Public perception and actual police recorded crime in Cornwall and Devon - Essay Example

?Public perception and actual police recorded crime in Cornwall and Devon: A comparative Study Introduction Crime is the breach of law or rules against an existing authority or a set of convictions in a particular region. Crimes are of various types and different societies have defined crimes differently. The modern society is panic considering the increasing rate of crimes like vehicle crime, burglary, theft, robbery, violence, and so on. One of the great threats of the modern world is from terrorism that many regard it as the combination of various crimes. Any nation, or culture, will have concerns regarding the way crimes are increasing and creating disruptions in the social life. The twentieth and the twenty-first centuries have witnessed a rising trend in this context. Though there are countries claiming as reducing the percentage of crime rates, various studies have identified them as vice-versa. Everyday, significant events are dramatically reported in modern media which in reality may not be the factual portrayal of a real situation. Further there is a perception among the people that the crimes rates are really high and the authorities secrete it from the general public. However, to unveil the reality, that is, whether the crimes rates are really amplifying or dwindling as the perceptions of the majority, one has to wade through many and varied studies conducted overtime. This is quite applicable to Cornwall and Devon where one can identify the disparities between the public perception and actual recorded crime. The paper seeks to explore certain realities concerning the actual crime rate of Cornwall and Devon, and the study is proposed on the grounds that the public perception of crime in Cornwall and Devon is higher than the recorded crime rate, though both mark the reduction in the crime rate. Recorded crime is decreasing Various studies conducted overtime has identified that the recoded crime is showing the tendency to decrease. Media has conducted various such studies and one of such significant studies can be seen with BBC when reporting that ‘Recorded crime in Devon and Cornwall has gone down by 12% in a year’ (BBC News). In order to prove this fact the report presents various data that help support the study. By referring to the figures of the Home Office, it has reported that Devon and Cornwall have retained their position as the fourth safest policing area in England and Wales. The news report continues to describe that ‘Over the 12-month period to June, the government statistics for the region show there were 54 crimes per 1,000 people’ (BBC News). However, one can identify significant reduction in burglary vehicle crime and violence, when sexual offences and drug crimes marked as rising. This is indicative of the alarming growth of sexual offences and drug crimes that really impedes the smooth flow of social life. One of the main threats of the modern world is from the sexual offences and drug crimes the percentage of which has been reported as increasing. Devon and Cornwall is not an exception regarding sexual offences and drug crimes. The study of the Devon and Cornwall police makes it clear when they report 15% rise in sexual offences (BBC News). The police have also identified the reasons for its growth as the increasing support available to the victims. Similarly, drug use also has very marked that one of the reports has clearly stated it as 6% increase in recorded drug offences (BBC News). As per the recorded crime rate, Devon and Cornwall have witnessed 89,734 crimes between 1 July 2009 and 30 June 2010 - 12,300 fewer than the previous year (BBC News). Analysing these studies one can see the perception of the police force about the crime rate is decreasing—marked with 12,300 lesser than the previous year, and as such, they infer that Cornwall and Devon is a safe place to live, work and visit. In order to prove the crime reductions they provide sufficient data as follows: vehicle crime down 19%, criminal damage down 19%, burglary down 13%, theft down 12%, robbery down 11%, and violence down 5% (BBC News). As per the police recorded crime one can infer that the crime is showing the tendency of decreasing that majority express very effective diminishing rate. Various surveys conducted to evaluate and compare the recorded crime have brought out significant studies. This is very evident when observing the notable differences between the crime rates of UK as a whole and Devon and Cornwall. As the study proposes, the perception of the public about crimes in Devon and Cornwall, and the recorded crime of the police is different. BBC resorts to the study of the British Crime Survey to estimate the public perception of crime in UK and in Devon and Cornwall. According to this study, the report says, “The public perception of crime and anti-social behaviour in Devon and Cornwall was also lower than the average for the UK” (BBC News). This study makes clear the fact that there is possibility for the recorded crime rates to be much less than the public perception. BBC News Devon has clearly identified the crime figures of Devon and Cornwall in the report entitled; Devon and Cornwall crime figures show 11% reduction. BBC resorts to the crime figures released by the Home Office and reports, “Violence against the person, robbery and burglary have fallen; as have theft, criminal damage and vehicle crime” (BBC News Devon). As reported in the previous study, this report also agrees with the 15% increase of the sexual offences and 5% rise in drug use, marking 1% decrease with the former study. According to the police, people are becoming more and more aware about the malpractices, especially about the drunk-related sex offenses, and domestic and child abuse cases. Thus there is possibility for the