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Police crime figures being manipulated, admits chief inspector Police crime figures being manipulated, admits chief inspector
(about 20 hours later)
It is almost certain that some manipulation is going on in the recording of crime figures by police officers, the chief inspector of constabulary has said.It is almost certain that some manipulation is going on in the recording of crime figures by police officers, the chief inspector of constabulary has said.
Tom Winsor the home affairs select committee that rather than asking whether fiddling crime statistics was happening at all, the question was "where, how much, how severe". Tom Winsor told the home affairs select committee that rather than asking whether fiddling crime statistics was happening at all, the question was "where, how much, how severe".
Giving evidence to the committee on Tuesday, the police watchdog said: "The fact is in anything that gets measured, once those who are being measured, whose performance are being measured, work out how the system works, there's an incentive, resisted by many, to manipulate the process as to make your own performance look good."Giving evidence to the committee on Tuesday, the police watchdog said: "The fact is in anything that gets measured, once those who are being measured, whose performance are being measured, work out how the system works, there's an incentive, resisted by many, to manipulate the process as to make your own performance look good."
Winsor also questioned the evidence of the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who told the public administration select committee (Pasc) at the begnning of this month that inspectors had commended his force's crime data as "competent and reliable".Winsor also questioned the evidence of the Metropolitan police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, who told the public administration select committee (Pasc) at the begnning of this month that inspectors had commended his force's crime data as "competent and reliable".
On the contrary, Winsor said he wrote to the commissioner to say he had "some cause for some concern" over the Met's recording of crime statistics.On the contrary, Winsor said he wrote to the commissioner to say he had "some cause for some concern" over the Met's recording of crime statistics.
Winsor, the first chief inspector of constabulary to come from a non-policing background, said: "Well, Sir Bernard gave evidence, I think to this committee on December 3, where he said that, in 2012, HMIC inspected the Met and found their figures in terms of crime recording were 'competent and reliable'.Winsor, the first chief inspector of constabulary to come from a non-policing background, said: "Well, Sir Bernard gave evidence, I think to this committee on December 3, where he said that, in 2012, HMIC inspected the Met and found their figures in terms of crime recording were 'competent and reliable'.
"I've written to Sir Bernard about this because what HMIC in fact said was that it looked at '244 incidents logged by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), 30 had been wrongly closed without a crime being raised, while in overall terms the MPS continues to improve its crime and incident data quality, this indicates that crime and ASB (anti-social behaviour) data recorded in London gives some cause for concern'."I've written to Sir Bernard about this because what HMIC in fact said was that it looked at '244 incidents logged by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), 30 had been wrongly closed without a crime being raised, while in overall terms the MPS continues to improve its crime and incident data quality, this indicates that crime and ASB (anti-social behaviour) data recorded in London gives some cause for concern'.
"So there is a big difference between 'some cause of concern' and 'competent and reliable'. I have not yet received Sir Bernard's response.""So there is a big difference between 'some cause of concern' and 'competent and reliable'. I have not yet received Sir Bernard's response."
Committee chair Keith Vaz asked Winsor if he was still "very concerned". Winsor replied: "I'd just like him to explain the disparity I'd referred to. But with crime recording, some people will call it fiddling, some people will call it honest mistakes, some people will call it the perfectly legitimate exercise of professional judgment."Committee chair Keith Vaz asked Winsor if he was still "very concerned". Winsor replied: "I'd just like him to explain the disparity I'd referred to. But with crime recording, some people will call it fiddling, some people will call it honest mistakes, some people will call it the perfectly legitimate exercise of professional judgment."
Asked what he would call it, the chief inspector said: "It depends on the circumstances of individual cases."Asked what he would call it, the chief inspector said: "It depends on the circumstances of individual cases."
Winsor's appearance before MPs followed the evidence of a group of serving and former police officers last month given to the Pasc. Met officer James Patrick, retired Met detective chief inspector Dr Rodger Patrick and former Met deputy assistant commissioner David Gilbertson all said that crime statistics were routinely being manipulated.Winsor's appearance before MPs followed the evidence of a group of serving and former police officers last month given to the Pasc. Met officer James Patrick, retired Met detective chief inspector Dr Rodger Patrick and former Met deputy assistant commissioner David Gilbertson all said that crime statistics were routinely being manipulated.
Patrick, who is currently awaiting disciplinary proceedings, also told the committee that serious offences, including rape and child sex abuse, were being recorded as "crime-related incidents" or "no crimes".Patrick, who is currently awaiting disciplinary proceedings, also told the committee that serious offences, including rape and child sex abuse, were being recorded as "crime-related incidents" or "no crimes".
In Tuesday's hearing, Winsor was asked by Michael Ellis MP if he had confidence in crime figures. Winsor replied: "I have confidence in the integrity of the vast majority of police officers, some of whom will make honest mistakes."In Tuesday's hearing, Winsor was asked by Michael Ellis MP if he had confidence in crime figures. Winsor replied: "I have confidence in the integrity of the vast majority of police officers, some of whom will make honest mistakes."
He said: "There will always be errors in the statistics, the question is the motivation for the errors and many of them will be errors of professional judgment.He said: "There will always be errors in the statistics, the question is the motivation for the errors and many of them will be errors of professional judgment.
"The crime statistics do show that crime has fallen. But let us be quite clear about the nature of the crime statistics. The recorded crime figures do not record all crime. The police reported crime, obviously the police can only know about the crime that's reported to them.""The crime statistics do show that crime has fallen. But let us be quite clear about the nature of the crime statistics. The recorded crime figures do not record all crime. The police reported crime, obviously the police can only know about the crime that's reported to them."
Winsor later said the police had to deal with "industrial quantities of dishonesty".Winsor later said the police had to deal with "industrial quantities of dishonesty".
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