How Do We Measure Crime?
Statistics on criminal activity are used as a measurement tool by criminologists and other types of professionals. These measurements may provide some insight into how and where an increase in criminal activity is occurring. In addition to that, these measurements can offer insight into developing patterns of criminal behaviour.
Imagine for a moment that you are a criminologist working in the United States and researching property crime. You are interested in the property crime statistics that were recorded in 2012. You are curious about the location of the most property crimes committed in 2012, the average amount of money involved in those crimes, as well as the location with the highest number of property crimes committed. You are also interested in gaining knowledge regarding property crimes that go unreported. Let's look at the different ways you could go about obtaining this information as well as the different kinds of information you could get.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reports
The FBI compiles the annual Uniform Crime Reports, which are also referred to as U.C.R. reports. Crime in the United States is a publication that is put out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on an annual basis. This publication contains the data that was collected in the Uniform Crime Report. These numbers make up the official statistics on criminal activity for the United States.
Data obtained from local police departments and data obtained from federal law enforcement agencies are both used to compile the information that is included in the U.C.R. Crime reports are submitted by local police departments to a centralised database, which is then forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). After that, the Federal Bureau of Investigation will compile the information. Following the categorization of the information, crime statistics are generated. The following are some of these statistics:
- Crimes committed by city
- Crimes committed by county
- Crimes committed by metropolitan area
- Crimes committed across the United States according to their respective regions
- Offenses according to age
- Offenses according to race
- Offenses according to gender
When the United States Commission on Racial Relations (U.C.R.) was first established in 1930, following an action taken by Congress that instructed the United States Attorney General to conduct a survey of crime in the United States, its scope was constrained. During its first year, approximately 400 cities located in 42 different states contributed incident data. During the process of developing the U.C.R., a crime index was developed, and it included some data on crimes that had occurred. However, as time went on, concerns emerged that the crime index was inaccurate due to the methodology that was used to create the statistics. These concerns were fueled by the fact that the index was created using outdated data. Because of this, in the year 1988, a new method was implemented to provide more in-depth information and statistics that were more specific regarding each category of criminal activity. The new system was given the name U.C.R./NIBRS when it was first implemented.
The abbreviation for the National Incident Based Reporting System is NIBRS. Information regarding each criminal incidence is acquired through the use of this reporting system. This information comprises the following:
- Location of the occurrence of the event
- The kind of weapon that was employed.
- The kind of property that was taken or messed up.
- The monetary value of the items that were taken or destroyed.
- The nature of the relationship between the offender and the victim.
In addition to this, the U.C.R./NIBRS compiles data on arrests made for the eight most serious offences. In this category include crimes such as murder, rape, robbery, arson, larceny, aggravated assault, burglary, and theft of a motor vehicle. The report on crime also contains information on forty-nine other offences, which cover a broad spectrum of criminal activities, ranging from robbery to vandalism.
Now, let's take a look at your property crime research as it relates to the UCR and NIBRS. What can be learned from the UCR and NIBRS? First, the Uniform Crime Report and the National Incident-Based Reporting System state that there were 8,975,438 property crimes committed in the United States in the year 2012. In addition, the most common type of property crime was theft, followed by breaking and entering as the second most common type. In addition, there was a 1.6% decline in the overall rate of property crime committed in the United States between 2011 and 2012. In addition, residential premises were the target of 74.5 percent of all burglaries. Additionally, highways were the scene of 43.5% of all robberies. In conclusion, the average value of property taken in a larceny crime amounts to $987 for each incident.
Survey of Crime in the United States
Another resource that is utilised in the process of determining crime rates is the National Crime Victimization Survey programme. The idea that not all crimes are brought to light through the judicial system inspired the creation of the National Crime Victimization Survey programme. For instance, a victim may not come forward and report a crime because she is too ashamed or terrified to do so. In light of this, the purpose of this poll is to make an attempt to count the number of crimes that go unreported.
Approximately 40,000 families are questioned as part of the National Crime Victimization Survey to obtain information regarding any experiences they may have had with criminal activity. Interviews are conducted twice a year, and participants' homes are followed for a total of three years as part of the study. The following are examples of the information that was gathered:
- The frequency of the occurrence of the criminal act
- Specifics regarding the wrongful act that was committed
- Consequences owing to the criminal incident
Because the National Crime Victimization Survey does not make use of advanced techniques when calculating its figures on crime, there is some conjecture that the survey may not be as reliable as the U.C.R./NIBRS. In addition, there are some individuals who are of the opinion that the sample of persons who participated in the poll is probably not typical of the entire country. In addition, there are those who believe that certain sorts of criminal activity, such as the use of illegal drugs and gambling, will not be disclosed.
Now, let's circle back around to your investigation into the property crime. What can you learn about property crimes in 2012 from looking at the results of the National Crime Victimization Survey? In the first place, the research indicates that there were approximately 19,622,977 property crimes committed in the United States. In addition, out of this total number, the police were only informed of 6,577,249 offences, while there were 12,832,242 property crimes that went unreported. The remaining respondents to the study indicated that they were unaware of whether or not the offences had been reported. In addition, the total number of property crimes perpetrated by strangers was 2,710,114, while the total number of property crimes done by casual acquaintances or friends was 2,263,252. In addition, the rate of property crime rose from 138.7 per 1,000 households in 2011 to 155.8 per 1,000 households in 2012, a year in which it had previously been lower. This rise can be attributed to a greater theft rate in 2012 overall.
Conclusion
So, before we go on, let's go over what it was that we learnt in this class. To begin, criminologists and other experts on crime employ crime metrics to research and analyse patterns of criminal activity. There are two key sources that are used to compile these crime statistics. The U.C.R./NIBRS of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the primary source, while the National Crime Victimization Survey is the secondary source. The United States Crime Reporting and the National Incident-Based Reporting System (UCR/NIBRS) provide considerable information regarding each crime as well as the rate of crime perpetrated in the United States. On the other hand, the primary objective of the National Crime Victimization Survey is to collect information on offences that have not been recorded. Those who are interested in studying crime, however, might benefit from each source by gaining new insights regarding crimes perpetrated in the United States.
Outcomes of Learning
After reading this, you will be able to understand following:
- Investigate the many methods that are used to count crimes.
- Describe the information that is included in the Uniform Crime Reports published by the FBI.
- Determine the ways in which the National Incident Based Reporting System can be of assistance.
- Consider both the benefits and the drawbacks of making use of the National Crime Victimization Survey.
Which type of information gathered in uniform crime reports?
UCR collects offences by city, county, metropolitan area, U.S. region, age, race, and gender.
Which type of information gathered in National Incident Based Reporting System?
Information from the National Incident Based Reporting System includes: where the occurrence took place, kind of weapon that was used, kind of stolen or destroyed property, cost of the lost or damaged property and connection between the offender and the victim.
Which type of information gathered in National Crime Victimization Survey programme?
In the National Crime Victimization Survey, we collected information like the frequency of criminal acts, details about the wrongdoing, and the incident's consequences.