This report describes the estimation process for crime statistics that will be published by the FBI based solely on data submitted by state and local law enforcement agencies to NIBRS. It provides a basic background on general estimation and the use of confidence intervals around the estimates. Additionally, the report describes why estimation is needed, discusses how the new estimation process will differ from the previous process, details how the new procedures account for the challenges faced when estimating crime based solely on NIBRS, and explains how the estimates will serve as a reliable and accurate source of information about crime known to law enforcement, regardless of changes to the statistical methodology or the underlying data source.
See also NIBRS Estimation Summary.