UCR Official Crime Rate Data

Name:

 Directions: This project requires you to present relevant information on the definitions of and rates of one crime as reported in the Uniform Crime Reports.  You will use the UCR website (listed below) all the data available for the year 2016 to answer the following questions.  WARNING: Preliminary data for 2017 may be available but is most likely incomplete so use the 2016 data.  Your answers should be TYPED directly into this sheet including the tables provided.  Expand the areas in the tables provided to accommodate your answers.  You are welcome to copy and paste portions of your answers directly from the website—I’m not concerned with plagiarism as I expect you to report things precisely as they are stated from the UCR website.

 

Navigating the UCR website:

1. Log onto the UCR website at http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/ucr
2. Locate the “Crime in the United States” option under the “Publications” section and click on it.
3. On the “UCR Publications” page, locate the “Crime in the United States” section and click on the “2016” option.
4. Once on the “About Crime in the U.S.” page, choose either “violent crime” or “property crime” (depending on your assigned crime) under the “offenses known to law enforcement” box.
5. Locate the “browse by offense” box on the right side of the page and click on your assigned crime. This will take you to the main page for information on your crime.  You will want to continually refer back to this main page as you work your way through the various questions asked below.

 

Offense options: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor-vehicle theft.  Arson is included in some data but not in all data so it is excluded from these options.

 

Questions:

1. What crime are you providing information about?

 

2. How does the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) define your crime? Include the entire definition provided for your crime (i.e., what is included in this definition, what is excluded, how is it further specified? (1/2 pt)

 

 

 

 

3. Using the overview section, provide the following information regarding your crime: (1/4 pt each; ½ pt total)
4. In 2016, what was the estimated number of cases for your crime?

 

1. What is the rate (per 100,000 inhabitants) at which your crime is committed in 2016?

 

 

 

4. Use the “expanded _____ data” section at the bottom of the information page for your crime to locate the “Trends: 2-year” tables. Locate your crime across the top of each column.  You will find the information for the “total all agencies” and “Total cities” in the rows near the top of the table.  You will have to scroll to the bottom of the table to locate the rows for “metropolitan counties,” “nonmetropolitan counties,” and “suburban areas” data.  After reporting the number of cases for each category in 2015, also report the percentage change from 2015 to 2016.  The percentage changes are found directly under the number of cases for each year.  (1/4 pt each; 2.5 pts total)

 

Table 1. Number of Incidents: Two-year Trend

Year	Total All Agencies:	Total Cities:	Metropolitan Counties:	Nonmetropolitan Counties	Suburban Areas
2016
Percent Change from 2015

 

5. Return to the main page for your crime. Use the “expanded _____ data” section at the bottom of the information page for your crime to locate the “Rates: per 100,000 inhabitants” tables. Locate your assigned crime and work down that column to report the rate for each of the following categories.  (1/4 pt each; 1.25 pts total)

 

Table 2. Crime Rate per 100,000 Inhabitants (2016)

	Total All Agencies:	Total Cities:	Metropolitan Counties:	Nonmetropolitan Counties	Suburban Areas
Rate (per 100,000 inhabitants)

 

6. Return to the main page for your crime. Under the “data tables” box, choose “table 3” option. This table is titled “Crime in the United States, by State, 2016”.  In the table, take note of the column headings to find your crime before scrolling down to find the information on Kentucky.  Use the information provided to answer the questions below and then complete the table. (1/4 pt each; 1.25 pts total)

 

1. Kentucky “State Total” Incidents for your crime:

 

1. Kentucky State “Rate per 100,000” for your crime:

 

Table 3. Crime Rate for the State of Kentucky (2016)

	Metropolitan Statistical Area	Cities Outside Metropolitan Areas	Nonmetropolitan Counties
Estimated Total Number of Incidents for Your Crime (not “Area actually reporting”)