Reported crime

Reported crime is criminal activity reported to or recorded by a specified source. In police statistics, it usually refers to offenses known to law enforcement and included under the program's rules. The phrase must identify the source because reporting to police, a survey interviewer, or another organization are different processes.

A report is one stage of measurement

An initial allegation is not automatically a scored offense in a published crime table. Agencies classify records, apply counting rules, and may revise them. A call for service can lead to an offense report, but service-call totals also include many events that are not crimes.

The FBI's NIBRS system collects details on crime incidents recorded by law-enforcement agencies and submitted to the national program. Those data can support counts or estimates, depending on the product. BJS NIBRS overview

Reported crime is not the same as all crime. BJS's National Crime Victimization Survey collects information on covered victimizations both reported and not reported to police. Its findings provide evidence about experiences outside police reporting, within the survey's own population and offense scope. BJS NCVS description

Example

Hypothetical example: A resident reports a qualifying theft to police in February, although it occurred in January. The agency records an offense. Another resident experiences a similar theft but does not contact police; a survey later captures that experience.

A police-recorded total and a survey estimate can treat those experiences differently. The first event can also fall in January or February depending on whether the publication uses occurrence date or report date. The time basis must be established before interpreting the monthly change.

Common confusion

Reported crime does not mean proven crime. Crime statistics describe agency-recorded classifications, while courts decide criminal charges under a different process. A reported offense can remain unsolved, and an arrest does not by itself establish guilt.

The phrase also does not mean every report made to police. Duplicate calls, noncriminal incidents, and unfounded allegations can receive different treatment. A dataset's processing rules determine which records remain in a final count.

Describing change accurately

A rise in reported crime can reflect changes in underlying conduct, willingness to report, access to reporting, agency participation, or classification. The total alone cannot separate those influences. Say that recorded or reported offenses increased when that is what the evidence establishes. Broader claims about actual crime prevalence require additional evidence and matching definitions. Preserve the collection, offense grouping, period, and counting unit so the claim can be checked.

Related terms

• Unreported crime
• Estimated crime
• Report date
• Offense count

Sources

• BJS NIBRS estimates overview — police-recorded incidents and statistical products.
• BJS NCVS description — reported and unreported covered victimization.