Interior Minister Thomas Strobl: “We are illuminating the dark field: Never before have so many people in the state been asked about their experiences with crime”
“People in Baden-Württemberg live in a safe state! To keep it that way, our goal is to fight crime as best we can, everywhere. And to do that, we need an accurate picture of the security situation: how safe do people feel in the state and in their neighborhoods? Have you been affected by a crime in the past twelve months? Why did you report or not report a crime? With these questions, we are therefore launching today the first citizens’ survey on the perception of security and crime experiences in the country. The answers to these and other questions will tell us how often people have been victims of crime, how often they have reported it and what their feeling of security is like,” said Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Thomas Strobl on Friday (September 22, 2023) at the launch of the statewide citizen survey on the perception of security and crime experiences.
On behalf of the Ministry of the Interior, for Digitalization and Communities, the newly founded Institute for Criminological Research Baden-Württemberg (KriFoBW) at the Baden-Württemberg Police University is conducting a statewide security survey for the first time. In addition to perceptions of safety, the survey focuses on crime experiences and satisfaction with police work. A total of more than 180,000 randomly selected persons over the age of 16 from 110 municipalities in Baden-Württemberg will be asked to participate in the online survey. The mailing of the cover letters will take place from September 21, 2023. The survey will be conducted online; upon request, KriFOBW will send a paper questionnaire free of charge.
As a rule, the security authorities base their work primarily on the cases that are reported or directly discovered by them – in other words, the so-called “bright field” recorded in the crime statistics. The so-called “dark field,” which includes those cases that are not reported or come to the attention of the police, is not reflected in the statistics. Accordingly, crime statistics and situation pictures reflect only part of the actual security situation. “Never before have so many people in the country been asked about their experiences with crime. The survey results will tell us about trends in crime. They are an important means of estimating the extent and consequences of crime.
This will give us an even closer look at the actual crime situation in Baden-Württemberg,” explained Interior Minister Thomas Strobl.
The first survey results are to be published in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of the Interior’s Security Report 2023, which is scheduled for release in spring 2024. The results will be used, for example, to adapt and further develop prevention programs and subsequently increase citizens’ willingness to report crime. Follow-up surveys are then to take place every two to three years.
“I warmly encourage all those contacted to take part in the survey. You are making an important contribution to safety in our country. In addition, the police will donate five euros to the Kinderland Baden-Württemberg foundation for every 100 questionnaires completed,” said Interior Minister Thomas Strobl. In addition, as a thank-you for their completed questionnaires, participants can take part in a prize draw for two rides in a Baden-Württemberg police helicopter and a total of 50 wish vouchers of varying value.
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Further information on KriFoBW and the statewide safety survey can be found at https://krifobw.de
> 21.09.2023 Starting signal for the first state-wide security survey – The starting signal for the first state-wide security survey was given on September 21, 2023.
