Recording information accurately and reliably is vital in targeting police resources to reduce crime and create safer communities – and police could do better, says the Audit Commission.
Crime Recording: Improving the Quality of Crime Records in Police Authorities and Forces in England and Wales looks at how well police forces and authorities record crime data.
While most are getting better, the report finds that more rapid progress is needed and that 60 per cent have yet to achieve the Home Office standard set two years ago. Four forces give serious cause for concern.
James Strachan, Audit Commission Chairman, said:
"Accurate crime recording is imperative if we are to reduce crime and make communities safer. This is not about unnecessary red tape, it is key to targeting police resources effectively and making sure public money is spent where it is most needed. That’s why the police set themselves this standard. The second year of our review shows improvements are not happening quickly enough in a number of authorities. This includes the Metropolitan Police, which deals with almost 18 per cent of all recorded crime in the country."
Auditors first reviewed all 43 police authorities and forces in 2003 and established a baseline. Earlier this year auditors assessed the progress made in complying with crime recording standards and the effectiveness of forces’ and authorities’ management arrangements to secure compliance. On the basis of its findings, the commission gave each authority and force a traffic light rating of green, amber or red.
Seventeen authorities are now meeting the overall national standard and are rated as green. This compares to 12 in 2003. Some 22 authorities have been rated as amber, compared to 21 in 2003. And four authorities are now categorised as red compared to ten last year. They are Cleveland, Cumbria, Metropolitan, and South Yorkshire.
Recording crime properly has an impact on real people’s lives, the commission points out. Forces taking appropriate action to correctly record an incident, such as burglary or violent assault, are far more likely to be able to protect the victim from future harm.
The report demonstrates that the general picture is one of improvement. Many forces have done a great deal of work in striving for compliance, especially in terms of the data quality element of the audit, where well over half of all forces are now meeting the required standard. But the fact remains, that 60 per cent of forces and authorities have not yet achieved the overall Home Office standard.
Auditors reviewed crime data in seven categories – disturbance, domestic violence, racial incidents, violent crime, criminal damage, burglary and vehicle crime. They found improved recording across the board particularly in the national government targets for burglary and vehicle crime.
Auditors found that the NCRS (National Crime Recording Standard) was given a high priority at almost all forces and they found evidence of a clear top-level commitment almost everywhere. They found improvements had been achieved through the use of strong administrative processes, backed up by clear management support, resource and training. But the report concludes that in forces and authorities where the quality of crime recording has deteriorated, stronger leadership and focus are needed.
You can download the report at the commission website. To order copies of any Audit Commission report, call 0800 502030.
