Technology Talk: Why Participating in NIBRS Is a Good Choice for Law Enforcement

The way crime is counted in the United States is changing, moving from monthly aggregate reporting of summary crime and arrest statistics to detailed reporting of crime and arrest activities at the incident level. This shift in reporting practice reflects the fundamental nature of police recordkeeping and has important implications for police information management and operations. Incident-based reporting promises richer data regarding the nature of crime and law enforcement’s response, and will greatly expand analytic capabilities at the local, state, and federal levels.