Recorded Crime in Scotland, 2013-14

Annex 2: Quality of the statistics

Due to the complexities of the issues in Motor vehicle offences, only two of the categories are considered fully comparable with the existing time series: Dangerous and careless driving and Driving under the influence.

As a result, the total number of Motor vehicle offences is subject to a break in the time series at 2013-14. We require to investigate these issues in greater detail to find a resolution to these problems and hope to find a resolution in due course.

Changes to data collection:

4.19 The data provided by the Police Scotland go through a process of quality assurance in which data received are checked across the four quarters of the financial year period, and against the previous year. Anything unusual or which we feel requires further explanation is then fed back to the Police for their attention. Any amendments are carried out and the final data is used to produce a set of data tables which can be used to check the final dataset. If the police are content that the figures are an accurate reflection of the dataset, then the data is officially signed off for use in the publication.

During the quality assurance checking process, it is possible for errors to be found in previous years data. While we do not routinely revise figures, we are committed to correcting errors in the data and providing suitable explanations for any changes made to previously published data.

4.20 2013-14 is the first full reporting year since the establishment of Police Scotland. As a result, data is no longer returned by the eight legacy police force areas and instead comes from one central unit within Police Scotland, using their new performance management reporting tool. To ensure that the dataset produced from this new system is consistent with data returned from legacy police forces, an extensive quality assurance exercise has been carried out to closely compare the data held by the Scottish Government with that extracted from the new force system.

The findings of this exercise have been published alongside the statistical bulletin in a technical report (Annex 3), publicly available via the following weblink: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubRecordedCrime/TechnicalReport

Revisions to previous years data:

4.21 The work around the technical report raised several data quality issues which have led to a number of corrections to legacy data published in previous years. The extent of these amendments to the data are detailed in the Technical report.

General corrections to legacy force data

• Breach of the peace

It has been found that data returned previously by legacy Tayside police for 2004‑05 onwards have been subject to an undercount. Breach of the peace offences have only been included where the crime was cleared up. However, there were a number of these offences which were not cleared up and these have had to be added to the data to rectify this issue. As well as a resulting undercount in the data, this problem would have artificially increased the clear up rate for these offences. This issue has been corrected for all years.

• Urinating etc. and Consumption of alcohol in designated places, byelaws prohibited

Due to the number of systems used by legacy forces to obtain data, it has been found that the legacy data for Tayside had been subject to double counting for 2010-11 onwards for these two offences. These data have been corrected.

• Refusal to quit licensed premises

Due to the number of systems used by legacy forces to obtain data, it has been found that the legacy data for Tayside has been subject to double counting since the offence code was introduced in 2009-10. These data have been corrected.

• Litter offences and Bicycles, other offences

A number of legacy force systems were used to obtain these statistics. However, it was found that one of the systems required, was missed from the legacy Lothian & Borders data which means that past data was subject to a very slight undercount. Data has been corrected back to 2008-09 using ScOMIS data but it has not been possible to correct data further back than this. However, the undercount is small and the effect on historic data is minimal.

• Disorderly on licensed premises and Control of Pollution

Due to the number of systems used by legacy forces to obtain data, it has been found that the legacy data for Tayside has been subject to double counting for this offence. These data have been corrected back to 2008-09, however it has not been possible to correct data prior to this and this has resulted in a break in the time series from 2008-09. Disorderly on licensed premises affects the comparability for the Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct category, and Control of Pollution affects the other miscellaneous offences category.

As a result of these two offences which affect comparability, the total number of miscellaneous offences is subject to a break in the time series from 2008‑09.

Specific data errors

• Salmon and freshwater fisheries offences

The data submitted by the legacy Central Scotland Police for 2012-13 was found to be erroneous. The error affected all three local authorities in the legacy force area: Clackmannanshire, Falkirk and Stirling. These data have been corrected and will affect the Other miscellaneous offences category.

• Drunk and incapable

The data submitted by the legacy Tayside Police for 2009-10 was discovered to be erroneous. The error affected two of the three local authorities in the legacy force area: Angus and Perth & Kinross. These data have been corrected and will affect the Drunkenness and other disorderly conduct category.

