How do victims of crime feel about the police and criminal justice system?

As part of our major study on attitudes to policing and crime in England and Wales, we conducted a survey of more than 1,500 adults who have been victims of crime in the last two years.

The research explores how victims rate their interactions with the police, how satisfied they are with investigations and outcomes, and their confidence in the police and the wider criminal justice system.

How do victims of crime feel about the police response?

Most recent victims of crime in England and Wales who reported their crime to authorities say they were overall dissatisfied (56%) with how the police handled their crime, with just 40% saying they were generally pleased with the response.

A majority (53%) also report being dissatisfied with how seriously the police took their crime, while among victims whose crime was actively investigated by the police, nearly two thirds (64%) say they were left disappointed by the outcome of the investigation, with only 26% saying they were happy with the result.

A perceived indifference from the police is a recurring complaint when we asked recent victims to tell us in their own words what they would change about the police and why. One woman who was a victim of harassment felt the “Police judge impact, acknowledge it but dismiss it. It seems like too much trouble for them to follow things through.”, while a victim of theft says “It is harrowing enough to be the victim of crime without feeling dismissed”.

But it’s not all negative, with 61% of recent victims who reported their crime giving the police a positive review for the manner in which officers dealt with them. Three quarters (73%) say they felt that police treated them with respect, while most (57%) also report being pleased with the speed of the police response.

This includes a young woman who was a victim of sexual assault, who says “they responded well and treated me well and I could have asked for nothing more from them”. Another young woman who suffered from stalking likewise commended the police on their response, telling us “They took the crime seriously and contacted the person who was stalking me. I never heard from that person again.”

Others were dissatisfied by the overall response, but laid the blame for their dissatisfaction with organisations other than the police, such as one older woman who says “In my experience the police helped a lot and put a lot of effort into finding the burglars but it seems to be the court system that undoes their hard work”.

Another burglary victim acknowledged what he sees as the difficulties of policing, saying “Police were supportive but resources & nature of crime is difficult to resolve”.

One particular issue with police responses is being kept in the loop, with nearly half of recent victims (45%) saying the police were poor at providing updates to their investigation, compared to just 32% who felt the police were good at keeping them informed.

This includes one person who was a victim of criminal damage. He says that “the police came and made basic notes, but when I visited the police station to report on the second incident, I learned that the case was closed as unsolved due to lack of evidence, but I had not been told”.

How does satisfaction with the police vary between recent victims of crime?

Satisfaction with the police experience varies by the type of crime someone was a victim of. While 60% of victims who reported a burglary are satisfied the police took their crime seriously, this is true of just 36-42% of those who reported anti-social behaviour, fraud, theft or criminal damage.

And although 72% of victims who reported a burglary are satisfied by how quickly the police responded, with 56-59% of victims of criminal damage, fraud or theft feeling the same, this falls to just 44% of those who reported anti-social behaviour.

Among those whose crime either was not investigated or was investigated but left unsolved, just 33% believe the police ultimately did all they reasonably could, while 57% feel that they should have done more.

There are also notable generational differences in the results, with younger victims of crime more likely to report being unhappy with their experience with the police. For instance, 70% of 18-34 year olds who have reported a crime in the last two years say they are overall dissatisfied with how the police handled their crime, compared to 58% of such 35-49 year olds, 55% of 50-64 year olds and 49% of over 65s.

Younger victims whose crimes were reported but not resolved are also more likely to feel the police could have done more than their elders do, with 68% of 18-34 year olds feeling so, falling to 45% of over-65s.

Why do some victims not report the crime they suffer?

Of course, not every victim of crime ends up involving the police, with just 65% of victims polled saying they officially reported the offence they suffered from.

Victims of fraud are noticeably less likely to report the crime to the authorities, with only 42% doing so, compared to 67% of those on the receiving end of anti-social behaviour, 73% of victims of theft, 80% of those who had suffered criminal damage and 94% of those who had been burgled.

Among victims who did not report the crime, half (50%) said the main reason they did not do so was a belief the police would not do anything about it.

This is less true of victims of fraud who did not report it the police, only 35% of whom gave perceived police ineffectiveness as their main reason for keeping quiet. Instead, 22% said they did not feel the incident warranted reporting, with 27% saying they instead reported it solely to other organisations, such as their bank, who dealt with it instead.

Four in ten recent victims who reported their crime to the police (40%) say that, if they experienced a similar crime again, they would be unlikely to report it.

Because this dissatisfaction is uneven between crimes, it runs the risk of certain offences being underreported in future, with the 44-45% of victims of anti-social behaviour and fraud saying they would not be likely to report such a crime to the police again contrasting with 32% of victims of criminal damage or theft and 14% of victims of burglary.

