kriminalstatistik

Kriminalstatistik is the systematic collection, analysis, and publication of crime data for a given jurisdiction. In Germany, the Polizeiliche Kriminalstatistik (PKS) is the official annual crime statistic, produced by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) with input from the state police authorities. The PKS records offenses that were reported to or discovered by the police; it does not reflect verdicts, sentences, or the entire scope of criminal activity.

The statistics are organized by offense type (for example violent crime, property crime, sexual offenses, cybercrime), and are often broken down regionally (state, district, city). They may also include information on age and gender of suspects and victims, and on the rate of clearance or investigation outcomes. The PKS serves as a basis for monitoring trends, informing policy and prevention efforts, and communicating with the public. It also supports scientific research and comparative analyses.

Limitations and caveats are important. The PKS captures only crimes known to or reported to the police, so a "dark figure" of undetected or unreported crime remains unrepresented. Changes in laws, reporting practices, or policing can create artificial shifts in the data. Cross-country comparisons are challenging due to different legal definitions, recording practices, and statistical methods.

Beyond the PKS, there are additional state-level criminal statistics and international crime statistics. While related, they may vary in scope and methodology, so careful interpretation is required when comparing figures across jurisdictions.