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The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues

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The National Incident-Based Reporting System February 1, 2021
(NIBRS): Benefits and Issues
Emily J. Hanson
Since 1930, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’s) Uniform Crime (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues Updated July 7, 2025 (R46668) Jump to Main Text of Report

Summary

Since 1930, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Reporting (UCR)
Analyst in Social Policy
program has collected and published nationwide crime statistics. program has collected and published nationwide crime statistics. State and local law enforcement

agencies, as well as federal agencies,Federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies voluntarily submit data on reported crimes that occur in voluntarily submit data on reported crimes that occur in
their jurisdictions to UCR. UCR then compiles and publishes the data, and provides datasets and

some trend analyses in a standardized formattheir jurisdictions to the FBI. The FBI then compiles this submitted data, publishes reports based on analysis of it, and makes the raw data available so that legislators, researchers, and law enforcement that legislators, researchers, and law enforcement
agencies can agencies can access to better understand and address crime in the United States.better understand and address crime in the United States.
The UCR program previously The FBI has historically collected crime data from federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement collected crime data from federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies through a through the older
Summary Reporting System (SRS)Summary Reporting System (SRS) and the, but more recently introduced more recently introduced the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
On January 1, 2021, the FBI On January 1, 2021, the FBI retired the SRS program and will only collect data using NIBRSattempted to fully transition law enforcement agencies from SRS reporting to NIBRS; however, due to many local agencies still having not transitioned to NIBRS, the FBI opted to accept data in either format for 2022 and 2023 submissions. This report provides . This report provides
background on the development and adoption of NIBRS as well as background on the development and adoption of NIBRS as well as details about bothsome of the benefits and potential issues related the benefits and potential issues related
to this change. to this change.
The transitionThe shift to NIBRS is intended to yield many benefits to NIBRS is intended to yield many benefits, including improved including improved reliability, accuracy, accessibility, and timeliness
specificity, more detail, and greater analytical flexibility of national crime data. NIBRS of national crime data. NIBRS expandedexpands the number of crimes for which data are collected from 30 to the number of crimes for which data are collected from 30 to 8481 different offenses. different offenses.
NIBRS also NIBRS also includescaptures details about these crimes that were not previously measured in SRS. For example, NIBRS allows details about these crimes that were not previously measured in SRS. For example, NIBRS allows
police to report, when police to report, when applicableknown, the relationship between the victim and offender, the relationship between the victim and offender,; the types of property damaged or drugs the types of property damaged or drugs
seized, andseized; and when applicable, bias motivation (e.g., race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity). Perhaps the most bias motivation (e.g., race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity). Perhaps the most
significant change in NIBRS is the elimination of the hierarchy rule that applied significant change in NIBRS is the elimination of the hierarchy rule that applied into data collected via SRS. The hierarchy rule required police to SRS. The hierarchy rule required police to
report only the most serious offense if an incident included several crimes. For example, if report only the most serious offense if an incident included several crimes. For example, if a nan aggravated assault and a aggravated assault and a
burglary occurred within a single incident, only the burglary occurred within a single incident, only the aggravated assault was reported to the FBI via SRS. In contrast, NIBRS allows law assault was reported to the FBI via SRS. In contrast, NIBRS allows law
enforcement to report up to 10 co-occurring offenses per single incident.enforcement to report up to 10 co-occurring offenses per single incident.
There are concerns about how this There are concerns about how this shiftcrime data format transition may affect crime rates, agency participation rates, and access to federal grants. The may affect crime rates, agency participation rates, and access to federal grants. The
elimination of the hierarchy rule has raised concerns that counting all crimes that occurred during an incident will makeelimination of the hierarchy rule has raised concerns that counting all crimes that occurred during an incident will make it appearit
seem as if crime has increased; however, these concerns may not be warranted in many situations. Across as if crime has increased; however, these concerns may not be warranted in many situations. Across twomultiple studies that studies that
examined the effect of examined the effect of shiftingtransitioning to NIBRS, to NIBRS, neithernone found significant changes in reported crime rates, though found significant changes in reported crime rates, though datathey do indicate do indicate
that that NIBRSreporting in the NIBRS format may have more of an influence on crime rates in smaller or lower-crime jurisdictions. Another concern is that may have more of an influence on crime rates in smaller or lower-crime jurisdictions. Another concern is that
fewer agencies will participate in NIBRS compared to SRSfewer agencies will participate in NIBRS compared to SRS, and as a result and as a result, data quality will suffer. Lower agency data quality will suffer. Lower agency
participation rates can have consequences for understanding participation rates can have consequences for understanding crime both in the present and both current levels of crime and trends over time. Policymakers might over time. Policymakers might
consider whether to direct the FBI or the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to examine data gaps and determine where it may consider whether to direct the FBI or the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) to examine data gaps and determine where it may
be advisable to target resources to increase NIBRS participation. be advisable to target resources to increase NIBRS participation.
An additionalA final concern relates to federal grants that base funding on concern relates to federal grants that base funding on UCR crime datacrime data reported to UCR. Several federal grants, most . Several federal grants, most
notably the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) programnotably the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) program administered by the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), use UCR crime data to calculate allocations , use UCR crime data to calculate allocations
for state, local, and tribal governments. for state, local, and tribal governments. Any state that previously submitted data to UCR via SRS can no longer use this
format as of January 2021. As a result,Some stakeholders fear that jurisdictions that struggle with the jurisdictions that struggle with the shifttransition to NIBRS may to NIBRS may lose out on thebe denied funds funds
determined by the reported number of crimesdetermined by the reported number of crimes.

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Contents
Introduction ................................................................................................................... 1
Benefits of NIBRS .......................................................................................................... 3
Potential Issues Related to the NIBRS Transition ................................................................. 6
Influence of the Shift to NIBRS on Crime Rates ............................................................. 6
Agency Participation .................................................................................................. 7
Access to Federal Grants ............................................................................................ 8

Appendixes
Appendix. SRS and NIBRS Offense Lists ......................................................................... 10

Contacts
Author Information ....................................................................................................... 14

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Introduction
Since 1930, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI’ if they are unable to report their data to the FBI. As such, BJA and BJS have made efforts to account for the transition to NIBRS when determining certain grant funding allocations.

Introduction

Since Congress authorized the U.S. Attorney General and Department of Justice (DOJ) to "acquire, collect, classify, and preserve identification, criminal identification, crime, and other records" 1 in 1930, the Federal Bureau of Investigation's (FBI's) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) s) Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
program has collected nationwide crime program has collected nationwide crime statistics.1data.2 Federal, state, local, and tribal law Federal, state, local, and tribal law
enforcement agenciesenforcement agencies3 voluntarily submit data about reported crimes that occur in their voluntarily submit data about reported crimes that occur in their
jurisdictions to UCR. UCR then compiles and publishes the data, and provides datasets and some
trend analyses in a standardized formatjurisdictions to the FBI. The FBI then compiles this submitted data, publishes reports based on analysis of it, and makes the data available so that legislators, researchers, and law enforcement that legislators, researchers, and law enforcement
agencies can access agencies can access it to better understand and address crime in the United States. to better understand and address crime in the United States.
The UCR program previously collected crime data from federal, state, local, and tribal law
enforcement through the older The FBI historically collected crime data for the UCR program from law enforcement agencies through the Summary Reporting System (SRS). SRS began as a paper-based system in the 1930s and, although it has Summary Reporting System (SRS) and the more recently
introduced National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).
On January 1, 2021, the FBI retired the SRS program and wil only collect these data in NIBRS.2
This retirement does not mean that past SRS data wil not be available for use, but rather that
going forward, data wil not be collected via SRS.
The SRS program began as a paper-based system in the 1930s, and although it advanced over advanced over
time to incorporate more crimes and electronic submissions, its scope time to incorporate more crimes and electronic submissions, its scope remainedremains limited. limited.34 SRS captures SRS
captured data in two categories of crimes, labeled Part I and Part II offenses. data in two categories of crimes, labeled Part I and Part II offenses.45 There There wereare 10 Part 10 Part
I offenses: 4 violent offenses (criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault), 4 I offenses: 4 violent offenses (criminal homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault), 4
property offenses (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson),property offenses (burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson),56 and 2 human and 2 human
trafficking offensestrafficking offenses (commercial sex acts and involuntary servitude). Data are. Data were collected on the number of Part I offenses reported to police as collected on the number of Part I offenses reported to police as
wel well as the number of arrests. There as the number of arrests. There wereare also 20 Part II crimes (e.g., fraud, gambling, drunkenness, 20 Part II crimes (e.g., fraud, gambling, drunkenness,
vandalism) for which the FBI only vandalism) for which the FBI only collectedcollects arrest data. arrest data.6
7 The SRS classification schema of offenses and associated definitions was intentionally designed to be general enough to be universally applicable across the various jurisdictions of the United States and their respective criminal codes.8 NIBRS was developed by the FBI to address several shortcomings of SRS. First, NIBRS NIBRS was developed by the FBI to address several shortcomings of SRS. First, NIBRS
expandedexpands the number of crimes for which data are collected. NIBRS groups crimes into two the number of crimes for which data are collected. NIBRS groups crimes into two
categories labeled Group A and Group B offenses. Group A includes 71 offenses in 28 categories categories labeled Group A and Group B offenses. Group A includes 71 offenses in 28 categories
and Group B includes and Group B includes 13 offenses10 offenses. Crimes are further categorized into crimes against persons (e.g., negligent manslaughter), crimes against property (e.g., arson), and crimes against society (e.g., prostitution) based on the presumed victim of the crime (for a complete list of crimes captured in both the SRS and (for a complete list of crimes captured in both the SRS and
NIBRS programs, NIBRS programs, seesee the Appendix).79 NIBRS also NIBRS also includescollects details about these crimes that were not details about these crimes that were not
previously previously measured incaptured by SRS. For example, NIBRS SRS. For example, NIBRS al owsallows law enforcement agencies to report law enforcement agencies to report for each offense, if known, the the
relationship between the victim and offenderrelationship between the victim and offender,; the types of property damaged or drugs seized the types of property damaged or drugs seized, and
; and, when applicable, bias motivation (e.g., race, religion, sexual orientation).10 It is important to note that NIBRS is intentionally dynamic in structure, with the FBI frequently revising data definitions and adding to data elements based on input from the law enforcement community, tasks forces, and working groups.11 Perhaps the most significant change from SRS to NIBRS is the elimination of the hierarchy rule that applies to SRS submissions.12bias motivation (e.g., race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, gender identity).8

