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Airport/Airline Security: "Intelligence and Airports," by Robert T. Raffel, 76 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 4, pgs 1-7 (April 2007). "Airport security practitioners have several avenues to receive and use information and intelligence."
Arrest and Imprisonment: "Detentions Based on 911 Calls," 12 pgs., Point of View, published by the Alameda County, California, District Attorney's Office (Spring 2005).
Article: "Juvenile Arson," by Paul Zipper and David K. Wilcox, 74 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 4, pgs. 1-9 (April 2005). "Law enforcement agencies serve an important role in the coordinated approach required to effectively address juvenile firesetting." [PDF] [HTML]
Article: "Your Vest Won't Stop This Bullet: A Guide to Safer Traffic Stops," by Richard J. Ashton, Grant/Technical Management Manager, IACP. The Police Chief Magazine, Vol. 72, No. 7 (July 2005).
Body Armor: Updated Body Armor pages. "More than 3,000 police officers' lives have been saved by body armor since the mid-1970s when NIJ began testing and developing body armor and performance standards for ballistic and stab resistance. Recognition and acceptance of the NIJ standard has grown worldwide, making it the performance benchmark for ballistic-resistant body armor. NIJ's Body Armor Web pages discuss the Body Armor Safety Initiative; explains the results of body armor research and explores future research; provides information on standards and testing; and offers links to resources that help agencies select and fund body armor purchases." (August 30, 2007).
Body Armor: The Department of Justice (DOJ), as part of its ongoing Body Armor Safety Initiative testing, announced on August 24, 2005 that test results indicate that used Zylon-containing body armor vests may not provide the intended level of ballistic resistance. As a result, DOJ will adopt new interim requirements for its body armor compliance testing program, and will add an additional $10 million to the $23.6 million already available to law enforcement through DOJ's Bulletproof Vest Partnership (BVP) program to assist in the replacement of Zylon-based body armor vests. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the research, development, and evaluation arm of DOJ, conducted extensive testing on used Zylon-based body armor. The testing was carried out as part of the Attorney General's Body Armor Safety Initiative, which began in November 2003. The latest report, NIJ's Third Status Report to the Attorney General on Body Armor Safety Initiative Testing and Activities, is available at https://vests.ojp.gov. NIJ performed ballistic testing on 103 Zylon-containing used armor vests from law enforcement agencies across the United States. Of these vests, 60 (58 percent) were penetrated by at least one round during a six-shot test series. Of those that passed penetration testing, 91 percent showed excessive "backface deformation," an indicator of the potential blunt trauma experienced by an officer wearing the armor. Only four used armor vests tested met all performance criteria under NIJ's body armor standard for new body armor. In the tests, age and appearance of used Zylon-based vests were ineffective predictors of potential ballistic performance. NIJ's research also showed that ballistic-resistant material, including Zylon, can degrade as a result of exposure to environmental conditions, such as moisture and light. It is likely that the ballistic performance degradation in Zylon-containing armor is closely related to the chemical changes found in what is known as the oxazole ring. Breakage of the oxazole ring correlates with degradation of the mechanical properties of Zylon fibers.
The Department is issuing a Body Armor Standard Advisory Notice to alert law enforcement to the potential risks associated with the use of Zylon in body armor, and will adopt new interim requirements for its body armor compliance testing program. As a result, body armor models that contain Zylon will not be compliant, unless their manufacturers provide satisfactory evidence to NIJ that the models will maintain their ballistic performance over their declared warranty period. Also, until the new requirements become effective, Zylon-containing armor vests will not be eligible for purchase with federal funds through the BVP program. Documents issued include:
Body Armor: Status Report to the Attorney General on Body Armor Safety Initiative Testing and Activities, March 2004. [PDF] (558 KB)
Body Armor: Announcement by Second Chance Body Armor calling on law enforcement agencies to immediately replace body armor manufactured with Zylon. (June 22, 2005, PDF). IACP President Joseph Estey's Response to Announcement by Second Chance Body Armor. (June 22, 2005).
