NCJ Number
167045
Date Published
1997
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This paper summarizes developments in the use of data on "repeat victimization" in Great Britain to construct priorities for the allocation of police resources.
Abstract
"Repeat victimization" is defined as "when the same person or place suffers from more than one incident over a specified period of time." Substantial research over a number of years has shown that certain people and places are repeatedly victimized. Once victimized, a person or place is more likely to be victimized again than a person or place that has never been victimized. Subsequent crimes are likely to follow fairly rapidly after the first, but this heightened risk period declines swiftly over time. Research has also shown that repeat victimization is a particular feature of high-crime areas. The British Home Office funded a pilot project in October 1993 that continued for 2 1/2 years; the project's aim was to develop ways to integrate work to address repeat victimization into daily policing, with a focus on burglary and car crime. The project adopted a graded response to victims that depended on the number of times a person or place had been victimized within the past year. Those most often victimized were allocated "scarce" resources such as temporary alarms, and those at less risk received less scarce crime prevention advice, property marking pens, and a short-term mini- neighborhood watch. A task force, initially based in the Police Research Group in the Home Office, was established in 1995 to both encourage the police and other agencies to address repeat victimization and to support the police in developing their work in this area. In 1995/96, the Home Secretary's Key Performance Indicator was for police to show that they had developed systems to identify repeat victims for a crime of local concern. The Key Performance Indicator for 1996/97 is to develop a strategy to address repeat victimization. In 1997/98 it is expected that police forces will implement their strategies. Work in progress in the area of repeat victimization is also described. 18 suggestions for further reading