Police Assistant Commissioner Howard Broad today endorsed New Zealand Police official crime statistics as a ‘useful barometer of the incidence of crime’.
Recorded official statistics that describe a falling rate of crime across New Zealand are a valid measure, said Assistant Commissioner Broad. "We have been collecting crime statistics using the system that is in use today for nearly 30 years and we are satisfied it is fit for the purpose.
"In addition to making crime statistics publicly available as a measure of police effectiveness, recorded crime trends are essential factors in devising police tactical options. All police have an incentive to get the statistics right.
"In terms of assurance, the Police have built up policy and procedure, and a system of supervision and review, that provides sufficient assurance that general crime trends are accurate," he said.
The procedure for reporting and recording crime statistics has not changed materially over time. There is widespread understanding of the requirements of the system.
"There has been no suggestion by any commentator that large numbers of individual members of Police are deliberately creating improper records. It would take such action by many hundreds of staff to make any difference at all to the integrity of the system.
"Over the time they have been used, Police Official Statistics have provided a general database of information from which general trends of criminal offending, and police enforcement practice can be measured and understood.
"The New Zealand Crime Victims Survey, conducted in 1996 and 2001, indicates levels of reporting have remained approximately the same as have the reasons individual crime victims decide whether or not to report the matter to Police.
"The general confidence of the public in our record system has not changed materially in recent years," said Mr Broad.
The Assurance Process
"The process of assurance commences at the time a crime report is made to a member of police. Each file submitted by a police member is expected to be reviewed by a supervisor who is to check that statistical information is accurate.
"Offence files are then likely to be handled by a number of other supervisors in Police who have responsibilities for routing the file for action, or in some cases such as where there are no evident avenues of investigation, for filing. At each review of the file there is an ongoing opportunity for an error to be detected and corrected.
"There are also several opportunities for the file to be audited. Each district undertakes a structured audit of offence files as part of an internal control regime designed to enable police to certify the Official Statistics as an accurate measure of recorded crime. These audits are supplemented from time to time by audits conducted by the Police Internal Auditors.
"The Official Statistics form part of the Annual Report on Police by the Commissioner to Parliament. Because of this, the methods of audit are consulted with the Police External Auditors, who are responsible for providing advice to the Auditor-General on whether to accept or qualify the Police parliamentary report as an accurate record.
"In addition to formal audit, Police internal review includes a bi-annual district review by the Police Organisational Performance Group. These officials probe district performance for the purpose of providing the Commissioner with assurance about the performance of commanders of districts, service centres and national office groups. These reviews include checks on statistics. The group also follows up any suggestion that error or improper practice has affected any report that is to be presented to the Commissioner," Mr Broad explained.
"Other reviews have been routinely conducted in Police, including by the Office of the Auditor-General (Burglary - thematic review). While human error in statistical reporting is acknowledged as an ongoing issue, there is little evidence to suggest improper practice."
Assistant Commissioner Broad explained that every country that collected offence-based statistics has difficulties in acquiring complete sets of statistics.
"We acknowledge that officers occasionally make coding errors as is expected in any system that depends on fine judgements being made. But our analysis shows that such mistakes tend not to inflate the perception police are performing well. For example, we sometimes fail to fully collect all the clearances that are available to be cleared," said Mr Broad