Survey and Interview Methods to Measure Victimization in Theft for the Dutch National Police

Abstract

Currently, the Dutch National Police are looking to optimize resource allocation and decision-making through the measurement of the concept: “safety.” However, the measurement of safety does not have a universally defined method in the branch of policing and security. Qualitative data collection methods are being increasingly implemented in police departments around the world to improve safety and security. These data collection methods aim to implement evidence-based policing practices in order to form predictive assessments of future crime. Additionally, qualitative reporting methods such as officer interviews and victimization surveys can complement current quantitative data collection by improving police-community engagement and mitigating
"dark numbers" (unreported crimes).

This research aims to address what the implementation of victimization surveys and officer interviews, in coordination with current data collection methods, can add to an optimized police response and resource allocation to future crimes in theft for the Dutch National Police. The research approach of this thesis takes inspiration from commonalities found in a scoping literature review of policing methods around the world and a former joint interdisciplinary project (JIP) with the Dutch National Police. The perspectives of victims and police, which can be partially measured by surveys and interviews, are considered to significantly affect safety and security within society.

The research method was executed through the use of surveys (historical CBS data and theoretical scenario surveys) and officer interviews. These surveys and officer interviews were designed to determine how significantly certain victim factors, such as amount stolen, income, geography, and past experiences of theft affect a victim's perception on the severity of the theft, reporting threshold, and desired outcome in reporting theft. The method designed was flexible, as the ability to implement surveys to people that measures income and geography was dependent on both the Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC) and the data security concerns of the Dutch National Police.

Based on a victimization survey given to 1547 respondents, these victim factors do correlate with the perceived significance of theft. The magnitude and significance of these correlations are displayed in this report, and comparison with police employee interview results leads to significant insights that may determine why these correlations exist. In brief summary, the victim factors of income, geography, previous victimhood, and the amount stolen in theft generally have positive correlations with a respondent's victimization chance, reporting threshold, desired monetary compensation after theft, general satisfaction in successful reporting outcomes, and the perceived severity of theft.

A concluding recommendation from this research is to consider the further implementation of victimization surveys as a complementary data collection method. Specifically, the correlation of victim factors to the perceived significance of theft can assist in predictive policing through victim profiles that more accurately estimate dark numbers. In addition, the concept of adding qualitative measurement methods on victim factors to a universally-defined equation of safety can serve as a complement to current quantitative crime statistics. Through this implementation, current theft prevention and resource allocation strategies may be improved for the Dutch National Police, leading to a safer society.