Crime Data Comparison

In the late 1920’s the idea was recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police or most commonly known as the (IACP), that there needed to be a more reliable and accurate way to keep track of all of the crime data and statistics. This information was needed to determine the crimes that were changing from year to year as well as the sources of what could be changing these statistics such as population changes, poverty changes, and so on and so forth.

After a few years of deliberation over the record-keeping practices being used at the time, planning for a system called the Uniform Crime Report program (UCR) in which it came in to working effect in 1929. It was in 1930 a year later, in January that the United States Congress enacted a Code that gave the UCR the authority by the attorney general to gather information about crimes. The attorney general then delegated the responsibility to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to act as the bookkeepers for collecting all the crime data for the UCR. In 1930 the FBI became the first agency to start a resource to do just that.

Since the beginning of the UCR program every year new data has been collected and published in order to crime statistics for each area across the United States. Information stored would include numbers of different crimes such as murders, arson, burglary, property crimes, rapes, larceny, etc. The UCR program started in January 1930 with data gathered from law enforcement agencies in 400 cities from 43 states submitting information and currently includes approximately 17,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide that voluntarily contribute their crime statistics.

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Murder or Homicide is an act that happens across the United States. There is not one state safe from it. According to the Uniform Crime Report program in 2011 California was the state with the highest amount of murders with a total of 1,790. The total amount of murders committed at the hands of a firearm is 1,220. Murders committed by knives or cutting instruments 261. One thing that may have an impact on the amount of murders as well as other crimes is the population in California. With an amazing total of 37. 3 million in 2011 with a 10% increase since 2000.

With 43% of families in California considered to be low income, the poverty level is very high in California. As described by national statistics that show that most crime is committed in areas of poverty and low-income this could be a reason that the murder or homicide rate is so high in California. Each year with the increase of population the crime rates increase. Across the ocean in Hawaii with the lowest amount of murders/homicides with a low total of seven for the year of 2011. One at the hands of a firearm, two by stabbing or knifes, and three by hands, fists, feet or etc. nd the rest in other ways. With a lower population than California with a total of 1,360,301 with around 953,207 people (70%) living in the city and County of Honolulu for 2011.

With a low-income or poverty population percentage of only 13. 7% of the population below the nationwide average income level. It shows that this could have some effect on the murder/homicide statistics being lower than that of California. Also another reason could be that the population of Hawaii is mostly contributed by tourism and most people in Hawaii are only here for travel. In 2011, about 7. million people from around the world visited Hawaii. Another reason that could factor in to the crime rate is 47,410 of the population in Hawaii is military personnel, or 3. 48%. In 2011, an estimated 14,612 persons were murdered in the United States.

This was a 0. 7% decrease from the 2010 estimate, a 14. 7% decline from the 2007 figure, and a 10. 0% decrease from the 2002 estimate. There were 4. 7 murders per 100,000 inhabitants, a 1. 5% decrease from the 2010 rate. Compared with the 2007 rate, the murder rate declined 17. 4%, and compared with the 2002 rate, the murder rate decreased 16. %. Nearly 44% (43. 6) of murders were reported in the South, the most populous region, 21. 0% were reported in the West, 20. 6% were reported in the Midwest, and 14. 8% were reported in the Northeast (FBI Uniform Crime Report Statistics). There could be many reasons why the crime rate changes, it could be the area, the upbringing, income, population and also what resources that are available in the area to help youth and people with emotional problems. There are a number of factors that could help persuade a person from committing crime and murder.

However one thing is certain as the population increases so does the crime. Although the Uniform Crime Report program definitely shows an improvement from how data and statistics previously were collected, there are still many criticisms about the data's accuracy. The UCR only reports crimes known to police. Due to a high number of crimes that are never reported and the victims that do not report their experiences to law enforcement agencies, the data reported is often inaccurate as for both the number of crimes committed and the number of offenders.

Another reason that the UCR is flawed is due to the fact that only crimes considered serious crimes are reported. The data and all of the information that is reported to the UCR is only based on the hierarchy rule: For a crime incident in which multiple offenses were committed only the most serious offense is reported. Furthermore, the UCR reveals more about police behavior than it does about criminality. Some law enforcement agencies falsify the reports they submit to the FBI to lessen the case load for the police station and officers. In which the crimes are never solved.

References:

1. FBI Uniform Crime Report Statistics http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/violent-crime/murder http://math2033.uark.edu/wiki/index.php/Uniform_Crime_Reports
2. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement http://www.californiality.com/2011/03/california-census-data.html
3. http://www.to-hawaii.com/population.php

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