Official statistics are a secondary source of quantitative data favoured by Positivist (structuralist) researchers. Official Crime Statistics (OCS) are collected on regular intervals. Many sociologists use this data to explore many areas of crime such as property, street, and white collar crimes.

In regards to researching white collar crime, it is argued by many sociologists (such as Realists and Marxists) that OCS do not uncover a true rate of this type of crime, and call the hidden cases the “Dark Figure of Crime”. As referenced in the Item there are a myriad of techniques to conceal white collar and business crime, for instance the perpetrator's technology skills. The Item explicitly references the complex business systems, so to detect white collar crime there must be a well trained team with the resources, specialities, and time. Furthermore, When a white collar crime has been detected, it may be internally processed by a committee, where instead of being charged, the perpetrator may be sacked or asked to pay a fine. In addition. Therefore the crime, no matter the scale (white collar crimes can spread across many countries) is omitted from OCS as there is no public prosecution. The Item states a reason why: to save the company’s reputation from a scandal. In addition, if there is a public prosecution, the perpetrator could afford a well-trained solicitor to defend him and negotiate a light charge. These are of course practical limitations. Another criticism of using OCS to investigate white collar is that Interpretivist sociologists argue they do not uncover the whole picture of the crime (such as motivations of the perpetrator), and Marxists argue that OCS are distorted by the Criminal Justice System (CJS) and ruling class institutions to promote businesses and further their status, explaining why the amount of white collar crime is so minimal.