1 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, SRS to NBIRS, https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/cjis-
link/srs-to-nibrs-the-path-to-better-ucr-data (hereinafter, “ SRS to NIBRS”).
2 SRS to NIBRS.
3 SRS to NIBRS.
4 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division,
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Sum m ary Reporting System User Manual, pp. 20-22 (hereinafter, “ SRS User
Manual”).
5 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the U.S. 2019, https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-
u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019.
6 Law enforcement agencies were able to report runaways in SRS as a Part II offense, but as of 2009 this was no longer
required. T he FBI does not report data on runaway offenses, and as a result runaway is not counted as one of the
official Part II offenses.
7 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, NIBRS Quick Facts, https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/
ucr/nibrs-quick-facts.pdf/view, pp. 1-2 (hereinafter, “ NIBRS Quick Facts”).
8 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Uniform
Crime Reporting Program, 2019.2.1 National Incident-Based Reporting System User Manual, September 2020, pp. 78-
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The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues

Perhaps the most significant change in NIBRS is the elimination of the hierarchy rule that applied
to SRS.9 The hierarchy rule required law enforcement agencies to report only the most serious The hierarchy rule required law enforcement agencies to report only the most serious
offense if an incident included several crimes.offense if an incident included several crimes.1013 For example, if an aggravated assault and a For example, if an aggravated assault and a
burglary occurred within a single incident, only the burglary occurred within a single incident, only the aggravated assault was reported to the FBI via SRS. In assault was reported to the FBI via SRS. In
contrast, NIBRS contrast, NIBRS al owsallows law enforcement to report up to 10 co-occurring offenses per single law enforcement to report up to 10 co-occurring offenses per single
incident.incident.1114 As a result, As a result, the FBI promotes NIBRS data NIBRS data can beas a more accurate representation of the incidences of a more accurate representation of the incidences of
various types of crimes committed in the United Statesvarious types of crimes committed in the United States.12
compared to SRS data.15 NIBRS was made available to law enforcement agencies beginning in the late 1980s.NIBRS was made available to law enforcement agencies beginning in the late 1980s.1316 During the During the
ensuing years, agencies could report their crime data in either the SRS or NIBRS formats. In ensuing years, agencies could report their crime data in either the SRS or NIBRS formats. In
2016, the FBI announced that it would retire the SRS program in January 20212016, the FBI announced that it would retire the SRS program in January 2021.14 Now that SRS
is retired, law enforcement agencies are not able to report data to the FBI in that format. and only accept NIBRS data.17 The FBI The FBI
had estimated that it would take law enforcement agencies between one to two years to convert their estimated that it would take law enforcement agencies between one to two years to convert their
data reporting systems.15record management systems to the NIBRS format.18 To aid agencies in meeting the January 2021 deadline, federal grants like To aid agencies in meeting the January 2021 deadline, federal grants like
the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants (JAG) al owallowed grantees to use funds to help grantees to use funds to help
cover the cost of conversion. cover the cost of conversion. For exampleIn fact, from FY2018 to FY2020 JAG recipients that were not , from FY2018 to FY2020 JAG recipients that were not
certified NIBRS compliantNIBRS-certified19 were required to use 3% of any JAG award toward that purpose.20 However, many agencies were not able to transition to NIBRS by the January 2021 deadline, raising concerns about the completeness of the 2021 data.21 Thus, the FBI opted to accept both NIBRS and SRS formats for its 202222 and 2023 UCR crime data submissions.23 It appears that, as of the cover date of this report, the FBI is still accepting both SRS and NIBRS formats for submissions of 2024 UCR data.24

The most recent data released by the FBI indicate that in 2023, 73.2% of law enforcement agencies reported data to the UCR program in the NIBRS format and 12.0% reported in the SRS format, with the combination of both formats covering about 94.3% of the entire U.S. population.25 These data also indicate that, although there was not full participation in the UCR program, a majority of agencies did report crime data to the FBI. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS), as of May 2024, all 50 states plus Washington, DC, are NIBRS-certified. However, the percentage of law enforcement agencies submitting NIBRS data in each state ranges from 11% to 100%.26 This report discusses the expected benefits of the NIBRS program as well as possible sources of concern.

The National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X)

In 2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and FBI partnered to launch the NCS-X, "an initiative to develop a statistical system of incident-based data, on crimes reported to law enforcement, to generate nationally representative estimates of the volume and characteristics of crimes."27 Because the FBI has yet to achieve full participation in UCR or NIBRS, crime were required to use 3% of any JAG award toward that purpose.16
The most recent data released by the FBI indicated that in 2019, al 50 states, as wel as
Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico, had law enforcement agencies that reported data to UCR in
either SRS, NIBRS, or both formats.17 In that year, 80% of active law enforcement agencies
reported 12 months of crime data to UCR and 89% of active law enforcement agencies reported
at least one month of data.18 These data indicate that although there was not full participation, a
majority of active agencies did report crime data to the FBI. Seven states and Puerto Rico did not
participate in NIBRS in 2019.19 However, among Washington, DC, and the 43 states that did

79 (hereinafter, “ NIBRS User Manual”).
9 NIBRS User Manual, p. 150.
10 SRS User Manual, pp. 23-24.
11 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 30 Questions and Answers about NIBRS Transition,
https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/ucr/30-faqs-about -nibrs-transition-oct-2018.pdf/view, p. 8 (hereinafter, “ 30
Questions”).
12 30 Questions, p. 9.
13 See CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard
Council, pp. 9-10.
14 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, The FBI’s Transition to a National Incident-Based
Reporting System (NIBRS)-Only Data Collection, https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/nibrs.pdf
15 30 Questions, p. 13.
16 For more information on the JAG program, see CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice
Assistance Grant (JAG) Program , by Nathan James.
17 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Uniform Crime Reporting Program Participation Data,
http://s3-us-gov-west-1.amazonaws.com/cg-d4b776d0-d898-4153-90c8-8336f86bdfec/
ucr_participation_1960_2019.csv (hereinafter, “ UCR program participation data”). The FBI’s Crime Data Explorer
webpage states: “UCR Program participation data provides information about agencies that report data, regardless of
format (summary or incident -based data), to the UCR program. T hese data help clarify the percentage of the population
covered by reported data.” T here are data and statistics reported elsewhere by the FBI that do not completely align with
this dataset; however, given that this is the official dataset the FBI provides for the purposes of understanding UCR
participation, CRS proceeded with these data.
18 Email correspondence with Federal Bureau of Investigation, Global Law Enforcement Support Section, January 14,
2021; and UCR program participation data.
19 Non-participating states/territories were Alaska, California, Florida, Puerto Rico, New Jersey, Nevada, New York,
and Wyoming. Both New York and California have received federal aid to develop state-specific programs that will be
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participate in NIBRS, at least 27, or 63%, had half or more of their UCR participating agencies
using NIBRS. Among these 27 higher participation states, al but three had law enforcement
agencies that were reporting to NIBRS that covered half or more of the states’ populations and 18
covered more than 90% of the population.20
The National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X)
In 2013, the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) and FBI partnered to launch the NCS-X, “a program designed to
generate national y-representative incident-based data on crimes reported to law enforcement agencies.”21
Because the United States has yet to achieve ful participation in UCR or NIBRS, crime rates and statistics are rates and statistics are
bound by the available data. This is not an uncommon issuebound by the available data. This is not an uncommon issue and statisticians frequently use data from a subset, or and statisticians frequently use data from a subset, or
sample,sample, of a population to generate estimatesof a population to generate estimates about the ful population.22 The underlying idea is that as long as a
sample shares the attributes of the whole population, it can be used to estimate the characteristics of the whole.23
For example, if 50% of law enforcement agencies have fewer than 25 officers then a sample of law enforcement
agencies should contain, to the degree possible, approximately the same proportion. Similarly, whatever
proportion of agencies serve urban or rural communities, the sample should match these characteristics. about the full population.28 Statistics Statistics
calculated using a sample of a population arecalculated using a sample of a population are referred referred to as to as estimates.. The NCS-X is The NCS-X is designed to incorporateto add incident-based crime incident-based crime
data from a stratified random sampledata from a stratified random sample of 400 additional law enforcementof 400 additional law enforcement agencies to those agencies reporting to NIBRS to generate national crime estimates of the volume and characteristics of crimes.29 It is important to note that because crime reporting has always been voluntary for state and local law enforcement, the FBI and BJS have long used estimation procedures to fill gaps in the submitted data, even with SRS data, to infer national crime rates based on data submitted by participating agencies.30 Estimates such as these are subject to error arising from sample characteristics (i.e., differences between the obtained sample value and true population value) and other issues such as erroneous reports.31 Benefits of NIBRS According to the FBI, the transition to NIBRS will provide insight into "when and where crime takes place, what form it takes, and the characteristics of its victims and perpetrators" with a level of precision not possible with SRS data.32 For example, NIBRS captures a larger variety of crimes than SRS (see the Appendix).33 NIBRS also collects more details about each incident that were not previously included in SRS data reporting to NIBRS to
attempt to fil in the gaps and generate national crime estimates.24 As an additional benefit, agencies that participate
in NCS-X are to receive technical assistance and funding that may aid them in shifting to NIBRS.25 Estimates such
as these are subject to error arising from the sample (i.e., differences between the obtained sample value and true
population value) and non-sampling errors such as incorrect or dishonest reports.26
This report discusses the expected benefits of the NIBRS program as wel as possible sources for
concern, particularly about the potential consequences of lower participation from law
enforcement agencies.
Benefits of NIBRS
According to the FBI, the shift to NIBRS wil improve the “reliability, accuracy, accessibility, and
timeliness” of crime data in the United States.27 For example, NIBRS captures a larger variety of
crimes than did SRS (see Appendix).28 NIBRS also collects more details about each incident that

