The FBI’s NIBRS Transition: Questions and Answers

On January 1, 2021, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will retire the Summary Reporting System (SRS), the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program’s longtime crime data collection system. Thereafter, the FBI’s UCR Program will collect crime statistics only through the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), making it the only nationwide format for crime statistics in the United States. To prepare for this, the FBI is working with the U.S. law enforcement community to ensure agencies are ready to participate before the final changeover date. During the discourse around this shift, common questions arise from law enforcement executives seeking to better understand why the FBI is moving to NIBRS and how the change will affect their agencies.