Police Response to Burglary: Victims' Perceptions in Prague

Abstract

Police structures and everyday practices in Central and Eastern Europe have changed dramatically in recent years, but changes have varied both in terms of the countries involved and in terms of the particular feature of the police system under review. This paper focuses on one city, Prague, and considers the ways in which the police deal with crime victims, specifically victims of burglary. The findings are compared with an earlier study in Poland, Hungary, Germany and England. The police are the main agency with which burglary victims are involved, and the service they provide is important, not least because clear-up rates are low. It was, therefore, reassuring to find that victims were generally positive about the way the police dealt with their cases. This is very different from the situation in Poland, where victims were far more critical. However, those victims who were most affected or worried about crime were least positive, suggesting that there is a link between perceptions of police work and perceptions of the crime situation. A comparison between the Czech Republic and Poland also suggests that relatively minor changes to police practices may improve victims' experiences and thereby their evaluation of police work.