Crime Reduction - Helping to Reduce Crime in Your Area

Performance and increased reporting

How can I avoid being penalised for increased levels of reporting?

How can we discourage false reporting?

How can I avoid being penalised for increased levels of reporting?

• We are aware that action partners take to tackle criminal damage incidents may result in an apparent increased in recorded criminal damage. We recognise that this can create a peverse incentive that may make partnerships less likely to tackle criminal damage.
• When setting targets on criminal damage, we expect recorded crime figures to be used as the primary source of data to measure whether targets have been met. However, we recognise that recorded criminal damage figures may rise as a result of increased reporting.
• Although challenging, Police, Local Authorities and CDRPs will be in a much stronger position to explain performance (to the public, Home Office and others) if they have evidence of actions taken, with times, thought to have affected criminal damage recording and can make links between actions taken and recorded crime increases.
  

How can we discourage false reporting?

• Where false reporting is suspected, you may wish to consider asking for a report to be made in person at a police station where more detailed questions can be asked about when and how the damage occurred.
• You may wish to consider locally with your housing associations whether you can put arrangements in place which mean householders will be covered for repair to costs resulting from accidental damage. This may reduce the temptation for householders to report damage as a crime when it is accidental in order to get repairs free of charge. Some housing associations do not insist on a police crime number when tenants first report the need for repair and only require it when the damage is caused by criminal action.
• Do bear in mind that damage to property can be a sign of more serious offending such as domestic violence, hate crimes or escalating neighbour disputes. Where tenants report criminal damage to their home, reports should be thoroughly investigated. Housing associations can work with local police to investigate and, where necessary, take measures to improve security. Any procedures should comply with the National Crime Recording Standard and should not deter those with genuine reports.
• Whilst reducing false reporting will provide a more accurate picture of offending for problem solving, nationally only 1 in 3 crimes is reported, so the picture will still only be partial. Any effort to tackle false reporting will not give any real reduction in crime, so avoid putting too much effort in this direction.

Last update: Wednesday, April 02, 2008