NIBRS compliant. California has the California Incident -Based Reporting System (CIBRS) and New York has the New
York State’s Incident-Based System (NYSIBR). For more information, see https://www.bjs.gov/content/nibrs2.cfm.
20 In states where less than half of the law enforcement agencies reported to NIBRS in 2019, the participating agencies
covered, on average, 22% of the population.
21 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, “National Crime Statistics
Exchange Powering the T ransition to NIBRS,” https://www.bjs.gov/content/ncsx.cfm (hereinafter, “Powering the
T ransition”).
22 Christian Heumann and Michael Schomaker Shalabh, Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis (Springer
International Publishing Switzerland, 2016), p. 181 (hereinafter, “Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis”).
23 Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis, p. 181.
24 For more detailed information on the sampling technique employed by NCS-X see, https://www.bjs.gov/content/
ncsx.cfm.
25 Powering the T ransition.
26 For more information see CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and
Logan Rishard Council, pp. 26-27.
27 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Are You Ready? The Countdown to NIBRS,
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/cjis-link/are-you-ready-the-countdown-to-nibrs (hereinafter “ Are You Ready?”).
28 Many resources about the benefits of NIBRS cite the expansion of the definition of rape to include both male and
female victims. NIBRS included this expanded definition from its inception, though in 2013 SRS also expanded its
definition of rape to the following: “ Penetration, no matter how slight , of the vagina or anus with any body part or
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were not previously included in SRS (e.g., the time of day and the relationship between the victim (e.g., the time of day and the relationship between the victim
and offender).and offender).2934 Further, NIBRS Further, NIBRS al owsallows users to distinguish between completed and attempted users to distinguish between completed and attempted
crimes.crimes.3035 NIBRS also expands the NIBRS also expands the hotel rule to include storage facilities.31 The hotel rule states,
“hotel rule to include storage facilities and revised its guidance on reporting burglaries of hotel rooms and storage units.36 Prior to the revision, the hotel rule stated, "If a number of units under a single manager are the object of a Burglary and the manager, rather If a number of units under a single manager are the object of a Burglary and the manager, rather
than the individualthan the individual tenants/renters, tenants/renters, wil will most likely report the offenses to the police, the agency most likely report the offenses to the police, the agency
should report the Burglary to the FBIshould report the Burglary to the FBI’'s UCR Program as a single incident.s UCR Program as a single incident.”32"37 Under the updated Under the updated
rule, law enforcement should report an offense at a qualifying location as a single incident against rule, law enforcement should report an offense at a qualifying location as a single incident against
a single object while also recording the number of units affected. a single object while also recording the number of units affected.
As discussed previously, perhaps the most significant change between SRS and NIBRS As discussed previously, perhaps the most significant change between SRS and NIBRS that affects how crimes are counted is the elimination is the
elimination of the hierarchy rule. Under this rule, when a law enforcement agency reported data of the hierarchy rule. Under this rule, when a law enforcement agency reported data
about a given incident to SRS, in almost about a given incident to SRS, in almost al all cases it was only able to report one offense per cases it was only able to report one offense per
incident.incident.3338 If multiple offenses occurred within a single incident, only the most serious crime (per If multiple offenses occurred within a single incident, only the most serious crime (per
the SRS hierarchy) was reported to the FBI.the SRS hierarchy) was reported to the FBI.3439 This rule likely stemmed from the constraints of This rule likely stemmed from the constraints of
data collection when SRS was data collection when SRS was stil still a paper-based reporting system. The effect of the hierarchy a paper-based reporting system. The effect of the hierarchy
rule has been to undercount the number of rule has been to undercount the number of crimes that are reportedoffenses that become known to law enforcement agencies. to law enforcement agencies.35
40 NIBRS does not apply the hierarchy rule NIBRS does not apply the hierarchy rule and al owsto agency data and allows law enforcement law enforcement agencies to report up to 10 co-to report up to 10 co-
occurring offenses per single incident.occurring offenses per single incident.3641 There has been some concern that the elimination of the There has been some concern that the elimination of the
hierarchy rule may make it appear as if there has been a large increase in crime; however, present hierarchy rule may make it appear as if there has been a large increase in crime; however, present
data do not support this conclusion (see more discussion of this in the data do not support this conclusion (see more discussion of this in the “Influence of the Shift to
NIBRS on"Transition to NIBRS Influencing Crime Rates”" section). section).
The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has outlined several additionalThe Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has outlined several additional benefits of NIBRS for benefits of NIBRS for
crime victims.crime victims.3742 First, the elimination of the hierarchy rule is expected to reveal information on First, the elimination of the hierarchy rule is expected to reveal information on
co-occurring victimizations. co-occurring victimizations. In SRS, it would not have been With SRS data, it was not possible to study incidents involving possible to study incidents involving
multiple offenses perpetrated against the same victim or victims. NIBRS also multiple offenses perpetrated against the same victim or victims. NIBRS also al owsallows for improved for improved
examination of incidents involvingexamination of incidents involving multiple offenders. Data on co-offenders might multiple offenders. Data on co-offenders might al owallow law law
enforcement and criminologists to better understand juvenile offenders, who are more likely than enforcement and criminologists to better understand juvenile offenders, who are more likely than
adults to offend in groups.38 In addition, NIBRS collects information about weapons used by
offenders (e.g., firearm, automatic rifle, knife/cutting instrument, motor vehicle, poison,

