It might also be a private matter and people might not want to involve the police, such as sexual abuse within the family. In incidents such as this, the victim and the family won’t want to publicise the matter so that everyone is aware of it.
Waste of Time.
In crimes such as vandalism, people might not necessarily know who did it. This is another factor of what might stop people from reporting crimes to the police, thinking that there is not much the police can do about it. Those who consider reporting it might think it will only be a waste of their own time as well as the police’s
Also, people might not report crimes, thinking that it is a waste of time, if the crime can easily be sorted out anyway. If only a pencil was stolen, they would be better off replacing it instead of bothering the police about it and wasting their time.
Too Trivial
Some might not report crimes because they think it is too trivial. If a man was riding a bicycle after dark, I know that I would not bother calling the police about it. I would think it is unimportant and there are more serious crimes being committed that the police should be spending their time and effort on. I’m sure a lot of people will feel the same way, and therefore it is another reason why people do not bother reporting crimes.
An incident may have involved no loss or damage, or the loss was too small to report, such as losing a small milk bottle from the doorstep or a plant pot.
Both Benefit
People may not report crimes because they themselves will be in a lot of trouble. Some crimes benefit both parties and there is no obvious victim. The consequence of reporting such
offences will harm all concerned. An example of this case is the illegal supplying of drugs. Another is stealing goods and selling them off for a cheaper price. The person who steals will gain a few quid and the person buying will be able to get a great bargain. They will have had to pay a higher price if bought at a large superstore.
Deal with It Yourself (DIY)
Victims may feel it is a private matter that they would rather deal with themselves. An example is if they got beaten up. For a male, it would flatten their ego if they called the police straightaway. They would rather deal with it themselves by either sorting it out or planning revenge. This is common with gangsters or people in a large crowd where they want to look “big” amongst their peers.
Another example is shoplifting. The manager may just decide to give a warning or ban someone from the shop. They might call the parents in but won’t necessarily call the police, unless it happened repeatedly.
Unaware Crime Has Been Committed.
This is another factor of why a person might not report crimes to the police. They might not realise or notice that a crime has been committed. A person might have placed something somewhere, only to find that they can’t find it anymore. They might think that they’ve lost it, misplaced it or just can’t find it anymore, totally unaware that that it has been stolen.
Sometimes people fall victims of hoaxes. A strange man might come into a home claiming to be a gas meter reader, only to be a con artist. They may take this chance to craftily sneak a few things out of the house that could actually be worth a lot of money. Sometimes the person might catch them and call the police but a lot of the time, the crime completely goes unnoticed and therefore it increases the failure to report it.
How can we make it easier to report crimes?
Confidentiality:
People will find it easier to talk to someone about a crime that they are reluctant to talk about if they was reassured that it would remain confidential. The crimes might be upsetting but it might be easier for them to report it and make statements if they knew that the information would be respected and not publicised unless they have permission. These crimes are likely to be private matters such as abuse within the family, rape or domestic violence.
Anonymous:
It might make crime reporting a lot easier if victims were allowed to remain anonymous. They might find it comforting that they have the right to remain nameless but still be able to report crimes in order for it to be dealt with. This could involve questionnaires, like the Self-Report Studies.
Sympathetic:
If policeman/woman were more understanding and supportive, people might find it easier to talk to them. This could encourage people to walk into a police station instead of fretting over whether to go or not. If people were more sympathetic, victims would be more confident and be reassured that they will not be laughed at.
