Police release Recorded Crime Offender Statistics dataset

New Zealand Police have released a dataset which aims to provide more information on crime offenders in New Zealand.

The Recorded Crime Offenders Statistics (RCOS) was published on Statistics NZ for the first time on 29 May 2015. It is the companion dataset to the Recorded Crime Victims Statistics (RCVS). The datasets aim to provide a more detailed, current and accurate picture of criminal offending and victimisation.

The RCOS dataset counts how many times Police take action against offenders, their demographic data and their relationship to the victim. An offender can be an individual or an organisation such as a business. Unlike the RCVS dataset, RCOS also includes crimes without a clear victim, such as drug offences and serious traffic offences. Over time, RCOS will enable analysis of repeat offenders.

Similar to the RCVS dataset, RCOS improves the information available on intimate partner violence and child assaults, as the dataset includes the relationship between the offender and victim, such as an intimate partner, parent, sibling, friend, caregiver or stranger.

Police Deputy Chief Executive: Strategy, Mark Evans said "These datasets put people at the centre of the count, rather than the number of offences and apprehensions. This will give Police and other agencies much greater insight into who is committing crime, who is being victimised, the relationship between offender and victim, where the offending is taking place and how offenders are being dealt with."

RCOS and RCVS will be updated on the last day of every month, superseding the old twice-yearly release of crime statistics. The datasets are open and accessible to the public. For more information read the New Recorded Crime Offenders Statistics RCOS Briefing and visit the NZ Police website.

Media

New numbers, greater insight, New Zealand Police Ten One, Issue 392, June 2015