Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications
Abstract Studying whether, why, and how people call the police when they experience or witness a crime is crucial for understanding crime patterns, improving the accuracy of crime data, and shaping effective policing and criminal justice responses. Police-recorded crime statistics rely on public rep...
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| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Crime Science |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-025-00257-7 |
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| _version_ | 1849226573830422528 |
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| author | David Buil-Gil Laura Huey |
| author_facet | David Buil-Gil Laura Huey |
| author_sort | David Buil-Gil |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Studying whether, why, and how people call the police when they experience or witness a crime is crucial for understanding crime patterns, improving the accuracy of crime data, and shaping effective policing and criminal justice responses. Police-recorded crime statistics rely on public reporting, meaning that unreported crimes contribute to the ‘dark figure of crime’, distorting crime estimates and ultimately affecting practice and policy decisions. Understanding reporting behaviors helps identify and address barriers to reporting, including disparities across population groups and locations. This knowledge is essential for supporting evidence-based policing, improving victim support, and enhancing crime prevention strategies. This special collection comprises nine articles that advance theoretical explanations of crime reporting behavior and examine how calls for service shape demand for police services. The articles explore various aspects of crime reporting, including how perceptions of courts influence reporting behavior, how reporting channels impact victims’ satisfaction with the police, and how neighborhood characteristics such as racial composition, economic conditions, and mental health affect crime reporting propensities. Additionally, the collection contributes to understanding crime reporting behaviors for emerging forms of cyber-enabled crime such as cyberstalking and romance fraud. Finally, it explores spatial and temporal patterns of calls for service and proposes ways to better quantify police demand, enabling more informed management and prioritization of resources. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-627e5cc1790c465eb4bdc1c4c8f2a286 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2193-7680 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Crime Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-627e5cc1790c465eb4bdc1c4c8f2a2862025-08-24T11:12:39ZengBMCCrime Science2193-76802025-08-011411710.1186/s40163-025-00257-7Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implicationsDavid Buil-Gil0Laura Huey1Department of Criminology, The University of ManchesterDepartment of Sociology, University of Western OntarioAbstract Studying whether, why, and how people call the police when they experience or witness a crime is crucial for understanding crime patterns, improving the accuracy of crime data, and shaping effective policing and criminal justice responses. Police-recorded crime statistics rely on public reporting, meaning that unreported crimes contribute to the ‘dark figure of crime’, distorting crime estimates and ultimately affecting practice and policy decisions. Understanding reporting behaviors helps identify and address barriers to reporting, including disparities across population groups and locations. This knowledge is essential for supporting evidence-based policing, improving victim support, and enhancing crime prevention strategies. This special collection comprises nine articles that advance theoretical explanations of crime reporting behavior and examine how calls for service shape demand for police services. The articles explore various aspects of crime reporting, including how perceptions of courts influence reporting behavior, how reporting channels impact victims’ satisfaction with the police, and how neighborhood characteristics such as racial composition, economic conditions, and mental health affect crime reporting propensities. Additionally, the collection contributes to understanding crime reporting behaviors for emerging forms of cyber-enabled crime such as cyberstalking and romance fraud. Finally, it explores spatial and temporal patterns of calls for service and proposes ways to better quantify police demand, enabling more informed management and prioritization of resources.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-025-00257-7 |
| spellingShingle | David Buil-Gil Laura Huey Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications Crime Science |
| title | Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications |
| title_full | Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications |
| title_fullStr | Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications |
| title_short | Calling the police: theoretical insights and practical implications |
| title_sort | calling the police theoretical insights and practical implications |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40163-025-00257-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidbuilgil callingthepolicetheoreticalinsightsandpracticalimplications AT laurahuey callingthepolicetheoreticalinsightsandpracticalimplications |