The use of criminal statistics in the planning of police activities: Culture and organizational contexts as central elements to its understanding

Abstract

The use of information on the planning of police activities is one of the core issues concerning the debate on the contemporary public security paradigms. Thus, the criminal statistics are an important instrument in this process. This article promotes a discussion about the usage of criminal statistics as a source of information in their planning actions. Three variables were considered on the paper's development: the contemporary policing paradigms; the usage and the functionalities of criminal statistics in their planning activities; and the usage of criminal statistics by law enforcement officers and their organizational context. As a conclusion, the paper considers the necessity to observe the culture and structure of police institutions as a key element in a model of policing based on intelligence, pro-activity and crime prevention.