Dark Figure of Crime
Crime is a type of formal deviance. When people break the coded law, they are punished according to the law for the crime. The dark figure of crime is a term used by criminologists to define the number of crimes that go unreported or are never discovered by law enforcers. The United States has a high rate of crime, but there is a considerable percentage that goes unreported to the police. In other instances, the crimes are reported, but the law enforcers do not record them. Several measures have been put into place to address the dark figure of crime.
People fail to report crime due to many reasons. Some people harbor a fear of reprisal with the belief that the complaint will not be taken seriously. Therefore, they fear that the people they reported will hurt them as a means of revenge. In other instances, people prefer to settle disputes without involving the law enforcers. For example, when are crimes committed within families, the family members prefer to solve the disputes privately. In other instances, people are not aware that they are victims of crime; therefore, they do not report incidences to the police. People also fail to report crime due to poor relations with the police. In low-income neighborhoods, police-public relations suffer a major blow due to gang activity. Moreover, racism has affected the way people view the police. As a result, people ignore fear or hate the police such that they do not report incidences of crime.
According to James (2018), the increasing rate of crime is matched with a rising dark figure of crime. Although technology makes it easy to report crimes to law enforcers, many people are still not open to the idea of reporting criminal activities. Furthermore, poor public relations in police departments hinder people from reporting a crime. However, despite the high rate of unreported crimes, federal and state governments are implementing policies to improve relations between the police and the public to encourage people to report crimes.
The public is learning the importance of reporting criminal activities. In the past, members of the public dismiss some incidences as minor. However, such minor occurrences later give way to major illegal activities. Also, some people fail to report crimes they consider as embarrassing. For instance, crimes such as rape and sexual harassment go unreported. The public does not, however, understand that perpetrators of such crimes can get arrested when incidences get reported. Civic education about reporting crimes is helping the public overcome fear and report incidences.
The police department is working on improving public relations. Police officials rely on the cooperation of community members to provide information about crime in their neighborhoods, and to work with the police to devise solutions to crime and disorder problems (US Department of Justice, 2018). Therefore, when the public fears or hates police officers, the dark figure if crime increases. At present, there is still a considerable number of people who consider the police as the enemy. Many police departments in all states now conduct corporate social responsibility activities to improve their public image. For instance, many police departments hold events where they give tours to school children. In so doing, the future generation develops a positive perception of law enforcers. Other methods include police officer volunteering in community centers where they interact with members of the public.
In conclusion, the dark figure of crime is hindering the justice system in the US. When crimes go unreported, crime rates increase. Therefore, the government is working tirelessly to improve mutual relationships between the police and the public to increase the number of reported crimes. Mutual trust between society and the police increase effective policing as well as public safety. Also, when members of the public learn the importance of reporting crimes, the dark figure of crime will reduce significantly.
References
James, N. (2018). Recent Violent Crime Trends in the United States. Congressional Research Service , 38.
US Department of Justice. (2018). Importance of Police-Community Relationships and Resources for Further Reading. Retrieved September 13, 2019, from US Department of Justice : https://www.justice.gov/crs/file/836486/download