object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”
29 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS),
https://www.fbi.gov/services/cjis/ucr/nibrs (hereinafter, “ FBI, NIBRS”).
30 FBI, NIBRS.
31 NIBRS User Manual, p. 19.
32 NIBRS User Manual, p. 19.
33 SRS User Manual. T here are a few exceptions to the hierarchy rule. Arson and both forms of human trafficking are
always counted regardless of whether multiple offenses occurred (p. 23). Motor vehicle theft is a special case of
larceny-theft, and is therefore counted in a separate category (pp. 25 -26). Justifiable homicide, “ by definition, occurs in
conjunction with another offense(s). T herefore, the crime being committed when the justifiable homicide took place is
reported as a separate offense.” (p. 30).
34 Are You Ready?.
35 Are You Ready?.
36 Are You Ready?.
37 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, Eight Benefits of NIBRS to
Victim Service Provides, https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/pubs/NIBRS/index.html.
38 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, Co-Offending and Patterns of
Juvenile Crim e, December 2005, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/210360.pdf, p. ii.
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fire/incendiary device, or explosives) that was not included in SRS.39adults to offend in groups, due in part to adolescents being much more susceptible to peer influence than their adult counterparts.43 In addition, NIBRS collects information about weapons used by offenders (e.g., firearm, automatic rifle, knife/cutting instrument, motor vehicle) that was not included in SRS data.44 Collecting this type of data Collecting this type of data
may aid law enforcement initiatives and may aid law enforcement initiatives and inform legislation regarding weapons used during the legislation regarding weapons used during the
commission of a crime. Collection of more granular crime data, including victim demographics commission of a crime. Collection of more granular crime data, including victim demographics
and bias motivation, may helpand bias motivation, may help in developing better in developing better victims’victim services programs services programs and legislation.
. NIBRS collects data on the age of victims, whether the offense was cleared (e.g., NIBRS collects data on the age of victims, whether the offense was cleared (e.g., was someone
a suspect was arrested), as arrested), as wel well as the relationship between the victim and offender.as the relationship between the victim and offender.4045 NIBRS also NIBRS also al ows
allows agencies to identify up to five co-occurring bias motivations per offense type when a crime agencies to identify up to five co-occurring bias motivations per offense type when a crime
appears to be driven by an offenderappears to be driven by an offender’'s biases.s biases.4146 The measured biases include The measured biases include
race/ethnicity/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity. Each race/ethnicity/ancestry, religion, sexual orientation, disability, gender, and gender identity. Each
of these data elements may of these data elements may advance research on crime victimization and perhaps improve
resources and outcomes for victims.
Although domestic violence offenses such as elder abuse and intimate partner violence are not
prove vital for compliance with the Hate Crime Statistics Act (P.L. 101-275), which requires the Attorney General to collect and report data from local law enforcement on hate crime incidents in the country each year. Under the SRS format, agencies had to report hate crimes separately from their general crime data, whereas with NIBRS bias motivation is a standard data element that can be reported for each criminal incident to which it applies.47 Although domestic violence offenses such as intimate partner violence and certain elder abuse offenses are not listed as Group A or Group B offenses, the data on victim-offender relationships listed as Group A or Group B offenses, the data on victim-offender relationships wil al ow
will allow researchers and law enforcement agencies to examine these types of offenses. NIBRS data can be researchers and law enforcement agencies to examine these types of offenses. NIBRS data can be
filtered by age, filtered by age, gendersex, race, weapon, location, and offense type, as , race, weapon, location, and offense type, as wel well as by the following as by the following
victim-offender relationships: spouse, parent/step-parent, sibling/step-sibling, child/step-child, victim-offender relationships: spouse, parent/step-parent, sibling/step-sibling, child/step-child,
grandparent, grandchild, in-law, boyfriend/girlfriend, child of boyfriend/girlfriend, homosexual grandparent, grandchild, in-law, boyfriend/girlfriend, child of boyfriend/girlfriend, homosexual
relationship, ex-spouse, and other family member.relationship, ex-spouse, and other family member.4248 These data permit more precise analyses, These data permit more precise analyses,
such as identifying common correlates or predictors such as identifying common correlates or predictors forof domestic violence or elder abuse, which elder abuse, which wereis not possible not possible
using SRS data. This precision may, in turn, help using SRS data. This precision may, in turn, help in developingdevelop more-targeted more-targeted policy programspolicies or or
intervention strategies. However, intervention strategies. However, thesemany crimes are often unreported or underreported and, as a crimes are often unreported or underreported and, as a
result, the National Crime Victimizationresult, the National Crime Victimization Survey is an essential source of information about crimes Survey is an essential source of information about crimes
that are not reported to the police.that are not reported to the police.43
49 National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) BJS administers administers the NCVS, which captures information about criminal the NCVS, which captures information about criminal
victimization in the United States.victimization in the United States.50 The NCVS is not a part of UCR data The NCVS is not a part of UCR data col ection, collection, but the survey addresses but the survey addresses
important gaps in the understanding of crimeimportant gaps in the understanding of crime in the United States. The NCVS is conducted via interviewsin the United States. The NCVS is conducted via interviews with a with a
subset (i.e.,subset (i.e., sample) of the population about the nature of any sample) of the population about the nature of any victimizations (i.e., criminal victimizations (i.e., frequency, characteristics,frequency, characteristics, and and
consequences) they may have experienced.consequences) they may have experienced. This interview-based methodologyThis interview-based methodology enables the NCVS to enables the NCVS to includecollect data data
on crimeson crimes both reported and unreported to law enforcement.both reported and unreported to law enforcement. The survey provides key information about crime, The survey provides key information about crime,
including crimesincluding crimes that werethat were not reportednot reported to law enforcement.to law enforcement.44 51 Thus, the NCVS is a valuable data source in Thus, the NCVS is a valuable data source in
addition to UCR when examining the totality of crimeaddition to UCR when examining the totality of crime in the United States.in the United States.4552 As with the NCS-X, As with the NCS-X, NCVS statistics statistics
generated via sampling procedures are subject to errorgenerated via sampling procedures are subject to error arising from the nature of the sample and the participants.53 Potential Issues Related to the NIBRS Transition Transition to NIBRS Influencing Crime Rates As noted earlierarising from the nature of the sample and the
participants.46

39 NIBRS User Manual, pp. 92-93.
40 NIBRS User Manual, pp. 119, 67, and 151.
41 NIBRS User Manual, pp. 78-79.
42 See the EZANIBRS system for an example of these filters at https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezanibrsdv/asp/
selection.asp.
43 Darlene Hutchinson, Fewer than Half of Victims Report Violent Crimes, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice
Programs, December 14, 2017, https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/archives/blogs-2017/2017-blog-
ncvs.htm.
44 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization, 2019,
Summary, September 2020.
45 See CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard
Council, pp. 17-31.
46 See CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard
Council, pp. 26-27.
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Potential Issues Related to the NIBRS Transition
Influence of the Shift to NIBRS on Crime Rates
As noted, the elimination of the hierarchy rule has raised concerns that using NIBRS data to , the elimination of the hierarchy rule has raised concerns that using NIBRS data to
calculate crime rates might calculate crime rates might make it appeargive the false impression that crime has increased. In particular, reporting that crime has increased. In particular, reporting co-
occurring crimesall crimes that occurred during an incident, as opposed to only reporting the most serious crime, may during an incident, as opposed to only reporting the most serious crime, may
lead to a perception that crime rates have lead to a perception that crime rates have gotten worseworsened rather than that the reporting of crime is rather than that the reporting of crime is
now more complete. However, these concerns may not be warrantednow more complete. However, these concerns may not be warranted in many situations. First, the . First, the
shift to NIBRS wil not occur al transition to NIBRS has not occurred all at once. The adoption of NIBRS has been gradual and at once. The adoption of NIBRS has been gradual and
geographical ygeographically diffuse, and diffuse, and mostall states have states have already implemented itat least one agency already submitting NIBRS data to the FBI. Although the FBI. Although the FBI’'s annual s annual
UCR crime report, crime report, “"Crime in the United States,Crime in the United States,”" continued to continued to report data use data submitted in the SRS format up through the 2023 release,54 the FBI has also produced specializedin the SRS format and with
the hierarchy rule in place up until the most recent report,47 the FBI has also created reports using reports using
NIBRS data at the national level and for individualNIBRS data at the national level and for individual states.states.4855 These FBI publications and local These FBI publications and local
reports from agencies that have been collecting NIBRS format data for longer periods may reports from agencies that have been collecting NIBRS format data for longer periods may
provide agencies with baselines for comparison about how adopting NIBRS may influence their provide agencies with baselines for comparison about how adopting NIBRS may influence their
crime data.crime data.
Two Multiple studies have demonstrated that studies have demonstrated that implementingtransitioning to NIBRS did not result in significant increases NIBRS did not result in significant increases
in crime rates. These studies were published in 2000 and 2014, and thus suggest the stability of
these results across a significant span of time.
in reported crime rates. The first study, published by BJS in 2000, included 1,131 law enforcement agencies.The first study, published by BJS in 2000, included 1,131 law enforcement agencies.4956 The study The study
compared the crime rates calculated using SRS compared the crime rates calculated using SRS data (i.e., with the hierarchy rule in place and hotel (i.e., with the hierarchy rule in place and hotel
rule not applied to storage facilities) to those obtained using NIBRS rule not applied to storage facilities) to those obtained using NIBRS data and found, on average, a 2% and found, on average, a 2%
increase in the increase in the overal overall crime rate. The murder rate remained unchanged, which was to be crime rate. The murder rate remained unchanged, which was to be
expected as it expected as it wasis at the top of the SRS hierarchy. Rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates at the top of the SRS hierarchy. Rape, robbery, and aggravated assault rates
increased, on average, less than 1% when using NIBRS data. The increased, on average, less than 1% when using NIBRS data. The greatestlargest changes were observed changes were observed
forin larceny and motor vehicle theft rates (3.4% and 4.5% higher, respectively). These increases larceny and motor vehicle theft rates (3.4% and 4.5% higher, respectively). These increases
were likely attributable to the absence of a hierarchy rule.were likely attributable to the absence of a hierarchy rule.5057 The burglary rate was, on average, The burglary rate was, on average,
0.5% lower in NIBRS (the authors credited this shift to changes in the hotel rule).0.5% lower in NIBRS (the authors credited this shift to changes in the hotel rule).5158 The study The study
also examined the differing also compared the influence of NIBRS ininfluence of NIBRS in jurisdictions with varying levels of crime. The jurisdictions with varying levels of crime. The
resultsresults of the study indicated that jurisdictions with relatively high indicated that jurisdictions with relatively high rates of crimecrime rates may not observe significant may not observe significant
changes, but changes, but transitioning to NIBRS may have more of an influence in NIBRS may have more of an influence in smal ersmaller or lower-crime jurisdictions. For instance, the Baltimore Police Department conducted a direct comparison of their own agency data between NIBRS and SRS formats for calendar year 2024 and found a similar pattern of differences to those observed by BJS (with the noticeable difference that Baltimore's NIBRS data produced a burglary count 4.7% higher than SRS data).59 In contrast to these findings, according to the authors of the BJS study: a jurisdiction that experienced in a year two robberies, one of which was in conjunction with a murder, would count one robbery under Summary UCR and two under NIBRS. Though the actual count differed by one, the percent difference was 100%. Such or lower-crime jurisdictions.
According to the authors,
a jurisdiction that experienced in a year two robberies, one of which was in conjunction
with a murder, would count one robbery under Summary UCR and two under NIBRS.
Though the actual count differed by one, the percent difference was 100%. Such

