Measuring Crime in America

Measuring Crime in America

The measuring of crime in the United States today is becoming more difficult to keep track of records of each incident. Some states keep records on file for lifetime and some states only hold on to records in their files for a period of time depending on the severity of the offense. As time goes on the severity of keeping track of each criminal offense will be so enormous that the government will have to develop a new instrument to keep crime records stored. There are three major crime reporting systems in the United States each of these systems has a way of operating so law officials and the public will be able to view crime as it is reported. These are the three reporting agencies Uniform crime reports, National incident Managing system, and the National crime reporting survey are all the agencies that work together to help keep law officials and public aware of what is happening in the United States today.

Some of the instruments used in the criminal justice system have changed several times over the years all over the United States. There are few states that enforce Federal and State laws. Allowing those states that are federal and State to create their own laws in judicial system and help keep their state under somewhat of their own ordience. Each state has several different laws that they enforce differently by holding their own punishment as a result. The Uniform crime report this particular system keeps track of certain criminal cases such as Criminal Homicide, Forcible Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Motor Vehicle Theft, and Arson. This Uniform Crime Report consists of one agency which is known to the public as the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 1930 Forty-Three states started participating in the Uniform Crime Report. Congress enacted Title 28, Section 534, of the United States Code authorizing the Attorney General to gather information that same year. Today the Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of holding updates of all new crime reports each year.

There is also the National incident Management system which The National Incident Management System provides a systematic, proactive approach to guide departments and agencies at all levels of government, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to work seamlessly to prevent, protect against, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of incidents, regardless of cause, size, location, or complexity, in order to reduce the loss of life and property and harm to the environment (Wisconsin Emergency Affairs). This system was designed to as we all know today is to serve and protect the right of each individual. This system is being tested for the replacement of the Uniform Crime Report System.

The National Crime Victimization Survey became part of the crime reporting system in 1970. This system was to give the government an idea of what the rate of crime that the United States would be facing in the public's future. It also provides the amount of unreported crimes in cities and states in the United States. In 1973 the United States Census Bureau started conducting