OFFICIAL POLICE REPORTING OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES

• NCJ Number: 68318
• Author(s): W BUIKHUISEN; J J M VANDIJK
• Date Published: 1975
• Length: 21 pages
• Corporate Author: Netherlands Ministry of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

AN OPINION POLL OF PUBLIC PROSECUTORS AND THE POLICE WAS CONDUCTED TO DETERMINE HOW SERIOUS CERTAIN PENAL OFFENSES WERE CONSIDERED TO BE AND WHAT BEARING SOME FACTORS HAD ON DETECTION AND PROSECUTION POLICIES.

Abstract

POLICE AND PUBLIC PROSECUTOR OPINIONS WERE OBTAINED BY INTERVIEW ON ABOUT 50 OFFENSES; PERSONS INTERVIEWED WERE REQUESTED TO INDICATE THE GRAVITY OF EACH OFFENSE ON A 9-POINT SCALE. THE POLL WAS CONDUCTED AMONG 131 PUBLIC PROSECUTORS AND 3 REPRESENTATIVE GROUPS OF OFFICIALS BELONGING TO THE MUNICIPAL POLICE FORCES, DISTRICT DIVISIONS AND REGIONAL GROUPS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE. THE SAMPLE INVOLVED 1,424 PERSONS. THE INVESTIGATION REVEALED THAT THE OPINIONS OF THE VARIOUS SAMPLE GROUPS OF RESPONDENTS ON THE GRAVITY OF THE OFFENSES CONCERNED ARE NOTICEABLY DIFFERENT. THE PUBLIC REGARDS THE MAJORITY OF THE OFFENSES SUBMITTED TO THEM AS MORE SERIOUS THAN DO THE PUBLIC PROSECUTORS. AS A GROUP, THE PUBLIC PROSECUTORS ARE VERY CONSISTENT IN THEIR JUDGMENT. THE OPINIONS OF THE POLICE, ON THE OTHER HAND, DIFFERED CONSIDERABLY. THE GREATEST DIFFERENCES WERE THOSE BETWEEN THE VIEWS OF THE REGIONAL GROUPS OF THE NATIONAL POLICE AND THOSE OF THE MUNICIPAL POLICE. FACTOR ANALYSIS OF THE INFORMATION BROUGHT TO LIGHT ABOUT SEVEN CRITERIA ON WHICH THE VARIOUS GROUPS BROADLY CONCURRED. THEY WERE, IN DESCENDING ORDER OF GRAVITY: MANSLAUGHTER, INSTRUMENTAL VIOLENCE, INTENTIONAL INJURY, INJURY OR DAMAGE RESULTING FROM HOOLIGANISM, CONTRAVENTION OF SEXUAL MORALITY, INTENTIONAL MATERIAL DAMAGE, AND FAILURE TO OBSERVE A STATUTORY REGULATION. A SECONDARY ASPECT OF THIS STUDY WAS A SIMULATION EXPERIMENT INVOLVING 486 POLICE OFFICERS, WHO WERE GIVEN 10 ACTUAL COMPLAINTS REPRESENTING CASES FROM SHOPLIFTING TO ATTEMPTED RAPE. RESPONDENTS WERE TO INDICATE INFORMATION REQUIRED FOR TAKING ACTION, TO DECIDE ON PROCEDURES TO BE FOLLOWED, AND TO ORDER THE PRIORITY OF CASES FOR INVESTIGATION. RESULTS FROM THIS EXPERIMENT EXHIBITED A HIGH DEGREE OF SIMILARITY. TABLES OF GRAVITY RATINGS ARE INCLUDED.