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Crime information & public confidence in the police. Paul Quinton - NPIA Research, Analysis and Information Unit. A brief policy history. Force implementation. National implementation. The existing evidence base. A growing body of research
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Crime information & public confidence in the police Paul Quinton - NPIA Research, Analysis and Information Unit
The existing evidence base • A growing body of research • People who are well-informed tend to hold better opinions about the police • Intervention studies have tended to focus on newsletters and leaflets • Generally found to have a positive impact with few drawbacks
Aims of the study • To test the immediate effect of web-based crime and policing information on public perceptions • Force level implementation: • Crime maps • Neighbourhood Policing (NP) information • Intended outcomes: • Perceptions of the local police • Perceptions of crime and ASB in the local area • Perceptions of personal safety ?
Research design • A basic randomised field trial (post-test only) • A multi-stage sampling approach • A nationally representative sample (n=7,434) • Random assignment to three interventions: • Crime maps • NP information • Combined intervention • Intervention then face-to-face interview
A dose of reality • The ‘framing’ of perception – neighbourhood conditions, personal experience and signal crimes • The quality of force websites • The delivery of the intervention material • The focus on the wider general public • The type of crime maps used • Localised hot-spots and cold-spots • The sustainability of impact
What lies beneath? • Overall effects are inevitably ‘averaged out’ • What works, and for whom? • Information may be more effective for some… • Victims of crime • People living in higher crime areas • People who think crime is a problem, or increasing, in their local area • But less good for others…
Conclusions • Transparency and police accountability • Some (small) overall improvements • No overall harm • Evidence of reassurance • The need for additional contextual information… crime prevention advice? • Information can enhance good quality local policing, but should not be a substitute for it