Publication: National Institute of Justice, NIJ Journal Issue No. 254 Posted July 7, 2006 When a Zylon-based body armor that had passed NIJ standards failed to fully protect an officer in 2003, NIJ began investigating why. The newest NIJ Journal features an article about the findings of the investigation as well as interim changes to the standards and testing program. Another article summarizes findings from an NIJ-sponsored conference about suicide terrorism. The conference brought together experts in the field to discuss findings and share views on suicide terrorism, what compels individuals to join terrorist organizations, and the utility of a central database of research on the topic. Additional stories feature: Biometric-based identification used by a school in New Jersey to keep its students safer. A method for minimizing the costs and risks of conducting evaluations. Ways to better investigate electronic crimes. Methamphetamine use and production. Increased reports of rape involving people who know each other. Full Text HTML
Campus Crime & School Security
Article: "School Resource Officer Programs." by Peter Finn, 75 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 8, pgs. 1-7 (Aug. 2006). "Many law enforcement agencies have found that operating and contributing to the cost of a school resource officer program repays them in significant ways." [HTML] [PDF]
Campus Security: Campus Safety CD-ROM. This CD-ROM contains more than 50 publications and resource links related to drugs, alcohol, and violence on campus. It also contains a video, Because Things Happen Every Day: Responding to Teenage Victims of Crime, produced by the National Center from Victims of Crime and sponsored by the COPS Office (Office of Community Oriented Policing Services). View contents on-line. Order a copy.
School Safety: As part of a project funded by the National Institute of Justice (NIJ), the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) has published a guide to digital imaging titled Digital Imaging for Safe Schools: A Public Safety Response to Critical Incidents. The IACP partnered with Arlington and Fairfax counties in Virginia in a project to employ digital images taken in schools as the foundation for constructing virtual classrooms to be used during a critical incident. With the photos compiled from each school, first responders arriving on scene have access to school maps and floor plans through either the Internet or a CD-ROM. They can then use the 360-degree images to quickly ascertain trouble spots and develop a tactical plan even before entering the building. The result of this partnership is a how-to resource guide for public safety practitioners and school administrators to use in developing their own response plans. More information and a version of the guide are available at http://www.theiacp.org/research/RCDTechCuttingEdge.html.
School Security: Resources on School Violence. Compiled by the FBI and contains a number of useful links to various resources and information. (April 2007).
Sexual Assault: Sexual Assault on Campus: What Colleges and Universities Are Doing About It. NCJ 205521, December 2005, Research for Practice, National Institute of Justice, by Heather M. Karjane, Bonnie S. Fisher, and Francis T. Cullen. Summary Full Report.
Statistics: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2006. Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general public. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It also provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools, school environments, and responses to violence and crime at school. Data are drawn from several federally funded collections including the National Crime Victimization Survey, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, School Survey on Crime and Safety, and School and Staffing Survey. Information was gathered from an array of sources including: - National Crime Victimization Survey (1992-2004) - School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005) - Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005) - School Survey on Crime and Safety (1999-2000 and 2003-04) - School and Staffing Survey (1993-94, 1999-2000, and 2003-04). Highlights include the following: * From July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005, there were 21 homicides of school-age youth (ages 5 to 18) at school. * In 2003-04 teachers' reports of being threatened or attacked by students during the previous 12 months varied according to their school level. * The percentage of public schools experiencing one or more violent incidents increased between the 1999-2000 and 2003-04 school years, from 71 to 81 percent. 12/06 NCJ 214262 Press release | Acrobat file (1.6K) | ASCII file (199K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 158K)
Chemical Weapons: "Deaths in Police Confrontations When Oleoresin Capsicum is Used" by Charles S. Petty, M.D., 2/2004, NCJ 204029. 52 pgs. A study of 63 incidents. [PDF].
Report: "The Effectiveness and Safety of Pepper Spray" (April 2003). National Institute of Justice (NIJ). "Though generally assumed to be safe and effective, the consequences of the use of pepper spray, as with any use of force, can never be predicted with certainty. To expand the scope of knowledge on such a complex subject, this Research for Practice examines two unpublished NIJ-funded studies on the use of pepper spray in real-life arrests and compares them with previous studies. While the research does not and cannot prove that pepper spray will never be a contributing factor in the death of a subject resisting arrest, it seems to confirm that pepper spray is a reasonably safe and effective tool for law enforcement officers to use when confronting uncooperative or combative subjects." Full text of the Report: ASCII Text File Adobe Acrobat File.
Child Abuse, Injury, and Safety
Article: "Sudden, Unexplained Infant Death Investigations," by Ernst H. Weyand, 73 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 3, pgs. 10-15 (March 2004). [PDF] "Law enforcement officers can better handle SUID cases after gaining an understanding of their role in these investigations." Also available in .html format.
