Crime-recording: making the victim count 2014

Published: November 2014

In its 2013/14 inspection programme, approved by the Home Secretary under section 54 of the Police Act 1996, HMIC committed to carry out an inspection into the way the 43 police forces in England and Wales record crime data.

HMIC examined and assessed the integrity of crime data in each force. They focused their examination around three broad themes: leadership and governance; systems and processes; and the people and skills involved. 

They looked at how each force applies the standards and rules for crime-recording laid down by the Home Office; how police culture and behaviours affect recording; how victims of crime are being served by police crime recording practices; and how the police use out-of-court solutions such as cautions, cannabis warnings, community resolutions and penalty notices for disorder when dealing with offenders.

This inspection, carried out between February and August 2014, is the most extensive of its kind that HMIC has ever undertaken into crime data integrity. This is the final report of that inspection.

• Read the ‘Crime-recording: making the victim count’ report on the HMIC website
• Read the PCC's response to the ‘Crime-recording: making the victim count’ report