Communication of Information

Word of mouth

According to a recent MORI poll, personal experiences and the experiences of friends and relatives are the two most important influences on how people feel about the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System (CJS). This is particularly a factor in affecting the vulnerability of BME groups, young people and victims.

Media coverage

After personal experiences, the next most trusted influences are TV news and documentaries, followed by what the police say and local newspapers. Sensationalist or unbalanced reporting will consequently have the biggest impact on those people who don’t have much contact with others and rely on the media for much of their information, such as older people.

Lack of information from the authorities

Poor communication can lead to a lack of confidence in the CJS and under-reporting of crime and incidents. As well as keeping the communities they serve informed, agencies need to listen to what they are being told and feedback on it. Where this doesn’t happen, it creates a perception that there is no point in reporting crimes as the police aren’t interested or don’t have the necessary capabilities to catch criminals. Without trust and regular communication, messages of reassurance will also be rejected, as there is a feeling that the police and others don’t know the reality of a situation.

CASE STUDY: 
Safer Villages Pilot, Battle and Rye areas of East Sussex

Communication is more effective if it’s broken up in to smaller chunks, e.g. lots of talks to smaller groups vs. large, impersonal lectures.

Education

A lack of education can lead to particular groups being stereotyped, delivering an atmosphere of distrust growing up between them and the rest of a community. The distrust felt by older people towards younger people is an example of this, but it’s a factor that cuts across all vulnerable groups.

CDRPs need to overcome these barriers and address concerns of ‘them’ and ‘us’ by bringing people together. Also, a lack of understanding on behalf of the authorities themselves about how to handle situations can lead to inappropriate responses, which can lead to an increase in fear of crime.