Measuring Crime

Measuring Crime

Measuring Crime
In our nation, there are three major sources used in determining crime statistics. Uniform Crime Reporting, National Incident Based Reporting System, and the National Crime Victimization Survey. All three are very valuable to our nation in providing information. Uniform Crime Reporting is published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Uniform Crime Reporting began in the 1930s. Today, approximately 18,000 law enforcement agencies report information of criminal acts to this source. Uniform Crime Reporting designates crime into two parts. Crimes designated into part one are considered more violent crimes including homicide, rape, aggravated assault, burglary, arson, larceny/theft, and motor vehicle theft. Crimes designated into part two are often less violent and victimless crimes. These less violent criminal acts include simple assault, forgery, prostitution, drug offenses, liquor law violations, public intoxication, and D.W.I. (Driving While under the Influence) charges. Although very useful in providing statistics, Uniform Crime Reporting is often times not as accurate as the nation’s other sources of crime statistics. Uniform Crime Reporting only reports the rape of women. It does not distinguish between attempted and completed crimes. It collects assault information in five categories and provides counts on arrests for the eight index crimes and twenty-one other offenses. It also only collects weapons information on murder, robbery, and aggravated assault crimes.
Our nation’s other valuable source of crime statistics is known as the National Incident Based Reporting System. This reporting system was originally designed to correct flaws of Uniform Crime Reporting. The N.I.B.R.S. is a much more improved system than the U.C.R. because it provides a much clearer picture of crimes being committed today. For example: terrorism, white collar crime, and missing children are all crimes that are being committed today. It also reports each crime...

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