Looking for a West Virginia Legal Forms And Templates? Download it for free!

SECTION I

Summary of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program

The Uniform Crime Reporting Program is a nationwide,

Further, because of the variances in punishment for the same

cooperative statistical effort of over 16,000 city, county, and

offenses in different state codes, no distinction between felony

state law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on

and misdemeanor crimes was possible. To avoid these prob

crimes brought to their attention. During 1995, law enforce

lems and provide nationwide uniformity in crime reporting,

ment agencies active in the Program represented nearly 251

standardized offense definitions by which law enforcement

million United States inhabitants or 95 percent of the total popu

agencies were to submit data, without regard for local statutes,

lation as established by the Bureau of the Census. The cover

were formulated. The definitions used by the Program are set

age amounted to 97 percent of the United States population in

forth in Appendix II of this publication.

Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs), 90 percent of the popu

In January 1930, 400 cities collectively representing 20

lation in cities outside metropolitan areas, and 88 percent of

million inhabitants in 43 states began participating in the UCR

the rural population.

Program. Congress enacted Title 28, Section 534, of the

Since 1930, the FBI has administered the Program and

United States Code authorizing the Attorney General to gather

issued periodic assessments of the nature and type of crime in

crime information that same year. The Attorney General, in

the Nation. While the Program’s primary objective is to gener

turn, designated the FBI to serve as the national clearinghouse

ate a reliable set of criminal statistics for use in law enforce

for the data collected. Since that time, data based on uniform

ment administration, operation, and management, its data have

classifications and procedures for reporting have been obtained

over the years become one of the country’s leading social indi

from the Nation’s law enforcement agencies.

cators. The American public looks to Uniform Crime Reports

for information on fluctuations in the level of crime, while

Advisory Groups

criminologists, sociologists, legislators, municipal planners, the

press, and other students of criminal justice use the statistics

Providing vital links between local law enforcement and the

for varied research and planning purposes.

FBI in the conduct of the UCR Program are the Criminal Jus

tice Information Systems Committees of the IACP and the

Historical Background

National Sheriffs’ Association. The IACP, as it has since the

Program began, represents the thousands of police departments

Recognizing a need for national crime statistics, the Inter

nationwide. The NSA encourages sheriffs throughout the coun

national Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) formed the

try to participate fully in the Program. Both committees

Committee on Uniform Crime Records in the 1920s to develop

serve in advisory capacities concerning the UCR Program’s

a system of uniform police statistics. Establishing offenses

operation.

known to law enforcement as the appropriate measure, the

To function in an advisory capacity concerning UCR policy

Committee evaluated various crimes on the basis of their seri

and provide suggestions on UCR data usage, a Data Providers’

ousness, frequency of occurrence, pervasiveness in all geo

Advisory Policy Board (APB) was established in August 1988.

graphic areas of the country, and likelihood of being reported to

The Board operated until 1993 when a new Board to address

law enforcement. After studying state criminal codes and making

all FBI criminal justice information services was approved. The

an evaluation of the recordkeeping practices in use, the Commit

Board functions in an advisory capacity concerning UCR policy

tee in 1929 completed a plan for crime reporting which became

and on data collection and use. The UCR Subcommittee of the

the foundation of the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.

Board ensures continuing emphasis on UCR-related issues.

Seven offenses were chosen to serve as an Index for gauging

The Association of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs

fluctuations in the overall volume and rate of crime. Known

and committees on UCR within individual state law enforce

collectively as the Crime Index, these offenses included the

ment associations are also active in promoting interest in the

violent crimes of murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, for

UCR Program. These organizations foster widespread and more

cible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and the property

intelligent use of uniform crime statistics and lend assistance

crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. By

to contributors when the needs arise.

congressional mandate, arson was added as the eighth Index

offense in 1979.

Redesign of UCR

During the early planning of the Program, it was recognized

that the differences among criminal codes precluded a mere

While throughout the years the UCR Program remained

aggregation of state statistics to arrive at a national total.

virtually unchanged in terms of the data collected and

Summary Of The Uniform Crime Reporting Program - Section I - Federal Bureau Of Investigation

Related Articles

Related forms

Related Categories