Crime Reporting

When comparing and contrasting the Uniform Crime Report (UCR) and the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) the comparison is short as they have few things in common. Both programs compile data on rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft. Also, for some crimes, the UCR and the NCVS counting rules are similar. Both the UCR and NCVS present their data annually in their perspective reports. Another similarity is that both programs are essential. It is understandable that no one method is capable of providing all the information about the characteristics of crime.

While researching the two forms of reporting, both the UCR and the NCVS have differences in purpose, methods and offenses measured. The U.S. Department of Justice (2004) states that the UCR receives its data monthly from law enforcement agencies across the county. They report crimes committed against any person or business in the U.S, including young children, people from other countries, and businesses or organizations. Two times a year the NCVS directs the U.S. Census Bureau in interviewing household members 12 years or older in a national sample to collect its data. The NCVS measures crimes against people age 12 and older and their households. In contrast to the UCR, if you are under the age of 12, not a citizen, a victim of murder, or if you are a business owner, your data would not be collected. The unit of measurement the UCR uses is based on the offense. For some crimes, like assault and rape, the regularity of offense equals the number of victims. For other crimes, like burglary or robbery, the number of offenses equals the number of incidents. The NCVS bases its unit of measure on victimization. "Victimization is defined as 'a specific criminal act as it affects a single victim, whether a person or household.'" Bureau of Justice Statistics (2001)

The UCR and NCVS programs are conducted for different purposes,