Uniform Crime Reports

Annual publications containing criminological data compiled by the FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION (FBI) and intended to assist in identifying law enforcement problems, especially with regard to: murder and non-negligent MANSLAUGHTER, forcible rape, ROBBERY, aggravated assault, BURGLARY, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and ARSON. These studies provide a nationwide view of crime because they are based on statistics submitted by law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Critics of the Uniform Crime Reports have argued that local police departments may shape their record-keeping practices to produce results that will lend support to departmental positions on issues relating to crime and crime control. Most observers generally acknowledge, however, that the potential for manipulation in recordkeeping is not so great as to detract from the essential accuracy of the overall trends depicted in the Uniform Crime Reports.

The FBI makes current and historical reports available online at <www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm>.