NCJ Number
139082
Journal
EuroCriminology Volume: 2 Dated: (1988) Pages: 129-137
Date Published
1988
Length
9 pages
Annotation
Criminal statistics should provide information on penal proceedings and the criminal threat for a given area, law enforcement agency caseloads, criminal justice system effectiveness, criminality, and prosecution.
Abstract
Deficiencies of current criminal statistics systems relate to the lack of methodological solutions, the focus on simply counting facts, the need to assess the value of statistics, and the need to have a training system for personnel who specialize in criminal statistics. Criminal statistics do not necessarily reflect the detectability of offenders and do not always provide sufficient information needed to shape crime prevention guidelines. The author proposes that a group of experts be established to assess the functioning of existing criminal statistics systems, evaluate the implementation of appropriate system goals, determine system costs, operationalize basic system concepts (such as crime, criminality, and detectability), and coordinate computer science with the fields of economics and culture. Experts should include jurists, computer science specialists, statisticians, physicians, economists, and psychologists. A correctly functioning criminal statistics system should be based on the following criteria: purposefulness, reliability, and validity of information; coordination in collecting and processing information; reducing to a minimum the cost of information; and rapid information transmission and availability. The relation between criminal statistics and social and economic policy development is discussed.