Eurostat crime and criminal justice data collection

• In Event: POL Panel 13. Criminal justice data collection, data analysis and surveillance

Abstract

The presentation is focusing on the main results and challenges concerning Eurostat data collection for the crime and criminal justice domain. Collection of crime statistics is not mandatory, but it is recommended by the Economic and Social Council of the UN. Furthermore, Eurostat received a mandate under the 2004 The Hague programme: strengthening freedom, security and justice in the European Union to develop comparable statistics on crime and criminal justice. In 2012, the Commission planned its strategies to improve the collection of crime statistics. These statistics are indispensable tools for developing evidence-based policy at EU level. Impact assessments, evaluations of the implementation of EU legislation from the Member States and assessment of the effectiveness of new laws are only some examples of the use of statistical information. Since 2014, the Eurostat crime data collection is implemented jointly with the United Nations Surveys on Crime Trends and the Operations of Criminal Justice implemented by the UN Office on Drug and Crime (UNDOC). Official crime statistics are available for EU members, EFTA countries, and potential EU members. Data provided to Eurostat on police, prosecutors, courts, and prisons may vary for each country as they establish their own criminal laws, crime definitions, law enforcement, legal proceedings, etc. Nevertheless, national authorities are requested to adhere to standard definitions when calculating the figures and to provide details for any divergences. So, challenges in terms of compliance with definitions and counting rules arise. Eurostat includes this information in the metadata, while no statistical modification is done to the data. Moreover, criminal justice systems, crime definitions, and crime statistics vary substantially between countries. This represents another challenge for comparison of crime figures between countries. Eurostat will give an overview of the information crime statistics provide, focusing on results and challenges faced during the collection and dissemination process.

Authors

• Anna Ferrara, EUROSTAT

• Arsela Sturc, EUROSTAT