Crime: Measuring by 'damage to victims' will improve policing and public safety
Sunday, April 3, 2016 - 23:20
in Psychology & Sociology
Current crime stats are 'legacy of 19th century' that push police to chase minor offences instead of preventing most serious crimes. New 'crime harm index' quantifies true cost of crime: damage caused to victims and society. Simple tool based on 'imprisonable days' allows targeted policing of areas and perpetrators producing greatest victim harm. Experts call on governments to adopt low-cost metric for greater transparency of crime trends and risks.