Child Abuse: Investigating Child Fatalities. This Guide, the latest in the U.S. Justice Department Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) Portable Guides to Investigating Child Abuse series, provides concise, practical information to assist law enforcement officers in investigating child fatalities in which investigators believe abuse or neglect caused or contributed to the fatal injury. The guide explains how child fatalities differ from other types of homicide cases and offers specific guidelines for conducting the investigation, documenting the case, interrogating suspects, and testifying in court. (NCJ 209764) Full text of the report: PDF
Child Abuse: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention “Recognizing When a Child’s Injury or Illness Is Caused by Abuse” http://www.ncjrs.org/html/ojjdp/portable_guides/abuse_02/key.html#sids
Crimes Against Children: The Office of Community Oriented Policing (COPS) presents Child Pornography on the Internet. This guide describes the problem and reviews the factors that increase the risks of Internet child pornography. It then identifies a series of questions that may assist in the analysis of the problem and reviews responses based on evaluative research and police practice.
Child Protection: "Child Abductions," by David M. Allender, 76 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 7, pg. 1 (July 2007). "Child abductions pose one of the most critical offenses that law enforcement officers handle."
Child Protection: "Child Pornography Web Sites," by Wade Luders, 76 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 7, pg. 17 (July 2007). . "Awareness of techniques that online child pornographers use will assist investigators in combating this growing threat."
Guidelines: Interagency Panel on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome “Guidelines for Death Scene Investigation of Sudden, Unexplained Infant Deaths” http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/00042657.htm
Publication: AMBER Alert Best Practices Guide for Public Information Officers. This Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention guide describes the public information officer's (PIO's) job responsibilities and provides tips to maximize the PIO's effectiveness before, during, and after an AMBER Alert activation. It offers recommendations for helping law enforcement agencies achieve a smooth, rapid public warning activation program. (NCJ 212703)
Publication: Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children: What Do We Know and What Do We Do About It? NCJ 215733, December 2007, NIJ Report, by Jay Albanese Summary | PDF
Publication: Project ChildSafe (NCJ 204959), Bureau of Justice Assistance, June 2004. PDF or HTML Describes Project ChildSafe, a nationwide program that distributes free gun locks and teaches firearm owners how to safely handle and store their firearms. The project also helps local law enforcement agencies schedule firearm safety events in their communities. As of March 2004, Project ChildSafe had distributed more than 9 million safety kits in nearly 12,000 communities in 46 states.
Websites: Project Safe Childhood. U.S. Department of Justice. Project Safe Childhood aims to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. Among other resources, the website contains a guide available on-line, and a list of on-line publications.
Websites: National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse. A website of a National Center, established in 1985 by the National District Attorneys' Association as a program of the American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), which provides training, technical assistance and publications to prosecutors, investigators and allied criminal justice professionals on all aspects of criminal child abuse and exploitation.
Citizen Complants & Public Relations
Publication: Mediation Programs Mediating Citizen Complaints Against Police Officers: A Guide for Police and Community Leaders addresses the implementation, expectations, and evaluation of mediation programs. The mediation process focuses on solving problems by understanding the conflict and the stakeholders involved, not on placing blame. Mediation programs have been successful in settling disputes, but implementing them can be difficult. This Office of Community Oriented Policing Services guide by Samuel Walker, Carol Archbold, and Leigh Herbst examines how to deal with implementation obstacles and how to overcome police and citizen resistance to a mediation program. It also reviews a successful mediation process for communities considering developing a mediation program. Key issues, such as eligibility, cultural barriers, and creating a level playing field between the police and those involved in the conflict, are discussed. For availability and ordering information, contact the U.S. Department of Justice Response Center at 800-421-6770 or access the guide electronically. [PDF]
Publication: "Research for Practice, Factors That Influence Public Opinion of the Police," by Cheryl Maxson, Karen Hennigan, and David C. Sloane, National Institute of Justice, June 2003 (ASCII Text File) (PDF File).
Community Corrections & Policing
Article: "Community Policing, Exploring the Philosophy" by David M. Allender, 73 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 3, pgs. 18-27 (March 2004). [PDF] "Understanding the concept of community policing can help law enforcement agencies design and implement successful programs." Also available in .html format.
Community Corrections: Article: "Community Corrections and Community Policing," by David Leitenberger, Pete Semenyna, and Jeffrey B. Spelman, 72 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin No. 11, pgs. 20-23. [PDF] "A partnership between corrections and police officers can greatly enhance community supervision efforts."
