Measures of Crime and Victimization

Although not all law enforcement agencies participate in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) database, it was the first of its kind. The UCR began nearly a century ago, but several others have followed, including the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), National Crime Information Center (NCIC), and National Criminal Database Background Check, among others. Why so many different databases? Imagine the benefits and challenges of combining and using a single database for all crime reports.

Imagine you are a consultant for the Department of Justice. You have been asked to assess measures of crime and victimization. You will then present your findings to the Department.

Perform research in the Walden Library and on the Internet to find three scholarly resources that focus on measuring crime statistics.

Subject Research: Criminal Justice & Security

Review these crime databases identified in this module’s Learning Resources:

• Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR)
• National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
• National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS)
• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC)

Using the Walden Writing Center APA PowerPoint Presentation Template, create a 14- to 16- slide (not including title and reference slides) Microsoft PowerPoint presentation that includes audio or utilizes footnotes that:

• Provides an overview of each of the crime databases listed above;
• Compares each system/database;
• Describes the advantages and disadvantages of each database;
• Discusses whether combining databases would improve the understanding of victimization and better inform victimization reduction strategies.