UCR Focuses on NIBRS and Other Tools to Make More Relevant Data Available to Users
January 1, 2021, marks a new era in the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s partnership with law enforcement to provide more meaningful data to help understand crime in our communities and in our nation as a whole. Not only is the UCR Program completing its transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), but it is also completing its migration from traditional electronic publications to dynamic data presentations through the Crime Data Explorer (CDE). With each of these changes endorsed by law enforcement, the UCR Program remains committed to making available the types of data that aid in combatting crime and promoting transparency.
Since the CJIS Advisory Policy Board recommended the FBI transition to the NIBRS-only data collection five years ago, thousands of agencies have made the move from the Summary Reporting System (SRS) to the more detailed data of NIBRS, and thousands more are committed to making the switch. As of October 31, 2020, 43 states were NIBRS-certified, i.e., the states have records management systems that meet the FBI’s requirements for collecting crime data according to established technical specifications. At that time, 8,742 law enforcement agencies representing 48.9 percent of the population were reporting NIBRS data to the UCR Program. The FBI also collaborated with federal and tribal agencies to develop the NIBRS Collection Application as a solution for these agencies to submit their data. The UCR Program conducted virtual training for approximately 45 federal and tribal agencies since from June through November 2020. The FBI continues to assist all law enforcement agencies with their transition through training, data integration, and technical assistance with NIBRS data specifications and reporting requirements.
