If you have issues viewing or accessing this file contact us at NCJRS.gov. rds website Page 1 of 3 Home Office © lllmllOING ~ IA~, ]U~| AND |OtERJN1 SOClrry research development stotisfics subjcc~ Counting Rules ~ublk~li:ns a~out r~ The attached files contain the Home Office Counting mso~r~Fog Rules for the counting and classifying of notifiable slo~tkul prog offences recorded by the police forces in England and Wales. The rules were revised to take account of the vocr::~;$ introduction of the Association of Chief Police Officers (Clliod t~ (ACPO) National Crime Recording Standard which was adopted on 1 April 2002. Further revisions have also been made to take account of the revised NCRS which came into effect 1 April 2003. The rules have been written by the Research Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) of the Home Office. Advice and development were provided through a working group that comprised members of RDS, police force regional representatives and representatives of ACPO and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) and the Crown Prosecution Service. The main aims are to improve clarity and to ensure consistency in recording by police forces. General Rules (pdf 104K) National Crime Recording. Standard (pdf 40K) Violence against the Person (pdf 160K) Sexual Offences (pdf 88K) WARNING may not be considered suitable for minors. Robbery (pdf 24K) Burglary_ (pdf 64K) Theft & Handling Stolen Gelds (pdf 108K) Fraud & Forgery_ (pdf 80K) Criminal Damage (pdf 80K) Drug Offences (pdf 44K) Other Offences (pdf 232K) • .\. -.- J http://www.homeo ffice.gov.uk/rds/countrules.html 4/29/03 HOME OFFICE COUNTING RULES FOR REOORDED CRIME APRIL 2003 A Whether & When to Record B Classification & Re-classification C No Crimes D One Crime per Victim E The Finished Incident Rule F The Principal Crime Rule G Crimes in More Than One Force H Detections I Other Agencies J Other Issues Annex A National Crime Recording Standard Annex B Extract from CPS Code for Crown Prosecutors Annex C National Crime Recording Steering Group Protocol for Managing Reports of Crime Occurring in Other Police Force Areas POINT TO NOTE Although these general rules have an overall application, there are exceptions for certain types of c rime. These exceptions are stated on the counting rules page for that particular crime type. For this reason, counting rules for individual crime types should take precedence over the general rule___A,in cases where there is an apparent contradiction between the two. HC)MF. OFFICE RESEARCH. DEVEI.C)PM]::.NT & STATLqTICS DIRECTORATE. ROOM 844. 50 Ol IEEN ANNF.'S GATE. I.C)NIDON HOME OFFI(I COUNTING RULES FOR RECORDED CRIME APRIL 2003 A Whether & When to Record (1 of 4) This section has been substantially revised to reflect the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS). The main aims of the Standard are: • To promote greater consistency between Police Forces in the recording of crime; and • To take a more victim oriented approach to crime recording. NCRS was instigated by research from ACPO, the Home Office (Review of Police Forces' Crime Recording Practices, Burrows et al, HORS 204, 2000) and Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (On the Record, HMIC 2000) that revealed a lack of consistency in recording practices across police forces. This was particularly marked in the proportion of incidents that were recorded as crimes. The original NCRS has been revised with effect from 1 April 2003 and a full copy of the revised version of the NCRS doctanent is attached as Annex A to the General Rules section. Incident Reports ALL REPORTS OF INCIDENTS, WHETHER FROM VICTIMS, WITNESSES OR THIRD PARTIES AND WHETHER CRIME RELATED OR NOT, WILL RESULT IN THE REGISTRATION OF AN INCIDENT REPORT BY THE POLICE The reasons for registering all incidents include the need to ensure Forces have all available infolmadon in relation to possible crimes in their area and to allow an audit trail to be created, to ensure consistency of crime recording between Forces. Where a report is recorded as a crime initially (e.g. telephone report direct to CAme Management Unit), it is not necessary that an incident report is also created. However, where the report is not recorded as a crime, an auditable incident report should be registered (whether in the Force Incident System or some other accessible or auditable ITleal'l$). Whether to Record • AN INCIDENT WILL BE RECORDED AS A CRIME (NOTIFIABLE OFFENCE) IF, ON THE BALANCE OF PROBABILITY: (A) THE CIRCUMSTANCES AS REPORTED AMOUNT TO A CRIME DEFINED BY LAW; AND (B) THERE IS NO CREDIBLE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY Any reference to a crime elsewhere in section A ('whether and when to record') means a recorded crime or notifiable offence, as defined by the Home Office and listed in the counting rules chapters. Notifiable offences do not cover all criminal offences, as most summary offences are not nofifiable. The Police will determine whether the circumstances as reported amount to a crime defined by law, based on their knowledge of the law and the counting rules. The test to be applied in respect of recording a crime is that of the balance of probabilities i.e. is the incident more likely than not the result of a criminal acO In most cases, the belief by the victim (or person reasonably assumed to be acting on behalf of the victim) that a crime has occurred is sufficient to justifyits recording, although this will not be the case in all ci~umstances. HOME OFFICE RE.qEARCJq. DEVEI.C)PMENT & STATISTICS DIRECTORATE.. ROOM 844.50 OI mEN ANNE'S GATE. HOME OFFICE OOUNTING RULES FOR REOORDED OUME APRIL 2003 A Whether & When to Record (2 of 4) Where apparent criminal activity comes to the attention of the Police, and the alleged victim confirms that a crime has taken place but declines to support any Police action, a crime should be recorded. A victim's refusal to supply details is not reason in itself for failing to record a crime. Rmm/a orm c~ms that d~e crinr tod¢ place (and d~e is no otrlible eudore to d3e ct~nO,), t~a ~efieses to stq~plypersoml details and do~s not ~nt d~e nntter taken anyfiml~. Where there are grounds to suspect that a victim related crime (i.e a crime requiring victim confimaation for it to be complete) may have taken place but no victim (or person reasonably assumed to be acting on behalf of the victim) can immediately be found or identified, the matter should be recorded as a crime related incident until such time as the victim is located or comes forward. Apparent or possible criminal activity, such as damage to bus shelters, telephone kiosks, forensic items (blood) etc, which does not in itself amount to evidence of a crime, coming to the attention of the Police after the incident either personally or via third parties, would not initially be recorded as a crime but as a crime related incident and enquiries should be carried out to locate the victim. A rtT~Tt ofa oime is ,timid bypbone t.na dae caller is not acting on Register a crime ~ffated ir~tertt bta do not ~mmt a ovre ladmlf of d~.tiahn No odx, r hfomuti~z is a'udlable In the case of a public order incident where on the arrival of the police there is no continuing disorder and no specific intended victim, the incident will not be routinely recorded as a crime. Reasonable enquiries should be undertaken to identify specific victims and secure any supporting evidence which would enable further police action in terms of arrest or summons. Where enquiries fail to identify any victim or produce supporting evidence the incident will remain as a crime related incident. Where police arrive at a scene and witness disorder, they will deal with the matter appropriately and where notifiable offences are apparent record a crime in accordance with the Home Office Counting Rules. HOME OFFICE RESEARC]q. DEVELOPMENT & .qTATISTIC~ DIRECTFORA'T'E. RCXOM 844.50 C)I IEEN ANNE'S GATE. HOME OFHCE OOUNTING RULES FOR KEOORDED CRIME APRIL 2003 A Whether or When to Record (3 of 4) When tO Record A CRIME SHOULD BE RECORDED AS SOON AS THE REPORTING OFFICER IS SATISFIED THAT IT IS MORE LIKELY THAN NOT THAT A CRIME HAS BEEN COMMITTED The timing should be the earliest that the police force's crime recording system allows. Any dehy should be made only if there are administrative difficulties that prevent immediate recording, or (in some forces) if an initial record needs to be validated by a nominated officer before confirmation and recording. Recording should not be dehyed in order to wait for further details of the case, including the likelihood of a detection. THE TIMING OF A RECORDED CRIME, FOR THE HOME OFFICE STATISTICAL RETURNS, SHOULD RELATE TOTHE DATE IT IS RECORDED. So for example, a crime that was committed in September, but reported to the police and recorded as a crime in October, should be included in the recorded crime total for October. ONCE RECORDED, A CRIME SHOULD REMAIN RECORDED UNLESS THERE IS CREDIBLE EVIDENCE TO THE CONTRARY. Credible evidence to the contrary amounts to the circumstances listed in section C, in which case the crime should be 'no-crimed'. A CRIME COMMITTED OUTSIDE ENGLAND AND WALES SHOULD ONLY BE RECORDED IF IT INVOLVES AN INVESTIGATION BY THE FORCE TO WHICH IT IS REPORTED. (This does not include homicide, which is already cove~ed by law). HC)ME OFFICE RESEARCH. DEVEI.OPMENT & STATHTIC~ DIRECTrORATE. ROOM R44.50 C)I ~EN ANNE'S GATE.