crime rates to come down. But the research makes clear that the public perception about crime and anti social behaviour in Devon and Cornwall is quite different where ‘8% of the public believed there was a high level of anti-social behaviour in Devon and Cornwall, compared to a figure of 14% nationwide’ (BBC News Devon). Here also one can identify the disparity in the perceptions. Louise Vennells, in the online article, 8% drop in crime claims that he is presenting the accurate picture of crime figures in the UK. Through the article, Vennells, observes that ‘the number of offences in Devon and Cornwall dropped 8 percent in a year’ (Vennells). But for the general public they feel that actual crime rate is increasing. Vennells reveals the words of Shadow Home Secretary Chris Grayling make one gravely thinking of the disparity when he criticised the government’s passiveness in controlling the knife crime. Grayling claimed that there are 20% rise in the knife crimes in Devon and Cornwall. ‘But Devon and Cornwall has bucked the trend, with a 22.3 per cent drop in knifepoint robberies – down from 112 to 87, Vennells adds. Regarding this, one certainly says it noticeably brings out the disparity. The findings of the British Crime Survey (BCS) have unveiled certain underlying factors with regard to the public perception and the police recorded crime. BCS presented the study report after gathering data from the people about their experiences with regard to crime over the past years. Taking into account the Home Office's figures of crime, BCS has reported that ‘In Devon and Cornwall, 14 per cent of people said they had come into contact with crime at least once over the year, significantly lower than the total for England and Wales of 18 per cent’ (Vennells). But it should also be noted that "Of course, statistics are only part of the picture and offer no comfort to victims which is why it is encouraging that confidence at a local level is rising with nearly half of people saying they feel the police and local agencies are dealing with antisocial behaviour and crime in their area" (Vennells). Therefore, it actually supports the proposed research that the public perception is different from the police recorded crime. Statistical records and studies have released the fact that in comparison with other parts of the United Kingdom Devon and Cornwall keeps a diminishing status in crime rate in accordance with public perception and police records. Police reports and higher authorities have noticed that public confidence acts as a catalyst and it always contribute success in various programs like neighbourhood policing and community police system. Survey reports and records always support police records and they shows significant reduce in crime rate. Analysing various police records and statistics one can easily identify the fact that that Devon and Cornwall show a sign of reduce in crimes. The online article Devon and Cornwall shows an 11% reduction in recorded crime - 27 Jan 2011 by Anthony Charles rightly comments that “Devon & Cornwall Police recorded 88,344 crimes during the 12 months to September 2010, which equates to an 11% decrease when compared to the same period a year earlier” (Charles). Public perceptions about crime rate shows a different status in Devon and Cornwall and more than half of the people comment that police involvements for reducing crime rates in their area has less influence. Their perception about crime rate underlines difference with police records. Even there are some resemblances in crime rates that revealed in police records and public perception about Devon and Cornwall, reader would feel slight variation in public perception and police records. Police authorities remark that public confidence about reducing crime rate has played a vital role in keeping gradual decrease in crime rate. Studies also report that people in Devon and Cornwall believed substance abuse and alcoholism create problems in their area. But police records always documented the fact that the rate of drug related crimes has comparatively low status than the South West region and Wales. In case of neighbourhood crimes such as robbery burglary vehicle offences and substance abuse are normally investigated by the local police. Reader can identify that according to the police records most of the neighbouring crimes are being resolved at Devon and Cornwall. But the problem is that people argue that decreasing of vehicle and criminal offences, robbery, burglary, drug abuse and other kinds of neighbourhood crimes are appeared only in records. Crime and anti social behaviour (ASB) among the peer groups at Devon and Cornwall are still remained unchanged and keep a high status. In case of sexual offences the difference is very clear for a reader because police records provided only a vague idea about the crime rate. Here the rate of sexual offences challenges the recorded data about overall crime rate that took place at Devon and Cornwall. The online article entitled Crime rates continue to fall across the force area adds; “The figures show that there has been a 15% increase in sexual offences, but this is being largely attributed to better awareness from victims of support on offer to them and increased reporting as a result” (Devon and Cornwall Police). A large number of convicted sexual offenders have shown their unwillingness to surrender and most of them have followed their ongoing lifestyles. The problem is that police records have reported only limited number of offences and the remaining offenders create problems in the life of the people. Researcher cannot avoid the chance of repeating neighboring crimes like burglary, robbery and drug abuse and police often avoid this chance. Solved crimes in police records have often repeated and the rehabilitation programs were not effective. Police and higher authorities