Criminal justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Criminal justice - Essay Example There is also a newer classification which is the National Incident-Based Reporting System or NIBRS which is an upgraded version of the UCR (Samaha, 2006). These systems are all very different. They range from random-sampling based surveys to the more tangible nationwide percentage surveys. The more popular of all of then is the Uniform Crime Reports as conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This is the first to be cited in crime reporting statistics because it is based on actual data gathered throughout the country annually. The others, being primarily based on sample populations taken at random reasonably yields a more vague assumption when it comes to results. Statistically, they have a higher rate when it comes to margin of error. We can actually classify crime reporting measuring systems into two logical kinds, the official crime statistics and the unofficial crime statistics. They are also gathered at different stages (Wold & Weis). I find that the official rep orts are more useful because they are based on actual data. Over time this system has transformed and included other types of more specialized data such as the Hate Crime Statistics and the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (Federal Bureau of Investigation). It’s newest addition, the NIBRS is a more fine-tuned version of the older UCR.