Comparative of Crime Victim Survey Report with the Police Report on Crime Patterns, and Trends in Gboko Town, Benue State, Nigeria

This study compares crime reports using data obtained from crime victims and Police reports from Gboko town in Benue State, Nigeria between 2017 and 2018. The dark figure inherent in the periodic crime record has severally been pointed out in Sociological literature, but determining the extent of these hidden figures has consistently been obscured due inability to compare Police data with data from crime victims. The significance of this study lies in raising the contribution of crime victims to periodic crime data, and to determine the true extent of crime patterns and trends in Gboko town. To do this a sample size of 400 household heads were systematically drawn from Gboko town based on a sample frame obtained from the National Population Office at Markurdi using Yamane’s formula of determining sample size. The town was segmented into five clusters, with 80 respondents drawn from each using questionnaire and key informant interview method as data collection instrument. Analysis of data revealed that the volume of crime victimization in Gboko town was relatively higher compared to the Police reports. It also showed differences in crime patterns and trends reported. Based on these findings, we recommend among others the involvement of crime victims’ reports in the Police periodic analysis of crime patterns and trends, compensation of crime victims, and encouragement of victims to speak out.