always have concentrated the recorded data about crime rates and they said that they would continue to work with local partnerships and ensure the force area remains safer place to live. This always regulates the public perceptions about increasing crime rates in Devon and Cornwall. Communication media has played a vital role in creating perceptions about crime rates among the people. In contemporary society, neighbouring crime has been given plenty of media attention and continues to give increasing interest in most western countries. Different from police records media pictures various stories that describe anti-social behaviour, drug abuse, violent crime, theft and sexual offences. These media representations deeply influence the process of making public perception about crime rate. Deterioration of various social values and norms such as respect, co-operation, tolerance and patience promotes contributory causes for public perceptions about increasing crime rate. Graeme Demianyk clearly analyses the words of Stephen Otter, Chief Constable of Devon and Cornwall by remarking; “People are worried about the disappearance of certain social norms – deference, respect, tolerance. Even in that society we're seeing an improvement in our safety levels” (Demianyk). Discussions & Findings The proposed study has identified certain factors with regard to the public perception and police recorded crime in Devon and Cornwall. The study has unveiled that the recorded crime rate is decreasing and former researches and surveys also ascertain the present study. One of the former studies have identified that the recorded crime in Devon and Cornwall has gone down by 12% in a year, even if sexual abuses and drug use was increasing. At the same time there is only a slight variation regarding the perceptions about the comparison of the percentage of crime between UK and Devon and Cornwall. A study report and graphic illustration of HMIC under the title; Crime Rates in the Devon and Cornwall force area (appendix -1) clearly presents the actual percentage of crimes. The study covered the crime level per 1,000 head of population and the crime rate in England and Wales during April 2008 to March 2009. The study focused on gun crime, knife crime, serious sexual offences, burglary, violent assault and vehicle crime. As per the study, violent assault and vehicle crime possess the first and the second place respectively with 6.2 and 5.1 percentage growth rates. Gun crime is in the lowest position with .04 percentage rise. Conclusion To conclude, one can infer that the public perception of crime in Cornwall and Devon is higher than the recorded crime rate, though both mark the reduction in the crime rate. The study has unveiled that the recorded crime rate is decreasing which has been identified from the previous studies. It has also been identified that the percentage of the police recorded crime is higher in UK when comparing it with the counties Devon and Cornwall. The recorded crime rate is lower because, as the people observe, the police either does not take actions against the criminals or they are not reporting all the crimes. Among the crimes, sexual offences and the drug use are the real threats to Devon and Cornwall and they are marking an increase in the percentage in the past years. However, one is sure that crimes and criminals should be controlled to ensure the better growth of a nation. Recommendations As a subject that relates fundamental rights of the people, government and police should ensure peaceful life for its people. In case of Devon and Cornwall, police records always show reduce in crime rate. But people said that crime rate has an increasing status in recent years. Analyzing the problem one can suggest following recommendations to get over these crises. a) Authorities ensure effective functioning of various police departments and their programs. b) Effective coordination between police and public is essential for handling crimes. c) Formation of special police force like community police to prevent neighboring crimes such as robbery, vehicle crimes, sexual offences and burglary. d) Give proper awareness to the people about various legal procedures and ensure public involvement in solved crimes. e) Organize police operations and rehabilitation programs in accordance with cultural and socio-economic backgrounds of the offender. f) Evaluates media representation in broadcasting crime stories. Works Cited: Charles, Anthony. Devon and Cornwall shows an 11% reduction in recorded crime 27 Jan 2011. Web. 25 Feb, 2011. http://neighbourhoodpolicing.devon-cornwall.police.uk/BCU-1663/Sector-1772/NB-1779/Pages/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=39 “Devon and Cornwall Police recorded crime falls by 12 %.” BBC News England. BBC News England. 21 Oct. 2010. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-11597070 “Devon and Cornwall crime figures show 11% reduction.” BBC News Devon. BBC News Devon. 20 Jan. 2011. Web. 25 Feb. 2011. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-12237588 Vennells, Louise. 8% drop in crime. This is Devon, 17 July. 2009. Web. 25 Feb. 2011 http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/news/Encouraging-statistics-reveal-8-offences-fall/article-1174159-detail/article.html Demianyk, Graeme Teens at risk of being demonised . Web. 25. Feb. 2011. http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/news/TEENS-RISK-DEMONISED/article-1935249-detail/article.html Devon and Cornwall Police. Crime rates continue to fall across the force area. 2010. Web. 25 Feb.2011. http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/NewsAppeals/Pages/NewsItem.aspx?Release=11450 Appendices Appendix -1 HMIC. Crime Rates in the Devon and Cornwall force area. Web. 25 Feb. 2011 http://www.hmic.gov.uk/PoliceReportCard/DevonandCornwall/Pages/Howsafeismyarea.aspx Read More