The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports
Summary
Our review of police crime and incident reports in England and Wales considers the quality of crime and incident data, and the arrangements in place to ensure standards are maintained and improved.
It is important for police forces to have high quality data to ensure they can establish where, when and how often crime and anti-social behaviour (ASB) is happening so they can plan their work to achieve the best outcomes for victims and communities. It also means that the public, Government and HMIC can get an accurate picture of crime and ASB in a particular area.
The review found that the majority of forces are performing well, and some progress has been made since HMIC’s 2009 report Crime Counts: A review of data quality for offences of the most serious violence (PDF, 320KB, new window) (PDF document). However, there remains wide variation in accuracy.
The process for recording crimes and incidents
The crime recording process has three key stages:
- Recording an incident: A member of the public calls for police assistance, or a police officer observes or discovers a crime. The police create an incident record.
- Recording a crime: If the police decide a crime was committed, they create a crime record (usually straight away).
- Investigating a crime: Investigations begin as soon as possible, usually with initial enquiries which look for possible leads and gather evidence (a ‘primary investigation’). A more detailed, ‘secondary investigation’ then takes place to consider the evidence gathered in the initial stages.
Get the report
Get the free PDF Reader from Adobe (external link)
Individual force reports
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Avon and Somerset Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Bedfordshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Cambridgeshire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Cheshire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – City of London Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Cleveland Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Cumbria Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Derbyshire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Devon and Cornwall Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Dorset Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Durham Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Dyfed-Powys Police
Adolygiad o adroddiadau troseddau a digwyddiadau heddlu – Heddlu Dyfed Powys
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Essex Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Gloucestershire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Greater Manchester Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Gwent Police
Adolygiad o adroddiadau troseddau a digwyddiadau heddlu – Heddlu Gwent
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Hampshire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Hertfordshire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Humberside Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Kent Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Lancashire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Leicestershire Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Lincolnshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Merseyside Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Metropolitan Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Norfolk Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Northamptonshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Northumbria Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – North Yorkshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – North Wales Police
Adolygiad o adroddiadau troseddau a digwyddiadau heddlu – Heddlu Gogledd Cymru
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Nottinghamshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – South Yorkshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – South Wales Police
Adolygiad o adroddiadau troseddau a digwyddiadau heddlu – Heddlu De Cymru
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Staffordshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Suffolk Constabulary
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Surrey Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Sussex Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Thames Valley Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Warwickshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – West Mercia Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – West Midlands Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – West Yorkshire Police
The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports – Wiltshire Police
Get the press release
Press release for The crime scene: A review of police crime and incident reports