Countdown to NIBRS’ Richer Data: 01.01.2021

As the January 1, 2021, deadline approaches to make the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s data standard, the FBI continues to assist state UCR Programs and law enforcement agencies in their transition, providing technical and programmatic resources. The move to the NIBRS-only data collection will offer law enforcement, government officials, and other data users richer details about crime victims, offenders, and offenses; better context to help understand crime occurrences; and a more comprehensive view of crime in the United States.

According to Mr. Dale King, UCR Program Manager with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, “Data from the NIBRS is a game-changer in the future of law enforcement. Agencies are using the incident-based data for investigating, justifying the need for additional personnel, determining where to strategically place patrols, and much, much more.”

Learn about the status of the NIBRS transition

FBI Improves UCR Data Collection

To improve the UCR Program’s delivery of reliable, accurate, accessible, and timely crime statistics, the FBI is enhancing the way we present crime statistics to our data contributors and consumers. The most significant upcoming changes affect the frequency of data releases, the way the national program publishes data online, and the availability of greater specificity within the overall UCR data collection.

  • June 2020: Quarterly UCR Data Releases Begin on the CDE
  • Fall 2020: More Dynamic Data Pushed to CDE, Last Crime in the United States Tables Released on www.fbi.gov
  • January 1, 2021: National UCR Program Transitioning to NIBRS

Read more about upcoming changes