Measuring and investigating the repetition of crime to improve police performance: a focus on situations of domestic violent crime and vulnerability
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Law
Abstract
Effective targeting of police resources requires accurate identification and measurement of the
repetition of crime. In the context of scarce resources, the issue of crimes that are repeated, rather
than prevented, is drawn into sharp focus, given the disproportionate demands these cases make on
police services. While there is often an assumption of one victim, one crime and one offender, for
some crime types, the majority of crimes are instances of repetition. Repetition especially concerns
crimes against those in vulnerable situations, including domestic violent crime (DVC). The effective
reduction of repeat crimes has potential to significantly reduce the total number of crimes. Further,
such targeting would be likely to assist those in the most vulnerable situations and who have been
most victimised. With a specific focus on victims and perpetrators of DVC and using advanced
quantitative methods this project will work with Lancashire Constabulary (LC) to understand and
reduce cases of repeat DVC. The student has privileged access to police data (already negotiated by
supervisors). The data relates to police activity at all stages of the policing process and will be drawn
from LC's logging and information management systems, and the Police National Computer. Data
will also be available from a time and motion study that LC is in the process of developing specifically
for this project. The data will enable analysis of cases of repetition and measurement of resources
deployed at the various stages of the policing process from reporting to sanction/court hearing with
a view to understanding how police time is allocated in these 'repeat cases'.
repetition of crime. In the context of scarce resources, the issue of crimes that are repeated, rather
than prevented, is drawn into sharp focus, given the disproportionate demands these cases make on
police services. While there is often an assumption of one victim, one crime and one offender, for
some crime types, the majority of crimes are instances of repetition. Repetition especially concerns
crimes against those in vulnerable situations, including domestic violent crime (DVC). The effective
reduction of repeat crimes has potential to significantly reduce the total number of crimes. Further,
such targeting would be likely to assist those in the most vulnerable situations and who have been
most victimised. With a specific focus on victims and perpetrators of DVC and using advanced
quantitative methods this project will work with Lancashire Constabulary (LC) to understand and
reduce cases of repeat DVC. The student has privileged access to police data (already negotiated by
supervisors). The data relates to police activity at all stages of the policing process and will be drawn
from LC's logging and information management systems, and the Police National Computer. Data
will also be available from a time and motion study that LC is in the process of developing specifically
for this project. The data will enable analysis of cases of repetition and measurement of resources
deployed at the various stages of the policing process from reporting to sanction/court hearing with
a view to understanding how police time is allocated in these 'repeat cases'.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Leslie Humphreys (Primary Supervisor) | |
| Jessica Phoenix (Student) |
Studentship Projects
| Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES/P000665/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2027 | |||
| 1894191 | Studentship | ES/P000665/1 | 01/10/2017 | 30/09/2020 | Jessica Phoenix |
| Description | The thesis has provided a measurement framework for recording and analysing information on domestic violence and abuse. The framework is informed by theory of domestic violence and abuse and knowledge of police processes and information systems to include specific variables on domestic violence and abuse and police action, and to restructure data into a form that enables the identification and measurement of repeat domestic violence and abuse. A new dataset was curated that restructured existing police data into a format that enabled the measurement of repeat domestic violence and abuse and the actions taken by police in response to domestic violence and abuse. A pilot statistical analysis of this dataset found that the estimated proportion of repeat victims was 50%, compared to 20% in the police recorded crime dataset originally extracted by Lancashire Constabulary. The project has demonstrated the potential of police data to measure patterns of domestic violence and abuse and to investigate relationships between these patterns and actions taken by the police. Using police data in this will provide insight into domestic violence and abuse that can inform police on the profiles of victims and perpetrators, to tailor police responses and make informed decisions on resource use. |
| Exploitation Route | Police: the results of the project provide a measurement framework for the police for recording and analysing data related to domestic violence and abuse. This framework can be embedded into police information systems to guide data collection. The framework increases the accuracy of the identification and measurement of repeat domestic violence and abuse, and captures more types of police action compared to the original crime and incident datasets originally extracted by Lancashire Constabulary for the project. Following this framework would increase the availability of information to police forces, and provide them with more information on victims, perpetrators, and the relationship between police action and repetition, that will enable them to make informed decisions on resource allocation. Research: the project has demonstrated a new methodology for restructuring existing sources of police data to analyse and address research questions on repetition and police action that were not possible to address using the existing structures of police data. Theory: having police data restructured into the measurement framework recommended by this theory enables the testing of existing theories of domestic violence and abuse, for instance whether domestic violence and abuse is gendered, composed of multiple forms, escalatory, and violent or non-violent. |
| Sectors | Government, Democracy and Justice |
| Description | Data Specialists in Policing CPD Programme 2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The N8 Police Research Partnership runs a CPD programme for data specialists from police forces across the North of England. I was invited to present my PhD research at an 'Ethics and Data Governance' workshop as part of the CPD programme. I gave a 30 minute presentation on my PhD research and held a 15 minute discussion on how the findings of my research could be embedded into the data collection and analysis processes within police forces. My presentation was titled 'Using police data to investigate the repetition of domestic violence'. The presentation focused on how data collected by police officers and practitioners could be restructured in police information systems to allow analysis of repeat domestic violence. The discussion considered how police information systems could be used to collect more consistent information on domestic violence that comes to police attention. The presentation/discussion was given to data analysts from police forces across the North of England. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
| Description | Presentation to Lancashire Constabulary (CASE partners) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In January 2020 I arranged a meeting with Lancashire Constabulary (CASE partners) to present some initial findings from my PhD project and to discuss how the findings of my research could be utilised by the police force. I presented the current focus of my research which was the reconstruction of police data to measure repeat domestic violence. The presentation was attended by my academic lead supervisor, my Lancashire Constabulary non-academic partner supervisor and six senior police practitioners. Following the presentation I took questions and feedback on the project and discussed how the findings of the research could be embedded into the police force's information systems and practice. One piece of feedback was to meet with a Detective Inspector (DI) at force HQ to discuss the use of the force's information systems to record repeat domestic violence. I met with the DI to discuss force information systems in February 2020 and will continue contact throughout to discuss how the findings of my PhD may be embedded into force information systems following the completion of the PhD. Another comment from the force following the presentation was a request for another presentation following the completion of the PhD project to discuss further findings and implications for the force's data collection systems and practice. This will be arranged once the PhD has been completed. There will be continuing engagement with Lancashire Constabulary to discuss how the force's data collection systems could be improved to better measure and respond to domestic violence during and following completion of the PhD project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |