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Delinquency: statistics published every month, a good idea?

2020-09-19T13:55:52.553Z


Minister of the Interior since July, Gérald Darmanin is implementing a new version of the number policy in the fight against con


From mid-October, the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin has planned to communicate, each month, a quantified assessment of the action of the police and the gendarmerie, as he announced to the Parisian - Today ' hui in France, September 6.

But the list of selected indicators, currently being finalized, will only cover part of the spectrum of delinquency.

Four themes have been made a priority by the ministry: drug trafficking (quantity of drugs and criminal assets seized, flat-rate fines addressed to consumers), domestic, intra-family and sexual violence, sectarian aberrations and immigration.

On the other hand, the number of hours of pedestrian patrols on public roads and in public transport, mentioned initially, are in the process of being abandoned.

“We want to focus on concrete and measurable actions,” explains Place Beauvau.

This new version of the number policy appeals, questions or worries.

Thus, Christophe Soullez, from the National delinquency observatory, says he is “rather favorable” to this “transparency” approach, even if he warns against the risk of limiting oneself to purely quantitative indicators.

William Maury, of the Option Nuit police union, denounces the impasse made on certain indicators, such as the number of burglaries or violence against people, fearing that the statistics chosen do not reflect "what makes up most of the 'insecurity in our country'.

"Better analysis of crime has never been a luxury"

Christophe Soullez, Head of the National Observatory on Delinquency and Criminal Responses

“Transparency is always a positive and sometimes virtuous approach.

It is useful to diversify the information available to measure the phenomena of delinquency or to better assess the activity of the security forces.

Better analyzing crime, with a view to defining and adapting public policies, has never been a luxury, even if this has never been considered a priority in France, unlike the Anglo-Saxon countries.

In this sense, I am rather in favor of the principle of publication of new statistics by the Ministry of the Interior.

This objective must be pursued by finally becoming aware of the complexity of delinquency, and that the publication of data is neither an end in itself, nor a management tool.

It should not be limited to quantitative indicators, of which we sometimes do not even know the collection method and which can sometimes be the subject of simplistic interpretations.

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In particular, it is necessary to move away from the idea that an effective police and gendarmerie must necessarily reduce the number of recorded crimes and offenses.

The increase in incidents observed from one year (or month) to the next may be due to the propensity of victims to declare them, with constant acts committed.

This is the case, for example, with sexual, conjugal and intra-family violence.

Likewise, the data on narcotics do not reflect the level of trafficking, but the judicial activity of the services.

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Confusing the activity of recording facts by the security forces with the delinquency committed is, for political decision-makers with short-term objectives, a temptation all the greater because it can give them the feeling that their action is effective.

However, only a more detailed knowledge of certain facts of delinquency, beyond the simple number of complaints lodged, can make it possible to exceed the limits of interpretation of statistics on the observed facts.

Knowing the detailed nature of the facts that are committed is a necessity.

Otherwise, the risk would be to legislate on the idea that we have of current developments and not on their characteristics.

Should we still provide the means and not remain in blind and exclusively quantitative postures?

"

"A very watered-down image of real delinquency"

William Maury, general secretary of the police union Option Nuit, which claims 13,000 members

“The Ministry of the Interior has chosen to focus its communication on crimes whose perpetrators are immediately identifiable.

This is the case of domestic and intra-family violence, of consumers or sellers of drugs.

This is also the case for foreigners in an irregular situation.

These figures, which are generally fairly stable, have the advantage of being easy to change thanks to a few targeted operations.

On the other hand, the ministry ignores the burglaries which constitute a real scourge, thefts, thefts in meetings and the violence against people which plague France and form the main part of the insecurity in our country, day like by night.

This is visible violence, that which can affect anyone, at any time, on the whole of the national territory, in the cities as in the countryside.

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Why not talk about it?

Perhaps because these statistics, on the rise in recent years, would be frightening and would be likely to develop the feeling of insecurity if they were published every month.

They would also give, it is the risk, the image of a police force and a gendarmerie which would not succeed in curbing a complicated phenomenon.

In the same way, Gérald Darmanin had first announced his desire to communicate on the theme of the hours of pedestrian patrols and in public transport.

One way to show his intention to put more agents back on the ground.

But he seems to have backpedaled realizing that those numbers, anyway, wouldn't be good.

Quite simply because the workforce is not sufficient.

Conversely, I fear that the indicators chosen by the ministry give a very watered-down picture of real crime.

It will always be possible to boast good numbers on drug seizures or fines targeting consumers by organizing a few targeted operations.

The same goes for immigration.

It will suffice to conduct waves of arrests of workers in an irregular situation.

Again, the numbers will swell very easily.

But what value should we give them?

"

Source: leparis

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