A crime report is the collection and dissemination of a written account of an incident. It is an essential tool for law enforcement agencies, as it helps them to understand what crime trends are occurring in their area and how they can respond to them. However, it can be complex to navigate the process, and it is important that all paperwork is completed correctly in order to ensure that your case receives the justice that you deserve. If you have been involved in a crime and want to learn more about filing a crime report, the experienced New York criminal lawyers at the Law Offices of Robert Tsigler, PLLC can help.
The Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) is a nationwide, cooperative statistical effort by local and state law enforcement agencies to record and collect information about criminal activity. It is one of the nation’s leading social indicators, tracking eight major offense categories including murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
Law enforcement agencies are encouraged to adopt or adapt their records management systems so that they can be used to generate NIBRS reports. NIBRS is expected to provide a more accurate picture of crime trends than UCR data because it captures information about all incidents, all offense types in the same incident, and information on known offenders, victims, and arrestees.
When reporting a crime, make sure that you include any physical identifying features of the perpetrator and victim. Also, be sure to give the dispatcher an address, if possible. Additionally, be sure to tell the dispatcher if people are injured or if they need medical assistance.