Cincuenta años de criminalidad registrada por la Policía Nacional

Abstract

After the fifty years the National Police has published criminality year-books, some people question the usefulness of the endeavor of the institution. In order to make an adequate judgment, it is mandatory to understand that Police statistics, being recorded criminality figures, are essentially geared to measure the efficacy of the institutional social reaction to criminality. Bearing such important task in mind, the Police should in the future contribute to the knowledge of real criminality, in conjunction with academy and with the backing of experts, by using qualitative and quantitative techniques to obtain trustworthy calculations regarding the so-called “black figure” of criminality. Among the qualitative techniques pointed out were the study of autobiographies of criminals; the confessions under promise of immunity; and participative observation. Among the quantitative techniques described were self-incriminating surveys and questionnaires to victims and family heads. Insofar as we are able to make a trustworthy estimation of real criminality, we will build a more solid criminal policy, and we could also achieve a better control of the social problem of criminality.