The under‐recording of crime by police in China: a case study

Abstract

Studies suggest that official crime statistics are more than a measure of criminal activity. Generated by police, crime figures also reflect the behavior and concerns of police. Our case study renders evidence to this argument. A national survey of the crime recording by police was conducted in China in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The results reveal significant under‐representation of crime in the police‐produced statistics and clearly identify the police as the source of errors. Our study presents the survey and examines the findings. We explore systemic and social factors that affect the underpresentation problem and assess possible impact of the findings on the police’s action in crime recording.

Citation

Yu, O. and Zhang, L. (1999), "The under‐recording of crime by police in China: a case study", Policing: An International Journal, Vol. 22 No. 3, pp. 252-264. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639519910285035