47 Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019 Crime in the United States, Violent Crime – Data
Collection, https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019/topic-pages/violent -crime.
48 For example, see U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2019 National Incident-Based
Reporting System, https://ucr.fbi.gov/nibrs/2019.
49 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Effects of NIBRS
on Crim e Statistics, July 2000, p. 2 (hereinafter, “ BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crim e Statistics”).
50 BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, pp. 7-8.
51 BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 5.
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jurisdictions should rely on the actual numbers rather than percent differences to express jurisdictions should rely on the actual numbers rather than percent differences to express
changes in measurement or over time.changes in measurement or over time.52
The second study 60 A second study investigating the impact of transitioning from SRS reporting to NIBRS reporting was published by the FBI in 2014.was published by the FBI in 2014.5361 This study examined This study examined data from the 6,299 agencies the 6,299 agencies
reporting to NIBRSthat reported in the NIBRS format in 2014 and compared the difference in national-level crime rates that in 2014 and compared the difference in national-level crime rates that
resulted from the application or eliminationresulted from the application or elimination of the hierarchy rule. of the hierarchy rule. Overal , the national crime
rate54Overall, the calculated national crime rate62 increased by 2.1% when comparing NIBRS to SRS, which was attributed to the joint increased by 2.1% when comparing NIBRS to SRS, which was attributed to the joint
influence of the eliminationinfluence of the elimination of the hierarchy rule and the ability to report co-occurring offenses.of the hierarchy rule and the ability to report co-occurring offenses.55
63 This study found the following differences in offense-specific crime rates when comparing This study found the following differences in offense-specific crime rates when comparing
NIBRS to SRS: less than a 0.1% increase for rape, a 0.6% increase for robbery and aggravated NIBRS to SRS: less than a 0.1% increase for rape, a 0.6% increase for robbery and aggravated
assault, a 1.0% increase for burglary, a 2.6% increase for larceny, and a 2.7% increase for motor assault, a 1.0% increase for burglary, a 2.6% increase for larceny, and a 2.7% increase for motor
vehicle theft. This is consistent with the results reported in the vehicle theft. This is consistent with the results reported in the prior study. In general, these
BJS study. These results indicate that, on average, crime rates results indicate that, on average, crime rates do not greatly increase between NIBRS and SRS.
The domainmay increase, but by relatively small percentages, during the transition from SRS to NIBRS. The type of offenses in which increases appear to be the largest in which increases appear to be the largest areis property crimes. property crimes.
Taken together, these results suggest that NIBRS does not significantly distort

More comparatively recent studies conducted by academic researchers have found similar results. One study compared a sample of SRS and NIBRS data from a subset of states that reported complete NIBRS data in 2019. The researcher found that, compared to NIBRS, SRS reporting tended to undercount instances of gun violence.64 The author of the study goes on to say:

Contrary to prior studies, underestimation of gun violence in the SRS may be substantial.... In particular, the difference in measuring gun violence is primarily due to underreporting of aggravated assaults with a firearm in the SRS. While the hierarchy rule suppression contributes to the underreporting, it is not the primary source of the increase in NIBRS aggravated assaults with a firearm.65

Thus, other changes related to the transition to NIBRS beyond elimination of the hierarchy rule (e.g., reporting of weapon used during offense if applicable) may contribute to NIBRS providing more accurate crime data than SRS. A relatively recent review of the relevant scientific literature from the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) Bibliography of Data-related Literature arrived at similar conclusions regarding the influence of the transition to NIBRS on crime rates and reinforced the notable benefits of increased accuracy and richness in detail compared to SRS reporting.66

Taken together, these results suggest that NIBRS does not significantly alter crime rates at the crime rates at the
national level, but national level, but individual local agencies, local agencies, especial yespecially in low-crime areas, may see notable increases in the in low-crime areas, may see notable increases in the
reported numbers and rates of some reported numbers and rates of some crimesoffenses due to low base rates of crime. There are strategies law enforcement can use to help . There are strategies law enforcement can use to help
the public understand NIBRS data, and any related crime rate increases, in their proper context. the public understand NIBRS data, and any related crime rate increases, in their proper context.
One strategy is to present the raw counts of criminal offenses One strategy is to present the raw counts of criminal offenses rather thanalongside percentages. This way, percentages. This way,
the public may better understand that a large percentage increase does not necessarily indicate a the public may better understand that a large percentage increase does not necessarily indicate a
significant uptick in significant uptick in actual crime.56the frequency of crime.67 Another strategy is for law enforcement agencies to present Another strategy is for law enforcement agencies to present
several years of data in both NIBRS and SRS formats to demonstrate how crime rates would have several years of data in both NIBRS and SRS formats to demonstrate how crime rates would have
looked using both methods.looked using both methods.5768 This approach may This approach may “"demonstrate what the trend of crime rates demonstrate what the trend of crime rates
would look like if the agency was would look like if the agency was stil still only reporting in the SRS. The converted data could help only reporting in the SRS. The converted data could help
soften and explain the appearance of increased crime while lending even more transparency to the soften and explain the appearance of increased crime while lending even more transparency to the
agency’agency's crime reporting to the public.s crime reporting to the public.”58"69
Agency Participation
Another concern is that Another concern is that because of the increased burden on law enforcement agencies to report NIBRS data, fewer agencies will fewer agencies wil participate in NIBRS compared to SRS, and as a participate in NIBRS compared to SRS, and as a
result,result data quality data quality wil will suffer. As of suffer. As of 20192024, every state as , every state as wel well as Washington, DC, was NIBRS-certified. Although all states had at least one law enforcement agency that participated in NIBRS, manyas Washington, DC, and Puerto
Rico had at least one law enforcement agency that participated in UCR. Although the majority of
states either had at least one law enforcement agency that participated in NIBRS or were
developing a NIBRS-compatible state-based system (e.g., California Incident-Based Reporting
System [CIBRS], the New York State’s Incident-Based System [NYSIBR]), some agencies have agencies have
not made the switch. Lower agency participation can have consequences for both understanding not made the switch. Lower agency participation can have consequences for both understanding
crime in a given year and longitudinalcrime in a given year and longitudinal analyses. Despite these concerns, NIBRS participation has increased since the FBI made the official change in reporting procedures in 2021, with the percentage of the U.S. population covered by NIBRS agencies increasing from 76.9% in 2022 to 83.1% 2023 (or put another way, from 70.4% of law enforcement agencies participating in NIBRS in 2022 compared to 73.2% of law enforcement agencies in 2023).70 It is worth noting though that this year-over-year increase in NIBRS population coverage of 8.1% was comparatively more modest than the previous year-over-year increase of 18.7% (from 64.8% population coverage in 2021 to 76.9% in 2022, or 62.7% of agencies in 2021 to 70.4% of agencies in 2022).71 Policymakers might consider whether to direct the FBI or BJS to examine where data gaps exist and whether they systemically vary by categories such as public safety budgets or rurality. As of May 2024, there were just three states with fewer than 50% of their agencies reporting NIBRS to the UCR program—Florida (18%), New York (31%), and Pennsylvania (11%).72 If these jurisdictionsanalyses.
Policymakers might consider whether to direct the FBI or BJS to examine where data gaps exist
and whether they systemical y vary by categories such as public safety budgets or rurality. For

52 BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 3.
53 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Uniform Crime Report, Effect of NIBRS on Crime
Statistics, Executive Summary, 2014 (hereinafter, “ FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crim e Statistics”).
54 T his was calculated using the total counts for murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor
vehicle theft.
55 FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics.
56 FBI, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 1.
57 FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p.1.
58 FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 14
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example, in 2019 there were lower levels of NIBRS participation in the Southwest and
Midwest.59 In the Southwest, both Arizona and New Mexico had less than 6% of law enforcement
agencies reporting to UCR using NIBRS, and Texas had about 38% of participating agencies
reporting to NIBRS. Further, these agencies do not cover large proportions of each state’s
population. The agencies reporting to NIBRS cover 6% of Arizona’s population, 37% of New
Mexico’s population, and 23% of Texas’ population. If these states do not increase their
do not increase their participation in NIBRS now that SRS participation in NIBRS now that SRS has been retiredis being actively phased out, there may be a significant loss of , there may be a significant loss of
information about crime in information about crime in this regionthese states at the national level when the FBI no longer accepts SRS submissions. Identifying these gaps is important not only for . Identifying these gaps is important not only for
appropriately gauging the reliabilityappropriately gauging the reliability of conclusions drawn from NIBRS data, but also for of conclusions drawn from NIBRS data, but also for
determining where it may be desirable to target resources to increase NIBRS participation.determining where it may be desirable to target resources to increase NIBRS participation.
One barrier to participation in NIBRS could be the cost of setting up more complex data One barrier to participation in NIBRS could be the cost of setting up more complex data
infrastructure and training staff in the infrastructure and training staff in the appropriate technology. The technology. The shift may be especial ytransition may be especially difficult for difficult for
smal ersmaller, or lower funded, agencies to achieve. , or lower funded, agencies to achieve. There are about 18,000 federal, state,In its most recent census of state and local law enforcement agencies, as of June 2018, BJS estimated there to be about 17,541 state and local law and local law
enforcement agencies in the United States, and the sizes of these agencies vary widely from enforcement agencies in the United States, and the sizes of these agencies vary widely from
employing 1 to employing 1 to 30,000 officers.60 Smal townthousands of full-time sworn officers.73 Small agencies employing agencies employing 1024 or fewer or fewer full-time sworn officers are the officers are the
most commonmost common.61 These types of at 69% of all state and local law enforcement agencies.74 These smaller agencies may struggle to find the financial and technical agencies may struggle to find the financial and technical
resources to implement NIBRSresources to implement NIBRS. For example, an initial , which often involves contracting a private vendor to overhaul the agency's electronic record management system (RMS) to match NIBRS specifications.75 For example, an initial cost estimate for setting up NIBRS in cost estimate for setting up NIBRS in
Anderson, SC, a town with approximately 27,000 residents and 100 sworn police officers, ranged Anderson, SC, a town with approximately 27,000 residents and 100 sworn police officers, ranged
from $130,000 to $200,000.from $130,000 to $200,000.6276 These costs may be too high for many agencies These costs may be too high for many agencies, and the FBI has
proposed that smal er agencies may benefit from pooling resources or partnering and, as such, the FBI encourages smaller agencies to work together on solutions that pool resources or to coordinate with larger agencies to report on their behalf.77 Access to Federal Grants with larger
agencies.63 Federal grant funds were previously made available to help make the shift to NIBRS.
In FY2017, NIBRS conversion was added as an area of emphasis for JAG grants. Following that,
from FY2018 to FY2020, the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA) required that JAG recipients
that were not certified as NIBRS-compliant dedicate 3% of any JAG award toward that end.
Access to Federal Grants
A final concern relates to federal grants that base funding on crime data reported to UCR. Several A final concern relates to federal grants that base funding on crime data reported to UCR. Several
federal grants, most notably the JAG program, use UCR crime data to calculate federal grants, most notably the JAG program, use UCR crime data to calculate al ocationsallocations for for
state, local, and tribal governments. The JAG program funds criminal justice initiativesstate, local, and tribal governments. The JAG program funds criminal justice initiatives in al 50
in all 50 states as states as wel well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.Samoa, and the Northern Mariana Islands.6478 JAG funds are JAG funds are al ocatedallocated using a statutorily defined using a statutorily defined
formula.formula.6579 Fifty percent of a state Fifty percent of a state’'s JAG s JAG al ocationallocation is based on its share of the is based on its share of the national population and the population and the
other half on the number of violent crimes (i.e., homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault)

