Abstract
Studies that purport to count the cost of crime have wide appeal in the private and public sectors, and in the media. Information on the cost of a particular problem and its solution can no doubt assist decision makers. But in the case of crime, assessing the ‘cost’ is so fraught with difficulty that the results hardly seem worth the effort. Some kinds of ‘cost of crime’ studies are more beneficial to the policy process than others, and the findings need to be used with great care.
Highlights
The analysis of cost is of obvious interest during any public policy debate, but what benefit does it offer us in South Africa in relation to crime policy? Cost analysis studies of a broad range are popular internationally and have come to be considered an integral part of the policy development processes of most Western governments
This article aims to provide a brief overview of cost analysis and its value in relation to the issue of crime and the policy making process in South Africa
The assumption underlying many crime-costing studies is that cost analysis can inject greater efficiency into policy making in relation to crime
Summary
The analysis of cost is of obvious interest during any public policy debate, but what benefit does it offer us in South Africa in relation to crime policy? Cost analysis studies of a broad range are popular internationally and have come to be considered an integral part of the policy development processes of most Western governments.
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