HIghlighting again the need for better crime data (and national leadership on the issue)

In this post a couple of weeks ago, I spotlighted some encouraging homicide data from a number of big cities. But I got access to this data only via a patchwork of (inconsistent) city-level police reports. Helping the crime data cause recently is the great new Real-Time Crime Index (RTCI), but it exists only thanks to a private grant and it is limited by what data gets collected at the local level.

Noting that “national crime data fall short of what the country needs to sufficiently understand, control, and prevent crime,” the Council on Criminal Justice Crime Trends Working Group produced a report last year outlining a roadmap for improvement.  (See post here.)  Building off CCJ’s work, Kaitlin Owens has produced for the America First Policy Instititue this useful new report titled “Modernizing National Crime Statistics.”  I recommend the full report, and here are its “Topline Points”:

Criminal justice data is currently impaired by serious gaps and quality control issues. This compromises its capacity to inform decisions to improve public safety.

The America First approach to solving this problem emphasizes transparency, efficiency, and local control over crime data, while preventing partisan influence and ensuring taxpayer dollars are used efficiently.

The Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) should publish official U.S. crime reports, ensuring a more transparent and standardized approach.

Federal and state partnerships should enhance funding, staffing, and the adoption of modern record-keeping systems to ensure smaller law enforcement agencies can report accurate data.

BJS should revamp its website for greater accessibility and should publish monthly national snapshots and an annual crime report covering major crimes, white-collar offenses, and emerging threats.