Flaws in the Current and Proposed Uniform Crime Reporting Programs Regarding Homicide and Weapons Use in Violent Crime

• NCJ Number: 103789
• Author(s): P H Blackman; R E Gardener
• Date Published: 1986
• Length: 23 pages
• Corporate Author: National Rifle Assoc
• Publication Format: Document
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Criminology, Atlanta, Georgia, October 29 - November 1, 1986

Annotation

It is argued that Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) data on murder and nonnegligent manslaughter are so seriously flawed that the only thing they can provide criminologists is the number of deaths investigated by police as potentially criminal homicides.

Abstract

The UCR data cannot reveal the number of murders nor the number of willful criminal homicides, the circumstances of the homicide, or the victim-offender relationship. Further, they often may not be able to provide reliable information on weapons use. The only major improvement in the data that will result from proposed reforms will be an attempt to identify self-defense killings. Within the broad confines generally understood by criminologists, the UCR data are useful, but caution must be exercised in using the data for analysis. 42 references.