims survey
state or community level surveys
information from police records of
recorded crime
information from other agencies
Data sources: surveys
can provide information relating to:
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unreported crime
fear of crime
beliefs about levels of crime
"nuisance" incidents which are significant to
the community but are not reported
can examine personal characteristics of
victims and non-victims
allows state, national and international
comparisons
Data sources: surveys
(continued)
limitations include:
ƒ small range of offences collected
ƒ small area data difficult to collect
ƒ matching survey language to legal definitions
is problematic
ƒ may be too infrequent for regular monitoring
ƒ different cultural understandings of crime can
affect international comparisons
Data sources: police data
comprehensive data available
ƒ all offences
ƒ all geographical areas
limitations include:
ƒ no data for unreported crime
ƒ dependent on policies and procedures of
different police agencies
ƒ legislative frameworks specific to
jurisdictions
Data developments: surveys
ABS survey review conducted
ƒ recommendation of new model involving:
ƒ annual monitoring of headline offences and
fear of crime
ƒ less frequent survey collection of complex
offences
–eg) domestic and family violence, sexual
assault and "emerging" crimes
questions for national surveys could be made
available to allow same framework for local area
Data developments: police
data
new national crime recording standard
established
ƒ based on scenarios and behaviours
ƒ makes mapping survey and admin data
easier
ƒ once implemented, small area data would
be attainable across jurisdictions
ƒ proposed pilot study in NSW and WA on
small area property crime data
ƒ potential for international use
Other crime and justice data
data on offenders
ƒ development of offenders proceeded
against by police and their characteristics
ƒ possibility for small area data
recidivism
ƒ looking at possibility of "re-contact"
measurement: includes re-contact with
police, courts, corrective services,
juvenile justice.
Other issues
current gap for crimes against
businesses in crime victimisation
surveys
ƒ needed for costs of crime to the community
currently working with justice agencies
to get better indigenous victims and
offenders data