Nibrs

Abstract

The National Incident‐Based Reporting System (NIBRS) was introduced in the 1980s by the Department of Justice as a measure to improve and expand the United States' crime data collection system. Its purpose was to make up for the flaws observed in the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). Under the NIBRS 46 crime types, under 22 offense categories, are recorded on the computerized record systems. The NIBRS is popular among criminologists because its data are comprehensive, including information about offenses, victims, offenders, and arrestees that were lacking in the UCR. Furthermore, all crime incidents reported to the police were recorded whether the suspects were arrested or not. The NIBRS is also helpful in the study of hate crimes as it records the bias motivations of offenders.