National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X): Increasing Use of Incident-Based Data to Strengthen Law Enforcement Decision-Making

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Since the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program began over 80 years ago, law enforcement agencies have measured performance based on the UCR’s eight Part I Index offenses. However, summary counts and rates do not provide additional incident details useful to police in understanding the true nature of crime in their jurisdiction. In response to the need for contextual information on crime, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) was developed, capturing a wide range of information on the characteristics of and the victims and offenders involved in reported crime. These detailed data provide police the opportunity to develop prevention and response strategies based on the attributes of crimes and victims. To expand the coverage of NIBRS, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) has spearheaded the National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X), an effort to increase the number of police agencies reporting data to NIBRS. One goal of NCS-X is showcasing how NIBRS participation can be beneficial to police and policymakers. To that end, this panel will present new and innovative ways NIBRS data can be used to strengthen police decision-making and to measure performance, including linking reported crime data to other sources of information.

Sub Unit

• Area IV. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 39. Policing and Law Enforcement

Individual Presentations

• Exploring the Value of Incident-Based Crime Data for Calculating Local Crime Rates: Problems and Prospects - Kimberly Martin, Bureau of Justice Statistics, USDOJ

• The World According to Incident-Based Data on Reported Crime: New and Innovative Uses of NIBRS Data - Erica L. Smith, U.S. Department of Justice; Alexia Cooper, Bureau of Justice Statistics, USDOJ

• Using Incident-Based Crime Data to Understand Local Law Enforcement’s Response to Crime: A Multilevel Analysis of Clearance and Arrest in Violent Crimes Reported in NIBRS - Bradley T. Brick, Westat; Michele Stacey, East Carolina University

Chair

• James H. Noonan, Federal Bureau of Investigation

Discussant

• Howard N. Snyder, U.S. Department of Justice