Major Crime Reporting

What is major crime reporting? What are the purposes of major crime reporting programs? Compare and contrast the criteria for successful crime reporting programs in the United States

According to Frank Schmalleger’s (2009), Criminal Justice Today. An Introductory Text for the 21st Century, “the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program (also known today as the UCR/NIBRS Program)” creates a yearly summary of major crime called Crime in the United States. The UCR/NIBRS classifies crimes in two groups, Part I offenses and Part II offenses. Part I offenses are also known as majors crimes, which include the 8 major offenses: murder, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft, and arson.

The purpose of major crime reporting programs is to keep the community, as well as the government informed, and to possibly make a difference in crime activity. According to Schmalleger (2009), “crime statistics provide an overview of criminal activity”, and if they are used properly, the “statistical picture of crime can serve as a powerful tool for creating social policy”. In addition, citizens can also be informed on the crimes that take place in certain areas as well as the types of crimes that are being committed. This is great for example if a person wants to know the crime rates in their neighborhoods or of a city they want to move to.

In the attempt to have the most effective crime reporting programs in the U.S., there are always changes being made to these programs. For example, the old UCR system was more based on statistics, “which were often little more than frequency counts”. Then, when it turned into the UCR/NIBRS system, it was more guided to gather specific details about the criminal incidents. For example, they gathered information on the location of the crime, what weapons were used, description and value