Form UnNumbered NIBRS Public Information

Attachment 1 - NIBRS Public Information Sheet

National Incident-Based Reporting System Modernization Overview
In 2015, FBI Director James B. Comey made Crime Data Modernization (CDM) a top priority at the FBI
and acknowledged that crime data reporting—in its current state—is not collecting the right information
to understand and analyze current events. In five years, the FBI will transition from summary crime
reporting to the National Incident-Based Reporting System, the NIBRS, for crime data reporting by 2021.
The NIBRS’s incident-based reporting provides specific details on crime including data about victims,
offenders, property and arrests, along with information on each offense, depicting a comprehensive
view of crime and criminal activity. Having detailed information is powerful and helps dispel
misperceptions, foster accountability, and promote transparency in how law enforcement personnel are
relating to and supporting the diverse communities they serve.
Since the establishment of Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program in 1929, and the NIBRS in 1989,
policing policies and strategies have evolved; however, policy and process for crime data reporting has
changed very little. It is clear, however, that changes must occur to ensure that the policy evolves to
guarantee accurate data.
The FBI strongly believes that the NIBRS is the path forward, and the goal of the NIBRS transition is to
improve the way the nation collects, reports, analyzes, and uses its crime statistics to enable informed
tactical and strategic decision-making. The FBI CJIS Division has brought together its information
technology and crime data resources and expertise to develop tools and technologies to evolve the
process for accurate, reliable, timely, and accessible crime data reporting.
To ensure the NIBRS is prepared for the 2021 cutover and lay the foundation for change, the CDM team
is conducting a NIBRS modernization study to understand the impact of the 2021 NIBRS cutover on
state, local, tribal, and federal agencies, and to gauge the technical readiness of the NIBRS. The
modernization study will identify NIBRS cutover challenges and offer recommendations to address
challenges surrounding incident-based crime reporting.
The NIBRS modernization study is working in concert with the UCR Program and complements ongoing
efforts from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NAS) and the National
Crime Statistics Exchange (NCS-X) Program. The study will lay the groundwork for a data collection,
analysis, and publication capability that will address the needs of law enforcement and alleviate public
concerns regarding data transparency and availability today and in the future.
Outreach to state, local, tribal, and federal agencies and external stakeholders is critical element to the
success of the NIBRS 2021 cutover and the modernization initiative. The modernization study team will
conduct independent onsite surveys at law enforcement agencies across the county to determine how
the NIBRS meets current policing needs and to identify opportunities for modernizing the NIBRS to
accommodate future crime reporting and analysis.
Modernizing crime data reporting is no longer optional, but necessary and long overdue. Establishing
uniformity and granularity in crime data collection, timeliness of reporting, and accessibility to crime
data are essential in satisfying the need for better information about crime in the United States. The
modernization study is a key initiative to promote change and shape the direction of crime data
reporting to meet the nation’s current and future needs.

October 6, 2016