Abstract:
The first report in the European Crime Prevention Monitor series gave an overview of
general European developments in crime and crime statistics, based on international
cross-country statistics, surveys and reports (EUCPN, 2012a). Four different data sources
were highlighted, with focus on recorded crime rates, victimisation data, self-reported
delinquency measures and qualitative data.
In this second monitor report the focus is put on people’s perceptions and attitudes on
the one hand, and on priorities in crime prevention policies across Europe on the other
hand. What does the general public think about the police: their relationship with the
communities, their effectiveness in preventing crime, their fairness with which they wield
their authoritative power, their integrity,...? What do Europeans think of the effectiveness
of policies on the different levels (national vs. European)? What do they believe to be the
challenges to the security in the prevention and fight against crime? These are some
questions approached in this report. The information and data used to answer these
questions come from the Trust in the Police & Courts Module of the European Social
Survey and from the Eurobarometer surveys conducted by the European Commission.
Besides these existing survey data, the EUCPN Secretariat collected some additional data
from the EUCPN members on the priorities in the crime prevention policies in their
countries. More specifically, questions were asked about the country’s top three priorities
in crime prevention policy/strategy and compared to the country’s three most prominent
crime problems based on crime statistics. Also, it was examined whether or not the top
three priorities in the country’s crime prevention policy were based on statistical or
recorded data, or – if not – what other basis was used to pick these priorities. And finally,
some questions were added about any remarkable or new developments in the Member
States over the past five years.
