Are you a victim of crime?
The Victims of Crime Survey (VOCS) is currently taking place.
This is a sample survey conducted by Statistics South Africa annually from January till end of March. The primary aim of the survey is to collect data to establish the prevalence of particular kinds of crime within a certain population.
233 fieldworkers will visit 32 000 selected dwelling units nationwide over the three month period. Each household within the dwelling unit will need to answer a 61 page questionnaire related to their perceptions and experiences of crime, as well as their view regarding access to and effectiveness of the police and justice system.
The public is urged to answer the questionnaire if their household is selected. VOCS Field Operations Manager, Mokgadi Ntsoane, states, “The once-off interview can take up to an hour to complete depending on the number of crime incidences in the household. All information remains confidential in accordance with the Statistics Act (No.6 of 1999)”. For quality purposes the questionnaire must be filled in by the fieldworker.
Fieldworkers can be identified by a yellow Statistics South Africa bib and identity card stating the persons name and personnel number.
The survey has four objectives namely to provide information about the dynamics of crime from the perspective of households and the victims of crime; explore public perceptions of the activities of the police, prosecutors, courts and correctional services in the prevention of crime and victimisation; provide complimentary data on the level of crime within South Africa (SA) in addition to the statistics published annually by the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Data processing will start in April and the compilation of the final report between July and September 2012. The results can be expected after this date.
Enquiries
Enquiries regarding the survey can be directed to VOCS Field Operations Manager, Mokgadi Ntsoane on 012 310 8678 or Executive Manager: Survey Operations, Victor Matlala on 012 310 8179.
The VOCS 2011 statistical release is available on the Statistics South Africa website, www.statssa.gov.za.
Source: The Knysna-Plett Herald