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Redesign and Future of the Uniform Crime Reporting Program

NCJ Number
112308
Journal
National Sheriff Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: (June-July 1988) Pages: 35-37,39,40
Author(s)
P J Sullivan
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The three-phase assessment of the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) Program has enhanced its design, and the testing of the new program was completed in late 1987, to be followed by a lengthy conversion to the redesigned program.
Abstract
During phase 1 of the assessment, the history and all aspects of the UCR Program were studied, and phase 2 proposed alternative designs for the proposed UCR along with recommended changes. In 1985, phase 2 recommendations were unanimously approved at the National UCR Conference. The redesign will enhance the UCR Program in three areas. First, reporting of offenses and arrests will be through an incident-based system. Second, data collection will be on two levels. Agencies in one level will report important details on Part I and Part II Index offenses, victims, and arrestees. Law enforcement agencies with jurisdictions of over 100,000 population and a sampling of smaller agencies will be included in level two. These agencies will collect expanded details on all 24 significant offense categories involving 47 specific offenses. The third aspect of the redesign introduces a quality assurance program. The third phase of the redesign involves implementation. The testing of the new program was completed in late 1987, and the implementation plan will enable State UCR programs and individual police agencies to adopt the new UCR Program at their own pace without interrupting participation in the current program. The FBI will provide technical assistance, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics will provide limited funding.