• Data Protection Act offences

The data submitted by the legacy Lothian and Borders Police for 2012-13 was discovered to be erroneous. The error affected only one of the five local authorities in this legacy force area, namely East Lothian. These data have been corrected and will affect the Other miscellaneous offences category.

4.22 Motor vehicle offences provided by Police Scotland for 2013-14, have been subject to a number of issues affecting comparability over time.

ScOMIS does not include data which is not considered by Police Scotland to be in the definition of 'criminal activity which the police are faced' and as a result a number of data sources which were previously included by some of the legacy police forces, are no longer included.

• Safety Camera Partnership

This data source affects the comparability of the following offences: Speeding; Other speeding; Drivers neglect of traffic directions (not pedestrian crossing); Drivers contravention of pedestrian crossing regulations and Motorway traffic offences. In addition, it was found that legacy Strathclyde did not include Safety Camera Partnership data in their returns for 2007-08 onwards which means that data for this time period onwards is not comparable across Scotland. We are investigating how to resolve this comparability issue, but in the meantime, data for 2013-14 cannot be compared with data for previous years. This affects the Speeding and Other motor vehicle offences categories.

• Vehicle Defect Rectification Scheme

This data source affects the comparability of the following offences: Registration or identification mark offences; Lighting offences (motor vehicles) and Construction and use regulation (other than lighting) offences. It also appears that legacy forces were not consistently including this data in their returns. We are investigating how to resolve this comparability issue, but in the meantime, data for 2013-14 cannot be compared with data for previous years. This affects the Unlawful use of a motor vehicle and Vehicle defect offences categories.

• Tickets issued by the DVLA

This data source data from the VDRS, relating to tickets issued for Vehicle Excise Licence offences, as this is not considered to be in the definition of 'criminal activity which the police are faced'. It also appears that legacy forces were not consistently including this data in their returns. We are investigating how to resolve this comparability issue, but in the meantime, data for 2013-14 cannot be compared with data for previous years. This affects the Unlawful use of motor vehicle category.

• Invalid data

It has been found that legacy Dumfries & Galloway and Fife were including invalid data in their returns for a number of motor vehicle offences: Using a motor vehicle without a test certificate; Driving without a licence (including under age); Failure to insure against third party risks; Lighting offences (motor vehicle) (Dumfries & Galloway, 2011-12 and 2012-13 only); Construction and use regulations (other than lighting) (Dumfries & Galloway only); Seat belt offences and Mobile Phone offences. These data have been corrected back to 2008-09 using data from ScOMIS, however, it has not been possible to correct data in earlier years.

There were also two specific data errors which were identified. Failure to provide information to identify driver of a motor vehicle - an erroneous figure had been provided in the legacy force data for Edinburgh City for 2009-10. Insure against third party risks, other offences - an erroneous figure had been provided in the legacy force data for Perth & Kinross for 2008-09. Both of these errors have been corrected.

• Double counting in legacy data

It has been found that legacy Lothian & Borders has been double counting a number of motor vehicle offences, as they were counting tickets issues and cases resulting from non-payment of tickets. This affects Using a motor vehicle without a test certificate, Driving without a licence (including under age), Failure to insure against third party risks), Seat belt offences and Mobile phone offences. We are investigating how to resolve this comparability issue, but in the meantime, data for 2013-14 cannot be compared with data for previous years. This affects the Unlawful use of motor vehicle, Seat belt offences and Mobile phone offences categories.

4.23 Detailed information on the quality assurance processes applied to recorded crime data is available in the User Guide to Recorded Crime Statistics in Scotland, available via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubRecordedCrime/UserGuide

4.24 In November 2014, HMICS published the findings from the 2014 Crime Audit. Details about the Audit are featured throughout the relevant sections of this statistical bulletin. Further details about the audit can be found in Annex 4.

4.25 A Framework of Assurance has been developed for Recorded Crime statistics to provide evidence on:

• the suitability of the administrative data for use in producing official statistics;
• factors that the statistical producer needs to take into account in producing the official statistics;
• the information that users need to know in order to make informed use of the statistics.

The Framework of Assurance can be accessed via the following link: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Crime-Justice/PubRecordedCrime/FoA