Governor Patton announces crime victimization survey

FRANKFORT - Governor Paul E. Patton today announced a new effort to strengthen Kentucky’s criminal justice system - a crime victimization survey which will collect key data from 18,000 Kentuckians. This is the first extensive crime survey in Kentucky that will ask Kentuckians about their fear of crime, how well they think the criminal justice system is working, and whether they have been the victim of crime in the past year.

The 1999 Kentucky Crime Victimization Survey will be mailed randomly to people across the state by Gov. Patton’s long-range criminal justice planning board - the Kentucky Criminal Justice Council.

In announcing the survey, Governor Patton made the point that the majority of crime is never reported. "We know that every year in Kentucky about 1000 cases of rape are reported to law enforcement agencies, but over 6000 rape victims reach out for help to a Rape Crisis Center," Governor Patton said. "Neither the arrest data kept by the State Police, nor the data maintained by the court system can tell us exactly how many Kentucky citizens are victimized by crime."

The survey’s data will provide the Criminal Justice Council - established by Gov. Patton’s 1998 crime reform legislation -with information that is critical to the Council’s criminal justice planning process.

"This project clearly shows that Kentucky is a frontrunner in the area of collecting data on crime and the criminal justice system," Patton said.

First Lady Judi Patton, a strong advocate for victims, said she wants every Kentuckian who receives a survey to know that their response is particularly important to the study.

 "I believe this survey is a meaningful way to give a voice to victims." said Mrs. Patton. "The victimization survey is a unique and safe way for any victim of crime in Kentucky to tell us their story."

Kentucky’s survey is largely based on the one used in the National Crime Victimization Survey by the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Selected citizens have been notified by postcard that the survey will be mailed to them in a few days. The deadline for recipients to return the survey is July 20, 1999. Once the Office of the Criminal Justice Council receives the completed surveys, it will begin analyzing the data. "We look forward to receiving this critical input from Kentuckians and using their experiences to improve the criminal justice system as we enter the new millenium," said Justice Cabinet Secretary Robert Stephens who chairs the Kentucky Criminal Justice Council.

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