Publication: Community Policing Beyond the Big Cities. National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice. [PDF] (November 2004). Can police and sheriffs in small cities and rural areas conduct community policing? This NIJ Research for Policy (NCJ 205946) discusses a study of eight law enforcement agencies in small cities and rural areas that have implemented a wide variety of problem-solving initiatives. Researchers identified five progressive stages of community policing. Community policing was most successful when officers worked closely with residents and other local partners to develop innovative approaches to solving local problems.
Publication: COPS POP Guide: Crimes Against Tourists by Ronald W. Glensor and Kenneth J. Peak (54 pgs. August 2004) [PDF] NCJ 206408 U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). This guide describes the problem of tourist crime and reviews the factors that contribute to it. It identifies a series of questions to help readers analyze their local problem and a number of measures that can be taken to address the problem.
Article: "On the Spot," by Laurence Miller. 75 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin Number 10, pg. 1 (October 2006). "With careful preparation, law enforcement officers may find that testifying in court does not have to be such a stressful consequence of their job." [PDF]
Conference: The National Center for Victims of Crime 1st National Conference, entitled "Forging Alliances - Building Leadership," will be held June 20-22, 2005 at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. According to its sponsors, it will feature more than 130 leading experts, 65 skill-building workshops, and opportunities to "forge alliances and build leadership." Topics will include human trafficking, victim confidentiality, high-tech stalking, criminal profiling, youth leadership to help crime victims, mass violence and community resilience, repeat rapes by undetected offenders, and the "neurobiology of trauma." For a detailed agenda, click here.
Crime Victims: The Office for Victims of Crime has released the 2008 Resource Guide for National Crime Victims' Rights Week, April 13-19, 2008. Developed to help communities promote awareness of victim services, the online guide includes camera-ready art files, public awareness posters, the 2008 theme DVD and screensaver, and more. The 2008 theme is "Justice for Victims, Justice for All." (NCJ 220102).
Crime Victim Services: "Learning About Victims of Crime: A Training Model for Victim Service Providers and Allied Professionals" (September 2003) This bulletin summarizes training initiatives at the Denver Victim Services 2000 project site, including training programs for allied professionals in faith communities, law enforcement settings, and judicial and other legal settings. For the full document in .PDF format, click here.
Crime Victim Services: A new online Directory of Crime Victim Services is searchable by location, type of victimization, agency type, or available services.
Crime Victims: Critical Response Vol. 4: Services to Hispanic Victims, New Products and Services. Critical Response, a newsletter created to assist law enforcement agencies in meeting the needs of crime victims, is a product of a grant funded by the Office for Victims of Crime, Office of Justice Programs, US Dept. of Justice. [PDF]
Crime Victims: The Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) has published What You Can Do If You Are a Victim of Crime. This brochure highlights victims’ rights, includes compensation and assistance programs, and lists national organizations that can help them find information or obtain referrals. The resource also can be customized with local contact information, including nearby victim resources, and printed on standard 8 ½- by 11-inch paper. This brochure is available online at http://www.ovc.gov/publications/factshts/whatyoucando/fs000301.pdf or by contacting the National Criminal Justice Reference Service at 800-851-3420.
Publications: Critical Response Newsletter Electronic version of the Fall 2006 issue of the Critical Response newsletter focusing on a wide range of victim-related issues, resources and training opportunities is available at http://www.theiacp.org/research/RCDCriticalResponse.htm.
Publication: Picking Up The Pieces: Your Rights and Responsibilities as a Crime Victim. Jim Petro, Attorney General, State of Ohio. 61 pgs. [PDF]
Publication: Resource Guide: 2004 National Crime Victims' Week: April 18-24, 2004. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime. Full guide also available in .PDF format (1.3 Megabyte file). Contents include victimization statistics, sample Public Service Announcements (PSAs) and speeches, special event ideas, contest guidelines, National Crime Victim Rights Week highlights on DVD, and camera-ready art files. To obtain the DVD and a CD with the camera-ready art, use the NCJRS Online Ordering System. Ask for NCJ 202045. (Free, but shipping may apply).
Publication: State Legislative Approaches to Funding for Victims' Services. (December 2003) [PDF] U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime. Discusses alternatives such as offender-based funding, funding through fees, state-facilitated funding by private citizens, and miscellaneous approaches including specialized taxes, special license plates, and sale of inmate arts and crafts.
