Paul Wiles

1
Plans for developing crime surveys Alison
Walker Programme Director - Crime Surveys RDS
Crime Reduction Community Safety Group
2
Comment from the Smith Review

• The British Crime Survey is a high-quality
  survey that has contributed significantly to the
  Home Offices and to public understanding of
  crime trends over the last 25 years. It is also
  a very important research tool and has led the
  development of new crime reduction programmes,
  services for victims and improved the quality of
  the criminal justice system. We believe that
  nothing should be done to undermine the quality
  and importance of the BCS. However, it is clear
  that the BCS has shortcomings that need
  addressing.

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Issues identified by Smith

• Under 16s
• People living in group residences
• Commercial and industrial victimisation
• Victimisation of the homeless and those in
  institutions research
• Survey advisory board part of larger HO
  initiative

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Under 16s what do we need to consider?

• Types of crime
• Age range
• Sampling
• Mode of collection
• Alternatives to BCS

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Under 16s types of crime and age range

• Age range
• Offending Crime and Justice Survey 10-25
• Types of crime
• BCS household BCS personal other issues
  specific to under 16s (eg bullying)
• Development work
• Talk to young people and their advocates

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Under 16s sample and mode of collection

• Sampling
• Extend BCS to under 16s and take one person per
  household (household information?)
• Select 10-15 in addition to adult (time and
  response)
• Mode of collection
• Face to face as main adult interview
• Self completion possible use of audio CASI

7
Under 16s alternative to BCS model

• School based surveys
• Advantages
• Larger sample at same cost or same sample at
  reduced cost
• Possible to use web based interview
• Disadvantages
• Access and response (schools and parents)
• Group effect
• Lack of control over interview situation and
  timing

8
People living in group residences
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People living in group residences

• Students, nurses, old people
• Types of crime
• Sampling

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People living in group residences

• Could cover BCS personal but BCS household would
  need to be differently defined (eg room based)
• Issues will vary between different groups
• nurses violence at work
• old people - carer violence and theft
• confused elderly, who would we interview?

11
People living in group residences - sampling

• No existing comprehensive lists
• Possible method based on sample of areas and
  enumeration but costly
• Could use household links

12
Commercial and industrial victimisation

• A fuller picture of crime would be available if
  regular surveys were carried out of commercial
  and industrial victimisation. In doing so,
  particular attention could be paid to some more
  vulnerable sectors such as the self employed and
  small businesses, because they are more likely to
  rely on public resources for responding to
  crime.

13
Commercial and industrial victimisation
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Commercial and industrial victimisation issues
to consider

• Range of sectors
• Types of crime
• Sampling and mode of collection

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Commercial and industrial victimisation range
of sectors

• Smith A fuller picture of crime versus more
  vulnerable sectors such as the self employed and
  small businesses
• Issues will vary by sector
• Approach may vary by sector
• Consider alternating sectors in different years

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Commercial and industrial victimisation type of
crime

• Varies by sector eg fraud, shoplifting
• Incidents versus effect
• Cost
• Other effects eg fear of crime
• ASB

17
Commercial and industrial victimisation
sampling and contact

• Need for a complete list of businesses business
  database might not be complete
• Premise based or head office
• Identifying the right person to speak to
  responsible for security
• .. but they may have a vested interest in what
  information they share!

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Commercial and industrial victimisation mode
of collection

• Face to face better quality data but expensive
• Postal less burden but also less control and
  response is a problem
• Telephone either to make contact or to conduct
  the interview
• Web based possible for most business but not
  all lack of control over administration
• Previous CVS used mixed mode, quantitative,
  qualitative and postal to head office

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What next?

• Much work to be done!
• The Home office will be issuing contracts to
  conduct much of this development work. Under 16s
  and group residence development starting in very
  near future
• CVS development towards the end of 07/08

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Final question

• Are we trying to create a better total count of
  crime or as Smith says provide a fuller
  picture

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More information

• http//www.statscom.org.uk/uploads/files/reports/C
  rime_Statistics_Review-final.pdf
• http//www.statscom.org.uk/uploads/files/reports/c
  rime_stats_interim_report.pdf
• http//www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/crime-stat
  istics-independent-review-06.pdf
• Alison.walker_at_homeoffice.gsi.gov.uk