Official recording of crimes and convictions by the police

Many crimes are not recognised as such by the victim and so are not reported. For instance, they may believe that a wallet has been lost or a mobile phone left on a bus. Some crimes are not thought to be crimes and this will depend on the individual's definition of crime. At what point a fair fight turns into assault is partly dependent upon the definitions of those involved.

Many crimes are not reported to the police even if the person is aware that a crime has taken place. This is because the individual may not be able to report the crime. The proximity of the police station, officers on the beat or the availibility of phones are all important factors. Some may seek to deal with the issues themselves, or may be too frightened to report the crime.In most cases victims think the crime is too trivial to report. It is…