Statistical Quality Assessment of the National Crime Information System (SNIC) 2018, Argentina

From September 24 to 28 the Center of Excellence carried out different activities in the framework of the Second Statistical Quality Assessment of the National Crime Information System (SNIC) in charge of the National Directorate of Crime Information of the Undersecretary for Criminal Statistics of the Ministry of Security of the Republic of Argentina.

A working meeting was held with the 23 provinces of the Republic of Argentina, the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, the National Gendarmerie, the Naval Prefecture, the Federal Police and the Airport Security Police, where was discussed the main uses that provinces and federal forces make of the SNIC, as well as the interinstitutional coordination that is carried out in order to consolidate it.

Some interviews were held with external users of the SNIC, such as the National Road Safety Agency and the National Ombudsman’s Office, who made use of the SNIC for their investigations and reports of violent deaths due to road and femicide incidents, respectively. Also, the Office of Scientific Liaison and Strengthening of Technological Capabilities of the Ministry of Security promotes the use of the SNIC with several academic institutions and students with co-financed doctoral grants.

The second statistical quality assessment, allowed to continue with the technical accompaniment by the Center of Excellence to the Ministry of Security of the Republic of Argentina, with the next main achievements:

• Reconstruction of historical series from the years 2009 to 2013 of the following crimes
  •  Intentional Homicides,
  • Attempted Homicides,
  • Culpable homicides in road accidents,
  • Intentional injuries,
  • Rape and the number of acts of robbery, thefts and
  • Violation of Law No. 23,737 (narcotics)
• Better inter-institutional coordination between the Ministry of Security, the provinces and the federal forces
• Strengthening the use of SNIC data for internal and external users
• The comparability of data at the global level with the adoption of the International Classification of Crimes for Statistical Purposes (ICCS)
• Documentation and formalization of processes
• Increase coherence, confidence and quality of statistical data, which are the main input for the generation of public security policies in Argentina

Finally, it was possible to make a leap from a quality grade “C” to a grade of quality “A” in a year, in which the Ministry of Security implemented an improvement plan for its processes, methodology, databases and criminal policy.