Statistics: National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 2005 Presents estimates of national levels and rates of personal and property victimization for the year 2004. Rates and levels are provided for personal and property victimization by victim characteristics, type of crime, victim-offender relationship, use of weapons, and reporting to police. A special section is devoted to trends in victimization from 1993 to 2004. Estimates are from data collected using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), an ongoing survey of households that interviews about 76,000 persons in 42,000 households twice annually. Violent crimes included in the report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault (from the NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI's UCR program). Property crimes examined are burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft. Highlights include the following: The rate of violent crime dropped 9% from the period 2001-02 to the period 2003-04. During 2004, 22% of all violent crime incidents were committed by an armed offender; 6% by an offender with a firearm. Between 2001-02 and 2003-04 violent crime decreased 17% in the West, from 31 to 26 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. 9/05 NCJ 210674 (9/28/05) [PDF].
Criminal Justice Statistics & Information
Article: "Implementing a Cold Case Homicide Unit," by Vivian B. Lord, 74 FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, No. 2, pgs. 1-6. (February 2005). [PDF] [HTML] "Cold case homicides present unique challenges to the investigators attempting to solve them."
Chart: Revised U.S. Department of Justice Organization Chart, last updated 04/29/03. Includes links to on-line websites for major components.
Domestic Violence: Intimate Partner Violence. "NIJ researchers have examined the nature and effects of this crime, and whether the most common law-enforcement, court-ordered, and correctional interventions work. These web pages summarize key research findings, and links to other sources of information and assistance. " (September 25, 2007).
Native Americans: Census of Tribal Justice Agencies in Indian Country, 2002 Presents detailed information gathered on tribal law enforcement agencies, tribal courts and services, and criminal record systems from the 2002 Census of Tribal Justice Agencies in American Indian Jurisdictions. This project represents one of several components of BJS' on-going program to improve justice statistics and criminal history record information systems in Indian country. The report includes data on the number of law enforcement agencies and officers; characteristics of tribal courts and their caseloads; types of available criminal sanctions; and criminal justice statistics data collection and sharing capacity. The census collected data from nearly 350 tribes in the continental U.S. and is the first comprehensive effort to identify the range of justice agencies operating in tribal jurisdictions, the services those agencies provide, and the types of information systems maintained. Highlights include the following: 165 of the 314 responding tribes employed 1 or more full-time sworn officers with general arrest powers. An estimated 59% (188) of the 314 tribes had some form of judicial system. About 23% (71) of the responding tribes provided their own detention function. About two-thirds relied on local or county agencies to provide a jail or detention facility. 12/05 NCJ 205332. Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Report: U.S. Department of Justice Report on Investigation of the Easton, Pennsylvania Police Department pursuant to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 14141. (November 26, 2007).
Statistics: Campus Law Enforcement, 2004-05. Presents findings from a BJS survey of campus law enforcement agencies serving 4-year colleges and universities with 2,500 or more students. The survey covered the 2004-05 academic year and collected data from agencies using sworn police officers and those using only non-sworn security officers. The report compares law enforcement agencies serving public and private campuses by number and type of employees, screening methods used for hiring officers, training and education requirements for officers, agency functions, types of equipment, computers and information systems, special programs, and written policy directives. General campus characteristics, including crime statistics, are also summarized. Appendix tables include data from 2-year public colleges with an enrollment of 10,000 or more. Highlights include the following: Three-quarters of campus law enforcement agencies used sworn officers with full arrest powers. Nearly all campuses had 24-hour patrol, a 3-digit emergency number, and emergency blue-light phones. Among schools with 5,000 or more students, private campuses had more law enforcement employees per capita than public campuses. 02/08 NCJ 219374 Acrobat file (192K) | ASCII file (33K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 33K)
Statistics: State Court Processing of Domestic Violence Cases. Examines the processing of domestic violence (DV) and non-domestic violence (non-DV) cases filed in May 2002 in 15 large urban counties. The study compares the domestic and non-domestic offenses of sexual and aggravated assault on 11 prosecution, conviction, and sentencing outcome measures. Data are also presented regarding court issued protection orders, guilty plea versus trial convictions, and the demographic characteristics of domestic violence defendants. Highlights include the following: A third of violent felony defendants were charged with domestic violence. Prosecuted domestic sexual assault defendants had a higher overall conviction rate (98%) than prosecuted non-domestic sexual assault defendants (87%). Domestic aggravated assault defendants (54%) were less likely to be granted pretrial release than non-domestic aggravated assault defendants (62%). 02/08 NCJ 214993 Press release | Acrobat file (221K) | ASCII file (24K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 11K)
Statistics: Crime in the United States. Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report, covering the first half of 2007. FBI. January 7, 2008. Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the nation reported a decrease of 1.8 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention in the first half of 2007 when compared with figures reported for the first six months of 2006. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. The number of property crimes in the United States from January to June of 2007 decreased 2.6 percent when compared with data from the same time period in 2006. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2007 indicate that arson decreased 9.7 percent in the first half of the year when compared to 2006 figures for the same time period.