59 UCR program participation data.
60 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Sources of Law
Enforcem ent Em ploym ent Data, October 2016, p. 1 (hereinafter, “National Sources of Law Enforcem ent Em ploym ent
Data”).
61 National Sources of Law Enforcement Employment Data, p.1.
62 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Statistics
Exchange, Estimating Costs for T ransitioning to the National Incident -Based Reporting System (NIBRS),
https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/Local%20Agency%20-
%20Estimating%20Cost%20for%20Transitioning%20%20to%20NIBRS_01 232017.pdf.
63 30 Questions, p. 12.
64 See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program , by Nathan
James.
65 34 U.S.C. §10156.
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reported to the FBI66—in particular, “the state’s respective share of the average number of
reported violent crimes in the United States for the three most recent years for which data are
available.”67 Any state that previously submitted data to UCR via SRS can no longer use this
format as of January 2021. As a result, states may lose out on the funds determined by the
reported number of crimes. In acknowledgment of this concern, BJA added the requirements to
JAG grants outlined above. As stated by BJA, “the 3 percent requirement wil assist state and
local jurisdictions in working toward compliance, to ensure they continue to have critical criminal
justice funding available through JAG when SRS is replaced by NIBRS in FY2021.”68 Similar
funding calculations based on violent crimes reported to the FBI are also in place for the DNA
Capacity Enhancement and Backlog Reduction (CEBR) program69 as wel as the Debbie Smith
DNA Backlog Grant program.70


66 See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program , by Nathan
James.
67 See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program , by Nathan
James.
68 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program
Factsheet, p.2, https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/publications/2018-JAG-Fact-Sheet.pdf.
69 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Assistance, FY2020 DNA Capacity
Enhancem ent for Backlog Reduction (CEBR) Program (Form ula) , FY2020 Grant Solicitation, https://bja.ojp.gov/
funding/opportunities/bja-2020-18413.
70 34 U.S.C. §40701(c).
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Appendix. SRS and NIBRS Offense Lists
Summary Report System (SRS)71
Part 1 Offenses
other half on the number of violent crimes (i.e., homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) reported to the FBI80—specifically, "the state's respective share of the average number of reported violent crimes in the United States for the three most recent years for which data are available."81 Thus, there has been concern that agencies that are not yet NIBRS-certified could be denied funds determined by the reported number of violent crimes due to gaps in reporting during the transition period. In acknowledgment of this concern, BJA added the NIBRS set-aside requirement to JAG grants discussed earlier in this report. As stated by BJA, "the 3 percent requirement will assist state and local jurisdictions in working toward compliance, to ensure they continue to have critical criminal justice funding available through JAG when SRS is replaced by NIBRS in FY2021."82 More recently, BJS, the agency that assists with calculating JAG allocations, addressed this potential concern in their methodology for the FY2023 JAG program. Namely, if a state had gaps in its violent crime estimates due to the transitioning to NIBRS midway through a year, "BJS prioritized complete years of data over partial years of data when calculating the local award allocations, only using partial years of data when no complete data were available."83 These represent efforts to avoid penalizing agencies that are in the process of transitioning to NIBRS. Conclusion

Though there are valid concerns regarding the transition from SRS to NIBRS (e.g., gaps in national data while some agencies are still transitioning), the apparent consensus across the FBI,84 BJS,85 and researchers in criminal justice86 is that NIBRS is an overall improvement over the previous SRS format. Indeed, none of the issues with NIBRS discussed in this report are concerns with the data format itself, but rather collateral problems that could arise with the transition process away from SRS (e.g., potential misinterpretation of crime rates based on previous rates). Furthermore, the FBI appears receptive to input from stakeholders on how to improve NIBRS data collection, meaning that it appears there is some room to address any issues that may arise. Certainly, NIBRS crime data holds a great deal of promise for increasing understanding of the complexity and nuance behind crime in the United States.87

Congress could consider various issues. As discussed in the "Agency Participation" section, there is still variability in the degree to which some states have transitioned to NIBRS.88 Congress could consider incentivizing adoption of NIBRS or, on the flipside, penalizing89 states or specific agencies for not having made the transition yet via carving out or making conditional parts of law enforcement-focused grant programs (e.g., Byrne JAG program).90 Given it is still undetermined as to how long the FBI will continue to accept SRS data submissions alongside NIBRS for the UCR program, Congress could also consider legislating a new deadline past which the FBI will no longer accept SRS format data. The number of agencies becoming NIBRS certified each year is increasing though,91 so Congress could also opt to do nothing and allow the FBI, in partnership with state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies, to proceed with the transition how it sees fit.

The transition to NIBRS offers new opportunities for gleaning valuable information that Congress could also consider. With the increased richness and detail of NIBRS data as compared to SRS, Congress could consider mandating specialized reports on topics of interest. For instance, because NIBRS captures the victim-offender relationship, Congress could request that the FBI, BJS, or some other DOJ agency produce an annual report on domestic/intimate partner violence reported to law enforcement agencies in the United States. Similar types of legislation mandating data collection and reporting have been enacted by Congress in the past, such as the Hate Crime Statistics Act (P.L. 101-275). Such specialized reports could prove useful for evaluating existing policy and funding decisions as well as informing new legislation.

Appendix. SRS and NIBRS Offense Lists

Summary Report System (SRS)92

Part 1 Offenses

(Note: The order of Part I offenses here also reflects the order in which the hierarchy rule was (Note: The order of Part I offenses here also reflects the order in which the hierarchy rule was
applied).

 Criminal Homicide
 Rape
 Robbery
 Aggravated Assault
 Burglary
applied).
  • Criminal Homicide
  • Rape
  • Robbery
  • Aggravated Assault
  • Burglary
    • Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft)Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft)
    Motor Vehicle TheftMotor Vehicle Theft
     Arson
  • Arson
    • Human Trafficking, Commercial Sex ActsHuman Trafficking, Commercial Sex Acts
    Human Trafficking, Involuntary ServitudeHuman Trafficking, Involuntary Servitude
    Part 2 Offenses
    Other Assaults (simple)Other Assaults (simple)
    Forgery and CounterfeitingForgery and Counterfeiting
     Fraud
     Embezzlement
  • Fraud
  • Embezzlement
    • Stolen Property (buying, receiving, or possessing)Stolen Property (buying, receiving, or possessing)
     Vandalism
  • Vandalism
    • Weapons (carrying, possessing, etc.)Weapons (carrying, possessing, etc.)
    Prostitution (including commercialized vice, assisting or promoting prostitution, Prostitution (including commercialized vice, assisting or promoting prostitution,
    and purchasing prostitution)and purchasing prostitution)
    Sex Offenses (except rape and prostitution offenses)Sex Offenses (except rape and prostitution offenses)
    Drug Abuse ViolationsDrug Abuse Violations
     Gambling
  • Gambling
    • Offenses Against the Family and ChildrenOffenses Against the Family and Children
  • Driving Under the Influence
  • Liquor Laws
  • Drunkenness
  • Disorderly Conduct
  • Vagrancy
  • All Other Offenses
  • Suspicion
  • Curfew and Loitering Laws (persons under 18)
  • Runaways (persons under 18)93

