Recording of community violence by medical and police services: Figure 1

Abstract

Objectives: To determine the extent to which community violence that results in injury treated in emergency departments appears in official police records and to identify age/gender groups at particular risk of under-recording by the police. Methods: Non-confidential data for patients with assault related injury treated in the emergency departments of two hospitals in one South Wales city (Swansea) during a six month period were compared with data relating to all recorded crimes in the category "Violence against the person" in the police area where the hospitals were located. Results: Over the six month period a total of 1513 assaults were recorded by Swansea emergency departments and the police (1019, 67.3% injured males and 494, 32.7% injured females). The majority of these assaults (993, 65.6%) were recorded exclusively by emergency departments; 357 (23.6%) were recorded only by the police and 163 (10.8%) were recorded by both emergency departments and the police.Equal proportions of males (67.3%) and females (67.5%) injured in assaults were recorded by both emergency departments and the police, but men were more likely to have their assault recorded exclusively in emergency departments (odds ratio (OR) 2.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.7 to 2.7) while women were more likely to have their assault recorded exclusively by the police (OR 2.5, 95% CI 2.0 to 3.2).There were no significant relationships between exclusive emergency department recording and increasing age (OR 1.0, 95% CI 0.9 to 1.2), exclusive police recording and increasing age (OR 1.1, 95% CI 1.0 to 1.2), or between age and dual recording (OR 0.9, 95% CI 0.8 to 1.0). Conclusions: Most assaults leading to emergency department treatment, particularly in which males were injured, were not recorded by the police. Assaults on the youngest group (0-10, particularly boys) were those least likely to be recorded by police and females over age 45, the most likely.Emergency department derived assault data provide unique perspectives of community violence and police detection.

Who Shot Ya? How Emergency Departments Can Collect Reliable Police Shooting Data

“…Carlton (HVIP co-director) suggested that one approach could compare the data collected by the hospital to data collected by the police. This strategy parallels the procedures implemented in the UK 13 :…”

“…13 For example, low rates of police recording intimate partner violence have prompted legislation in some states to make reporting by health professionals' mandatory. 18 Although most states require medical personnel to report all nonfatal shootings to law enforcement, the rate of compliance is unknown.…”

“…12 In studies conducted in the UK, it has been found that only about 25-50 % of assaults that result in medical treatment are recorded by the police and that recording cannot be predicted on the basis of the severity of injury. 13 In one study, which compared ED data versus police identification of an assault, the ED recorded twice the number of victims of assault as the police.…”

“…Furthermore, there appears to be almost no international, systematic, ethically sound ED and police collaboration. 13 For firearm injury surveillance in USA, although systems are being developed or enhanced (e.g., Georgia Firearm Injury Notification), the systematic study of the extent to which there is correspondence between ED and police recording has not happened.…”

Preventing alcohol‐related violence: a public health approach

“…These data have shown that 75-80% of assaults resulting in hospital treatment do not appear in police records, and also that police recording varies by patient age, gender and violence location. Violence resulting in treatment of older women, for example, is more likely to appear in police records than that affecting young men (Sutherland et al, 2002). A principal reason for non-recording of violence by the police is lack of reporting.…”