Do you know what your local crime rate is?
Do you care what it is?
Do you fear being the victim of crime.
Generally, research shows that the fear of crime far outstrips the crime rate.
Is it a case therefore that the actual level of crime is immaterial?
Are the police service therefore better off concentrating on reducing the fear of crime rather than crime itself?
Do you care what it is?
Do you fear being the victim of crime.
Generally, research shows that the fear of crime far outstrips the crime rate.
Is it a case therefore that the actual level of crime is immaterial?
Are the police service therefore better off concentrating on reducing the fear of crime rather than crime itself?
Here's a link to the Home Office web site. How relevant are the figures to you, are they helpful?
2 comments:
Hi Richard
If I wanted to find out about my local crime rates (I live in Lambeth, South London) where would I go. Do you have any web links to relevant web sites?
You mention research about fear of crime? Do you have any links to this research? Or does anyone else out there have any links?
I quick Google search led me to an interesting powerpoint presentation about fear of crime in Merton, for example:
http://www.jdi.ucl.ac.uk/downloads/conferences/fourth_nat_map_conf/Slides%202006/4thNCMC%204A%20Williams.pdf
cheers
timw
Hi Richard,
To add spice to the debate, Dr Stephen Farrall at Keele University has some very helpful research on fear of crime www.keele.ac.uk/depts/cr/farrallweb04/
farrallweb.htm
For instance memories of crime up to 12 years old inform people's fear levels today. He debunks some of the current hand wringing!
Please give Paul my regards, we were on the OCP together in 1998 at Bramshill when I was in D & C.
Writing as a retired police officer, I wonder whether the programme could give a real flavour as to the uniqueness of the service e.g. restrictions on private lives; real levels of cover, being the 24 hour 'social vacuum cleaner' particularly on nights; the lie about 'more cops on the streets' - that argument is like saying the place for hospital consultants is walking the hospital corridors wearing stethoscopes rather than consulting or operating. Police officers will inevitably be off the streets when they research intelligence; interview their prisoners and if needs be attend court to give evidence.
All the best for your show.
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