The Criminological Research and Statistics Department (KFS) of the State Criminal Police Office (LKA) of Lower Saxony wants to find answers to these and many other questions using the results of what is now the fourth dark field study.
The LKA will therefore be sending out questionnaires to around 40,000 people living in Lower Saxony from mid-March 2021. The aim of the survey is to obtain information about crimes that have not been reported and thus gain insights into the so-called dark field of crime. In contrast to this is the so-called bright field - i.e. crime that has become known through reports or police investigations.
The knowledge gained from the study will help the police to combat crime even better and prevent crime more effectively. With their answers, respondents have the opportunity to help shape the future direction of police work. The dark field study now underway is already the fourth study on security and crime in Lower Saxony since 2013.
Boris Pistorius, Lower Saxony's Minister of the Interior and Sport, says: "Focusing on the topic of domestic violence is very important to me personally. We know that very few crimes are reported by those affected. However, during the lockdown in particular, we need to know whether there is an increase in this area and how we can take further countermeasures and help people who have to suffer at the hands of violent partners. The study gives us an opportunity to make further statements on this and also to refine the police's approaches. Lower Saxony was the first federal state ever to carry out a dark field study. These studies are now recognized nationwide and have provided many valuable impulses for future investigation and prevention work within the police in recent years. One thing is clear: our police can only take countermeasures at an early stage if they have as comprehensive a picture as possible of crime in Lower Saxony. However, this is only possible if, in addition to the known bright field, the police also have information on the dark field of crime and why certain crimes are not reported."
"In addition to fear and shame, there are many other reasons why a crime is not reported to the police. However, these crimes are no less important to us - on the contrary! The findings from the dark field survey help us to target crime prevention and crime fighting more effectively," emphasizes LKA President Friedo de Vries.
As regular victim surveys are a necessary prerequisite for being able to adequately assess the extent of this dark field and thus the overall incidence of crime as well as the development of crime, the studies from 2013, 2015 and 2017 are now being followed by another nationwide survey.
As with the previous surveys, the Lower Saxony Criminal Police Office (LKA) will send several postal letters to 40,000 people aged 16 and over in around 90 municipalities as part of a representative survey. First, they receive a letter with general basic information and the announcement of the survey.
The twenty-page questionnaire is then sent out. This covers the following topics: Life situation, experiences with crime looking back over the past year, reporting behavior, fear of crime, perception and evaluation of police work and experiences specifically with partner violence.
The survey is anonymous and participation is voluntary.
"In addition to the police crime statistics, the dark field studies provide the Lower Saxony police with another reliable source of information that also captures the fear of crime and thus the subjective side of security, thus enabling prevention work that is even more closely aligned with people's needs," says Hartmut Pfeiffer, project manager and Head of Criminological Research and Statistics at the Lower Saxony Criminal Police Office.