NCJ Number
194622
Date Published
2001
Length
181 pages
Annotation
This report summarizes findings about ethnic minorities' experiences of, and attitudes about, crime and policing in Wales and England collected in the annual 2000 British Crime Survey.
Abstract
The size of the study was 23,285 participants who completed a series of questionnaires in 1999, when crime was declining from its peak in 1995. Males between the age of 16-29 were more likely to be stopped than females or older adults. Muggers were overrepresented among Blacks and Indians experienced the most burglaries. Regardless of how an individual came into contact with the police (car stop or on foot), Blacks were more likely to be searched than any other group and Blacks were the least likely to be satisfied with the interaction. Ethnic minorities were more likely to be stopped in their cars than were whites, and minority groups were less likely to say the officer was polite. The likelihood of a minority being robbed was about three times higher than for white persons. The number of racially motivated incidences in 1999 was 280,000, close to 1993 statistics of 291,000. The risk of being a victim of a racially motivated crime was highest among persons from Pakistan and Bangladesh at 4.2 percent, followed by persons of Indian descent at 3.6 percent; Blacks at 2.2 percent and whites at 0.3 percent. The largest gap in satisfaction between whites and minority ethnic groups concerned racially motivated crimes. When reporting a crime, white victims were more willing to cite the ethnicity of the offender than were ethnic minorities. Whites were more satisfied with the police response; Pakistanis and Bangladeshis were least satisfied. Less than 50 percent of victims were happy with the police keeping them informed after the initial contact. White victims reported more vehicle theft, whereas Black victims reported more violent personal offences. Victims rated the system less favorably than did a non-victims of crime. Older respondents who lived in inner city areas reported fear of crime, whereas young males reported a low fear of crime. It appears that police relations with ethnic minority groups need additional attention to increase confidence, which in turn, will increase reporting of crimes among the groups that are at greatest risk of victimization, and worry more about crime than whites. Recommendations for further research and study include the treatment of ethnic minorities, racially motivated crimes, confidence in the police, and anxiety about crime among minority groups. Tables, references, and appendices