    • National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)94

    Table A-1. NIBRS Group A Offenses

    Offense

    Crime Against

    Animal Cruelty

    Society

    Arson

    Property

    Assault Offenses

    Aggravated Assault

    Person

    Simple Assault

    Person

    Intimidation

    Person

    Bribery

    Property

    Burglary/Breaking and Entering

    Property

    Commerce Violations

    Import Violations*

    Society

    Export Violations*

    Society

    Federal Liquor Offenses*

    Society

    Federal Tobacco Offenses*

    Society

    Wildlife Trafficking*

    Society

    Counterfeiting/Forgery

    Property

    Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property

    Property

    Drug/Narcotic Offenses

    Drug/Narcotic Violations

    Society

    Drug Equipment Violations

    Society

    Embezzlement

    Property

    Espionage*

    Society

    Extortion/Blackmail

    Property

    Fraud Offenses

    False Pretenses/Swindle/Confidence Game

    Property

    Credit Card/Automated Teller Machine Fraud

    Property

    Impersonation

    Property

    Welfare Fraud

    Property

    Wire Fraud

    Property

    Identity Theft

    Property

    Hacking/Computer Invasion

    Property

    Money Laundering*

    Society

    Fugitive Offenses

    Harboring Escapee/Concealing from Arrest*

    Society

    Flight to Avoid Prosecution*

    Society

    Flight to Avoid Deportation*

    Society

    Gambling Offenses

    Betting/Wagering

    Society

    Operating/Promoting/Assisting Gambling

    Society

    Gambling Equipment Violations

    Society

    Sports Tampering

    Society

    Homicide Offenses

    Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

    Person

    Negligent Manslaughter

    Person

    Justifiable Homicide

    Not a Crime

    Human Trafficking

    Human Trafficking, Commercial Sex Acts

    Person

    Human Trafficking, Involuntary Servitude

    Person

    Immigration Violations

    Illegal Entry into the United States*

    Society

    False Citizenship*

    Society

    Smuggling Aliens*

    Society

    Re-entry after Deportation*

    Society

    Kidnapping/Abduction

    Person

    Larceny/Theft Offenses

    Pocket-picking

    Property

    Purse-snatching

    Property

    Shoplifting

    Property

    Theft From Building

    Property

    Theft From Coin-Operated Machine or Device

    Property

    Theft From Motor Vehicle

    Property

    Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories

    Property

    All Other Larceny

    Property

    Motor Vehicle Theft

    Property

    Pornography/Obscene Material

    Society

    Prostitution Offenses

    Prostitution

    Society

    Assisting or Promoting Prostitution

    Society

    Purchasing Prostitution

    Society

    Robbery

    Property

    Sex Offenses

    Rape

    Person

    Sodomy

    Person

    Sexual Assault With An Object

    Person

    Fondling

    Person

    Incest

    Person

    Statutory Rape

    Person

    Failure to Register as a Sex Offender*

    Society

    Stolen Property Offenses

    Property

    Treason*

    Society

    Weapon Law Violations

    Weapon Law Violations

    Society

    Violation of National Firearm Act of 1934*

    Society

    Weapons of Mass Destruction*

    Society

    Explosives*

    Society

    Source: NIBRS User Manual, pp. 10-13.

    Notes: *Reported only for federal and tribal law enforcement agencies

    NIBRS Group B Offenses95

    • Bond Default
    • Failure to Appear*
    • Curfew/Loitering/Vagrancy Violations
    • Disorderly Conduct
    • Driving Under the Influence
    • Family Offenses, Nonviolent
    • Federal Resource Violations*
    • Liquor Law Violations
    • Perjury*
    • Trespass of Real Property
    • All Other Offenses

    *Reported only for federal and tribal law enforcement agencies

    This report was originally authored by former CRS Analyst Emily J. Hanson.

    Footnotes

    1.

    28 U.S.C. §534.

    2.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/more-fbi-services-and-information/ucr/nibrs (hereinafter, "NIBRS").

    3.

    This includes university/college police departments that also submit data to the FBI. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, UCR Summary of Crime in the Nation, 2023, p. 21, https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/special-reports (hereinafter, "UCR 2023").

    4.

    NIBRS.

    5.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Summary Reporting System User Manual, pp. 20-22 (hereinafter, "SRS User Manual").

    6.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime in the U.S. 2019, https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2019/crime-in-the-u.s.-2019.

    7.

    Law enforcement agencies were able to report runaways in SRS as a Part II offense, but as of 2009 this was no longer required. The FBI does not report data on runaway offenses, and as a result runaway is not counted as one of the official Part II offenses.

    8.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, About the UCR Program, September 2018, p. 3, https://le.fbi.gov/file-repository/about-the-ucr-program.pdf/view.

    9.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Services Division, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, 2023.0 National Incident-Based Reporting System User Manual, June 2023, pp. 9-14 (hereinafter, "NIBRS User Manual").

    10.

    NIBRS User Manual, pp. 78-79.

    11.

    NIBRS User Manual, pp. i-vi. For up-to-date releases on NIBRS task forces, working groups, and emerging updates, see the FBI's quarterly updates published in UCR Program Quarterly at https://le.fbi.gov/informational-tools/ucr/ucr-program-quarterly.

    12.

    NIBRS User Manual, p. 149.

    13.

    SRS User Manual, pp. 23-24.

    14.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 30 Questions and Answers about NIBRS Transition, https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/ucr/30-faqs-about-nibrs-transition-oct-2018.pdf/view, p. 8 (hereinafter, "30 Questions").

    15.

    30 Questions, p. 9.

    16.

    See CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard Council, pp. 9-10.

    17.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, The FBI's Transition to a National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)-Only Data Collection, https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/nibrs.pdf.

    18.

    30 Questions, p. 13.

    19.

    NIBRS-certified means that the entity submitting NIBRS data met the FBI's UCR program standards. For more information on the criteria the FBI uses for NIBRS certification, see NIBRS User Manual, pp. 142-143.

    20.

    For more information on the JAG program, see CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, by Nathan James.

    21.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, "Estimates Will Help Fill in Crime Statistics Gap: Transition to NIBRS crime statistics ongoing," press release, August 11, 2022, https://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/estimates-will-help-fill-in-crime-statistics-gap-081122.

    22.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, "FBI Releases 2022 Crime in the Nation Statistics," press release, October 16, 2023, https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2022-crime-in-the-nation-statistics.

    23.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, "FBI Releases 2023 Crime in the Nation Statistics," press release, September 23, 2024, https://www.fbi.gov/news/press-releases/fbi-releases-2023-crime-in-the-nation-statistics

    24.

    This is based on a recently published FBI report on arson offenses from 2015-2024 that states that both SRS and NIBRS data were used in the analyses. See U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arson Offenses: 2015-2024, June 2025, p. 1, https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/special-reports.

    25.

    The remaining 14.8% of law enforcement agencies did not report any data to the UCR program. UCR 2023, p. 2.

    26.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), 2024, https://bjs.ojp.gov/national-incident-based-reporting-system-nibrs.

    27.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X)," https://bjs.ojp.gov/programs/national-crime-statistics-exchange (hereinafter, "NCS-X").

    28.

    Christian Heumann and Michael Schomaker Shalabh, Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis (Springer International Publishing Switzerland, 2016), p. 181 (hereinafter, "Introduction to Statistics and Data Analysis").

    29.

    For more detailed information on the sampling technique employed by NCS-X, see https://bjs.ojp.gov/programs/national-crime-statistics-exchange#2-0.

    30.

    Marcus Berzofsky et al., Estimation Procedures for Crimes in the United States Based on NIBRS Data, Bureau of Justice Statistics and Federal Bureau of Investigation, August 2022, p. 3, https://bjs.ojp.gov/content/pub/pdf/epcusbnibrsd.pdf.

    31.

    For more information see CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard Council, pp. 26-27.

    32.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Benefits of NIBRS Participation, https://ucr.fbi.gov/nibrs/2016/resource-pages/benefits-of-nibrs-participation-2016_final.pdf (hereinafter "Benefits").

    33.

    Many resources about the benefits of NIBRS cite the expansion of the definition of rape to include both male and female victims. NIBRS included this expanded definition from its inception, though in 2013 SRS also expanded its definition of rape to the following: "Penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim."

    34.

    NIBRS.

    35.

    NIBRS.

    36.

    NIBRS User Manual, p. 19.

    37.

    NIBRS User Manual, p. 19.

    38.

    SRS User Manual. There are a few exceptions to the hierarchy rule. Arson and both forms of human trafficking are always counted regardless of whether multiple offenses occurred (p. 23). Motor vehicle theft is a special case of larceny-theft, and is therefore counted in a separate category (pp. 25-26). Justifiable homicide, "by definition, occurs in conjunction with another offense(s). Therefore, the crime being committed when the justifiable homicide took place is reported as a separate offense." (p. 30).

    39.

    Benefits.

    40.

    Benefits.

    41.

    30 Questions, p. 9.

    42.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, Eight Benefits of NIBRS to Victim Service Provides, https://ovc.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh226/files/pubs/NIBRS/index.html.

    43.

    Sally-Ann Ashton and Anna Bussu. "The Social Dynamics of Adolescent Co-Offending." Youth Justice 23, no. 3 (December 2023): 350–71. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, National Institute of Justice, Co-Offending and Patterns of Juvenile Crime, December 2005, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/210360.pdf, p. ii.

    44.

    NIBRS User Manual, p. 93.

    45.

    NIBRS User Manual, pp. 119, 67, and 150.

    46.

    NIBRS User Manual, pp. 78-79.

    47.

    See CRS Report R46318, Federal Data on Hate Crimes in the United States, by Nathan James and Nathan Kemper.

