§ Mr. Proctorasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 18 March., relating to the collection and publication of Metropolitan Police statistics, if he will list the categories of information relating to criminal serious offences recorded by the police and others for which (a) a crime report is completed, (b) the number of arrests is recorded and (c) the number of offences cleared up is recorded; what figures are collected of ethnic appearance of victim and victims perception of appearance of assailant or culprit; and which of such figures are published.
§ Mr. Mayhew[pursuant to his reply, 23 March 1982, c. 299]: I understand from the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis that the categories of information recorded for statistical purposes for offences for which a crime report is completed, offences resulting in an arrest and offences cleared up are those given in the following table.
In the past five years information has been published relating to the victim's assessment of appearance of assailant in (i) the Commissioner's evidence to the Select Committee on Race Relations and Immigration (1976), (ii) Race, Crime and Arrests (Home Office Research Study No. 58, 1979) and (iii) the Commissioner's evidence to Lord Scarman's inquiry into the Brixton disturbances 209W (1981). Analysis of statistics by appearance of attacker and/or ethnic appearance of victim have from time to time been published in the Official Report in reply to questions from hon. Members. Statistics relating to the victim's perception of the appearance of assailants for offences of robbery and other violent theft were circulated at the Metropolitan Police press conference of 10 March 1982 and subsequently given in reply to a question by my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon on 15 March 1982.
Table: Information recorded by the Metropolitan PoliceA. Information recorded in relation to all offences for which a crime report is completed
- Police station at which offence recorded
- Crime book in which offence recorded
- Crime report serial number
- Date offence reported
- Metropolitan Police office classification
- Home Office classification
- Day of week of offence
- Hour of offence
- Means of attack (Crimes of violence only)
- Type of weapon involved (crime of violence and offences involving theft of firearm only)
- Getaway (selected crimes of violence only)
- Number of attackers (crimes of violence and theft from the person only)
- Appearance of attackers (crimes of violence and theft from the person only)
- Method of entry of safe, cashbox or automatic machine (if applicable)
- Drug type involved
- Type of property stolen
- Estimated value of property stolen
- How offence came to the notice of Police
- Number of cheques involved (fraud and forgery offences only)
- Age of victim (crimes of violence only)
- Sex of victim (crimes of violence only)
- Ethnic appearance of victim (crimes of violence only)
- Severity of injury to victim (crimes of violence only)
- Value of property recovered
- Vehicle recovered indicator (theft of motor vehicle only)
B. Additional information recorded in relation to offences cleared up
- Date cleared up
- Proceedings
C. Additional information recorded in relation to offences resulting in an arrest
- Police station at which arrest recorded
- Crime book in which arrest recorded
- Arrest report serial number
- Date of arrest
- How arrested
- Duty, type and branch of arresting officer
- Age of person arrested
- Sex of person arrested
- Ethnic appearance of person arrested
- Previous convictions of person arrested