Member

I got interested in this issue some time ago, when talking to academics in criminology and in research. It is important for their research that official crime data, such as recorded crime, is accurate. Policymakers and researchers need accurate data to analyse patterns of offending, to allow interventions to be developed, and for resources to be targeted effectively. Importantly, criminal justice data needs to be credible and consistent. However, the conflation of sex and gender compromises official trustworthiness, quality and the value of data for policy and for researchers in academia, as well as for a public understanding of the facts in relation to crime. This point is increasingly key, as trust in criminal justice is no longer to be taken for granted.