    48.

    See the EZANIBRS system for an example of these filters at https://www.ojjdp.gov/ojstatbb/ezanibrsdv/asp/selection.asp.

    49.

    Darlene Hutchinson, Fewer than Half of Victims Report Violent Crimes, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, December 14, 2017, https://www.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh241/files/archives/blogs-2017/2017-blog-ncvs.htm.

    50.

    The NCVS dashboard (N-DASH) provides an interface to interact with NCVS data via custom charts and tables. See https://ncvs.bjs.ojp.gov/Home.

    51.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Criminal Victimization, 2023, Summary, September 2024.

    52.

    See CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard Council, pp. 17-31.

    53.

    See CRS Report RL34309, How Crime in the United States Is Measured, by Nathan James and Logan Rishard Council, pp. 26-27.

    54.

    UCR 2023.

    55.

    For example, see U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Violence Against American Indian or Alaska Native Females: 2021-2023, https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/special-reports.

    56.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics Special Report, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, July 2000, p. 2 (hereinafter, "BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics").

    57.

    BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, pp. 7-8.

    58.

    BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 5.

    59.

    Baltimore Police Department, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)," press release, 2025, https://www.baltimorepolice.org/nibrs#:~:text=Is%20there%20a%20maximum%20number,recorded%20per%20incident%20under%20NIBRS.

    60.

    BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 3.

    61. U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Uniform Crime Report, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, Executive Summary, 2014 (hereinafter, "FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics"). 62.

    This was calculated using the total counts for murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft.

    63.

    FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics.

    64.

    Susan T. Parker, "Measuring gun violence in police data sources: transitioning to NIBRS," Injury Epidemiology, vol. 9, no. 1 (May 2, 2022).

    65.

    Susan T. Parker, "Measuring gun violence in police data sources: transitioning to NIBRS," Injury Epidemiology, vol. 9, no. 1 (May 2, 2022), p. 10.

    66.

    S. Burchart, "US Crime Statistics and the Transition to More Nuanced Offense Data." Research Spotlight. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, November 2, 2023.

    67.

    FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 1.

    68.

    FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 1.

    69.

    FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics, p. 14

    70.

    UCR 2023.

    71.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, UCR Summary of Crim in the Nation, 2022, https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/LATEST/webapp/#/pages/explorer/crime/special-reports, p. 2.

    72.

    Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)," accessed June 26, 2025, https://bjs.ojp.gov/national-incident-based-reporting-system-nibrs.

    73.

    For their census of state and local law enforcement agencies, BJS utilized the Law Enforcement Agency Roster (LEAR) database as their population of agencies to contact. LEAR includes the following types of agencies: local, county, regional, tribal, and special jurisdiction police departments, as well as sheriffs' offices (note that federal agencies are not included here). Andrea M. Gardner and Kevin M. Scott, Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2018 – Statistical Tables, Bureau of Justice Statistics, October 2022, pp. 1, 15, https://bjs.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh236/files/media/document/csllea18st.pdf, (hereinafter, Census of Law Enforcement).

    74.

    Census of Law Enforcement, p. 8.

    75.

    NIBRS User Manual, p. 152.

    76.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Crime Statistics Exchange, Estimating Costs for Transitioning to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), https://www.bjs.gov/content/pub/pdf/Local%20Agency%20-%20Estimating%20Cost%20for%20Transitioning%20%20to%20NIBRS_01232017.pdf.

    77.

    30 Questions, p. 12.

    78.

    See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, by Nathan James.

    79.

    34 U.S.C. §10156.

    80.

    See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, by Nathan James and CRS Infographic IG10079, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, by Nathan James.

    81.

    See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, by Nathan James.

    82.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics, Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program Factsheet, p.2, https://bja.ojp.gov/sites/g/files/xyckuh186/files/publications/2018-JAG-Fact-Sheet.pdf. As discussed earlier in this report, the FBI allowed law enforcement agencies that were not yet NIBRS compliant to submit SRS data in 2022 and 2023.

    83.

    Lizabeth Remrey and Alexia Cooper, Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, 2023, Bureau of Justice Statistics, August 2024, p. 12, https://bjs.ojp.gov/document/jagp23.pdf.

    84.

    FBI, Effect of NIBRS on Crime Statistics.

    85.

    BJS, Effects of NIBRS on Crime Statistics.

    86.

    S. Burchart, "US Crime Statistics and the Transition to More Nuanced Offense Data." Research Spotlight. Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, November 2, 2023.

    87.

    Benefits.

    88.

    Bureau of Justice Statistics, "National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)," accessed June 26, 2025, https://bjs.ojp.gov/national-incident-based-reporting-system-nibrs.

    89.

    It is important to reiterate, though, that submitting either SRS or NIBRS data to the FBI's UCR program is currently voluntary for state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. See U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigations, About the UCR Program, September 2018, p. 1, https://le.fbi.gov/file-repository/about-the-ucr-program.pdf/view.

    90.

    See CRS In Focus IF10691, The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, by Nathan James.

    91.

    UCR 2023, p. 2.

    92.

    U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Justice Information Services Division, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Summary Reporting System (SRS) User Manual, pp. 20-22.

    93.

    Runaway has not been a required-reporting offense in UCR since 2009, as it is not a criminal offense in all jurisdictions. Runaway data are stored in UCR when reported but these data are not reported by the FBI in UCR databases; the FBI no longer publishes information on runaways as a Part II crime.

    94.

    NIBRS User Manual, pp. 10-14.

    95.

    NIBRS User Manual, p. 14.

    Driving Under the Influence
     Liquor Laws
     Drunkenness
     Disorderly Conduct

    71 U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Crime Justice Information Services Division, Uniform
    Crime Reporting Program, Sum m ary Reporting System (SRS) User Manual, pp. 20-22.
    Congressional Research Service

    10
    The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues

     Vagrancy
     Al Other Offenses
     Suspicion
     Curfew and Loitering Laws (persons under 18)
     Runaways (persons under 18)72
    National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)73
    Group A Offenses
     Animal Cruelty
     Arson
     Assault Offenses
     Aggravated Assault
     Simple Assault
     Intimidation
     Bribery
     Burglary/Breaking & Entering
     Commerce Violations
     Import Violations*
     Export Violations*
     Federal Liquor Offenses*
     Federal Tobacco Offenses*
     Wildlife Trafficking*
     Counterfeiting/Forgery
     Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property
     Drug/Narcotic Offenses
     Drug/Narcotic Violations
     Drug Equipment Violations
     Embezzlement
     Espionage*
     Extortion/Blackmail
     Fraud Offenses
     False Pretenses/Swindle/Confidence Game
     Credit Card/Automated Tel er Machine Fraud
     Impersonation

    72 Runaway has not been a required-reporting offense in UCR since 2009, as it is not a criminal offense in all
    jurisdictions. Runaway data are stored in UCR when reported but these data are not reported by the FBI in UCR
    databases; the FBI no longer publishes information on runaways as a Part II crime.
    73 NIBRS User Manual, pp. 10-14.
    Congressional Research Service

    11
    The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues

     Welfare Fraud
     Wire Fraud
     Identity Theft
     Hacking/Computer Invasion
     Money Laundering*
     Fugitive Offenses
     Harboring Escapee/Concealing from Arrest*
     Flight to Avoid Prosecution*
     Flight to Avoid Deportation*
     Gambling Offenses
     Betting/Wagering
     Operating/Promoting/Assisting Gambling
     Gambling Equipment Violations
     Sports Tampering
     Homicide Offenses
     Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter
     Negligent Manslaughter
     Justifiable Homicide (Not a Crime)
     Human Trafficking Offenses
     Commercial Sex Acts
     Involuntary Servitude
     Immigration Violations
     Il egal Entry into the United States*
     False Citizenship*
     Smuggling Aliens*
     Re-entry about Deportation*
     Kidnapping/Abduction
     Larceny/Theft Offenses
     Pocket-picking
     Purse-snatching
     Shoplifting
     Theft From Building
     Theft From Coin-Operated Machine or Device
     Theft From Motor Vehicle
     Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories
     Al Other Larceny
     Motor Vehicle Theft
     Pornography/Obscene Material
     Prostitution Offenses
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    The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues

     Prostitution
     Assisting or Promoting Prostitution
     Purchasing Prostitution
     Robbery
     Sex Offenses
     Rape
     Sodomy
     Sexual Assault With An Object
     Fondling
     Incest
     Statutory Rape
     Failing to Register as a Sex Offender*
     Stolen Property Offenses
     Treason*
     Weapon Law Violations
     Weapon Law Violations
     Violation of National Firearm Act of 1934*
     Weapons of Mass Destruction*
     Explosives*
    Group B Offenses
     Bad Checks
     Bond Default
     Failure to Appear*
     Curfew/Loitering/Vagrancy Violations
     Disorderly Conduct
     Driving Under the Influence
     Drunkenness
     Family Offenses, Nonviolent
     Federal Resources Violations*
     Liquor Law Violations
     Peeping Tom
     Perjury*
     Trespass of Real Property
     Al Other Offenses

    *Reported only for federal and tribal law enforcement agencies

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    The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS): Benefits and Issues



    Author Information

    Emily J. Hanson

    Analyst in Social Policy



    Disclaimer
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    shared staff to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and
    under the direction of Congress. Information in a CRS Report should n ot be relied upon for purposes other
    than public understanding of information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in
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    Congressional Research Service
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