A Comparison of the British Crime Survey and Police Statistics for a Southern English County

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to examine whether it was possible to use the British Crime Survey (BCS) data on Stop and Search for a southern English police force area (PFA) and to compare the findings from the BCS with those from police records. The local-level analysis of the BCS by PFA and recorded police statistics was an attempt to identify the similarities and differences, if any, between the two data sources. The research compares recorded police and BCS statistics for the same geographical police force area of a southern English county, for the period 2003 to 2006. The analysis looks at the number of stops and searches in each data source and presents a comparison of the ratio of persons arrested following a Stop and Search. The distribution of vehicle and pedestrian stops and searches in the two data sources is examined, as well as the demographic characteristics of suspects. The findings show that the BCS is a more accurate measure of stops than police statistics, although both data sources produced a similar pattern in the proportion of searches and arrests. The BCS showed that motor vehicle encounters were the most common form of contact, whereas police statistics showed that it was pedestrian encounters. However, a limited analysis was conducted using the BCS when the data were subdivided to consider age and ethnicity. Above all, the research has drawn attention to the gulf that exists between the two data sources.