Reference no: EM13921577

In 1929 the International Association of Chiefs of Police concocted a systematic method to reporting crime called the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Shortly after the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was tasked with collecting, publishing, and archiving the statistics. Seven main classifications were chosen to measure the fluctuation of overall volume and rate of each crime (National Atlas of the United States, 2015). These seven classifications, also known as the crime index, are murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, motor vehicle theft, and larceny theft. An eighth index, arson, was added to the report in 1979. With these statistics officials can determine the effectiveness of new laws and programs as well as the effectiveness of staff and procedural changes. This data affects numerous issues such as budget decisions, integration of new laws, and staffing decisions. The public also looks to this report for information pertaining to fluctuation in crime. Others, such as criminologists, municipal planners, legislators, media, and sociologists use the statistics for planning and research. Although these reports are never going to be a 100% accurate due to the amount of underreported crime throughout the United States, they generally give society a good sense of what is taking place in different areas.