How do victims of crime feel about the police and justice system?

Perhaps unsurprisingly, recent victims of crime are a little less positive than the public as a whole in their feelings towards the police and criminal justice system.

While 42% of the public in England and Wales believe the police are generally doing a bad job, this rises to 47% among those who have been a victim of a crime in the last two years, and while 52% of all English and Welsh people express little to no confidence in the police’s ability to deal with crime in their local area, this increases to 61% among those who have recently suffered from crime.

The difference is less apparent when it comes to broader confidence in the police’s ability to investigate crimes when reported, with the 55% of victims at least fairly confident that the police can investigate major crimes and the mere 14% confident they can investigate minor crimes roughly identical to proportions among the public as a whole (53% and 14% respectively).

However, victims are notably less likely to be at least fairly confident in the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to prosecute people believed to have committed a crime (37% vs 45%), in the courts and justice system to both deliver the correct verdict at trial (44% vs 51%) and give the guilty appropriate sentences (30% vs 37%), and the prison system to keep people convicted imprisoned (33% vs 39%).

Only 9% of victims are confident that the prison and probation system are able to reform people convicted of crimes and reduce their chance of reoffending.

How has crime impacted victims?

The impact of a crime isn’t just limited to the offence itself. Seven in ten recent victims (71%) say that their experience has negatively impacted their mental health, with nearly half (46%) saying it has adversely affected how they interact with strangers.

Three quarters of victims (76%) say they changed their habits or behaviour since the crime occurred in a way to avoid similar incidents, with this rising to 84-85% among victims of fraud or theft and 94% among victims of anti-social behaviour.

For many of those who have changed their behaviour, this has amounted to practical changes to their routine or adopting enhanced security measures.

• “Changed routes I walk.” (Victim of street violence, 68-year-old man)
• “I walk different ways home now and don't go out when it's late and dark.” (Victim of anti-social behaviour, 41-year-old woman)
• “I avoid going out alone as much as I can and particularly avoid a local shop where I was targeted.” (Victim of anti-social behaviour, 49-year-old woman)
• “I no longer go out socially any more. I have stopped working. I am scared all the time.” (Victim of assault, 64-year-old woman)
• “I used to go out running to exercise, but the incident occurred whilst I was out for a run so I have not been out for one since.” (Victim of anti-social behaviour, 22-year-old man)
• “Installed security cameras to feel safer at home.” (Victim of harassment, 35-year-old man)
• “I have installed higher fencing. Invested in a huge dog. Had security cameras installed.” (Victim of theft, 48-year-old man)
• “I keep my car key in a radar proof bag when not in use.” (Victim of burglary, 40-year-old women)
• “I have bought CCTV to provide evidence if it happens again.” (Victim of criminal damage, 60-year-old man)
• “We got better locks to secure our house and we now leave on the lights in the house.” (Victim of burglary, 48-year-old woman)
• “Stronger passwords, additional online security” (Victim of fraud, 44-year-old woman)

While caution has become a common watchword for many victims.

• “I am more aware of my possessions when I am out and about and more aware of my surroundings.” (Victim of theft, 59-year-old man)
• “I have become a lot more paranoid and try to avoid situations where it could happen again.” (Victim of criminal damage, 68-year-old man)
• “I am hyper vigilant when walking alone (even more than I was before) and do not engage with strangers - I am reticent, even if they are asking for help.” (Victim of harassment, 38-year-old woman)
• “I no longer leave my card details on any website I use.” (Victim of fraud, 63-year-old woman)
• “I have an authenticator on my email and am far more cautious about suspicious emails.” (Victim of fraud, 59-year-old man)
• “Check spending daily. Quite paranoid about card care.” (Victim of fraud, 63-year-old woman)

And for some, suffering from crime has had more profound social and emotional impact.

• “I avoid people now as much as possible and don't go out or do the things I used to enjoy.” (Victim of harassment, 47-year-old woman)
• “I don't trust anyone. I'm always prepared for the worst.” (Victim of domestic abuse, 30-year-old woman)
• “I do not hold my partner’s hand in public any more. I am incredibly weary around groups, especially men.” (Victim of a hate crime, 26-year-old man)
• “Our children are afraid to be in the house alone, wife has nightmares.” (Victim of burglary, 44-year-old man)
• “I have stayed single since.” (Victim of domestic abuse, 49-year-old woman)
• “I have changed my job.” (Victim of assault, 41-year-old woman)
• “I ensure I don’t look visibly Jewish when travelling alone to an area where I think I will encounter racism.” (Victim of a hate crime, 64-year-old woman)

See the full results here

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