Population and Crime in the Dutch Antilles - Citizen Experiences of Crime, Victim Reporting Behavior and Attitudes Toward Police - A Population Survey

• NCJ Number: 87297
• Author(s): J L P Spickenheuer
• Date Published: 1982
• Length: 71 pages
• Corporate Author: Netherlands Ministry of Justice
• Sale Source: Staatsuitgeverij; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Country: Netherlands
• Note: Research and Documentation Center Study 34

Annotation

Prompted by an observation of decreasing citizen crime reporting in the Dutch Antilles, a survey of a representative population sample was undertaken to ascertain the extent of victimization and public attitudes toward the police.

Abstract

The survey was conducted on the islands of Curacao, Aruba, Bonaire, and Saint Maarten. Interviewed citizens were asked to report if they had ever been victimized by certain crimes (e.g., burglary, joyriding, theft from a car, street robbery, property damage, assault, and hit-and-run accidents), if they had notified the police, and their reasons for not reporting an incident. Also queried were fear of crime, willingness to report future victimizations, and satisfaction with police performance. Of all Dutch Antilleans surveyed (2,500), 33 percent had been victims of crime, with Curacao having the highest victimization rate and Aruba and Bonaire the lowest. About 50 percent of the victims had notified the police, half of whom expressed dissatisfaction with the police response to a reported incident. Nevertheless, 90 percent of all respondents intend to report a victimization in the future. More than one-third also showed fear of crime, which was particularly strong among Curacaoans. Only 6 percent indicated satisfaction with police performance; overall, the survey demonstrated rather weak citizen knowledge of police work and its priorities. Tabular data are provided. The appendix contains additional study data.