Statistics: Pretrial Release of Felony Defendants in State Courts. Presents findings on the pretrial release phase of the criminal justice process using data collected from a representative sample of felony cases filed in the 75 largest U.S. counties in May during even-numbered years from 1990 to 2004. It includes trends on pretrial release rates and the types of release used. Pretrial release rates are compared by arrest offense, demographic characteristics, and criminal history. Characteristics of released and detained defendants are also presented. Rates of pretrial misconduct including failure to appear and rearrest are presented by type of release, demographic characteristics, and criminal history. Highlights include the following: About 3 in 5 felony defendants in the 75 largest counties were released prior to the disposition of their case. Surety bond surpassed release on recognizance in 1998 as the most common type of pretrial release. Defendants on financial release were more likely to make all scheduled court appearances. 11/07 NCJ 214994 Acrobat file (201K) | ASCII file (37K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 23K)
Statistics: Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2007. Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It also provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools, school environments, and responses to violence and crime at school. Information was gathered from an array of sources including: - National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) (1992-2005) - School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (1995, 1991, 2001, 2003, and 2005) - Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005) - School Survey on Crime and Safety (1999-2000, 2003-04, and 2005-06) - School and Staffing Survey (1993-94, 1999-2000, and 2003-04) Highlights include the following: From July 1, 2005, through June 30, 2006, there were 35 school-associated violent deaths in elementary and secondary schools in the United States. In 2005-06, 78 percent of schools experienced one or more violent incidents of crime, 17 percent experienced one or more serious violent incidents, 46 percent experienced one or more thefts, and 68 percent experienced another type of crime. In 2005, approximately 6 percent of students ages 12-18 reported that they avoided school activities or one or more places in school because they thought someone might attack or harm them. 12/07 NCJ 219553 Press release | Acrobat file (1.8M) | ASCII file (214K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 178K)
Statistics: Unidentified Human Remains in the United States, 1980-2004. Examines the number of unidentified persons reported to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Death Index (NDI), by State, from 1980 to 2004. This report also looks at the number of unidentified human remains reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Unidentified Person File. It describes the characteristics by race and gender and the manner of death. Highlights include the following: Between 1980 and 2004, about 10,300 unidentified human remains were reported to the National Death Index (NDI). Almost three-quarters of unidentified persons were reported by 5 states; Arizona, California, Florida, New York, and Texas. Of the 2,900 National Crime Information Center records that contained data on the manner of death, 27% were ruled homicides; 12%, accidental deaths; 7%, natural causes; and 5%, suicides. The majority of unidentified persons were white (70%); blacks made up 15% of unidentified persons; and race could not be determined in 13% of the cases. 11/07 NCJ 219533 Acrobat file (201K) | ASCII file (7K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 4K)
Statistics: Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005. Presents the first findings from the law enforcement collection of the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP), which is the largest resource of information ever collected on arrest-related deaths. The report provides counts of all arrest-related deaths reported by State authorities in over 40 States, over a three-year period (2003-2005), by cause of death and characteristics of the deceased. It also includes all manners of death during an arrest, including homicides (both those by officers and other persons), suicides, alcohol or drug intoxication deaths, accidental injuries, and fatal medical problems. The report presents counts of deaths by cause for each State. Appendix tables provide details on the circumstances surrounding arrest-related deaths including the criminal offenses for which the arrest attempt was made; the use of weapons or other behavior by the arrest subject; and use of weapons and restraint devices by officers involved in the arrest. The report also presents comparative counts of law enforcement homicides from DCRP and counts of justifiable homicides by police, collected by the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide Reports program. Highlights include the following: Homicides by law enforcement officers made up 55% (1,095) of all deaths during arrests by State and local agencies. Eleven homicides were committed by other persons present at the scene. No other cause of death was reported half as often as homicide. Drug and alcohol intoxication accounted for 13% of all deaths, followed by suicides (12%), accidental injuries (7%), and illness or natural causes (6%). Three-quarters of the law enforcement homicides reported to DCRP involved arrests for a violent crime. Except for suicides (51%), violent offenders were involved in less than 30% of all other causes of death. Public-order offenders accounted for 8% of homicides, followed by property (4%) and drug offenders (2%). 10/07 NCJ 219534. For additional data, see Deaths in Custody Statistical Tables. Press release | Acrobat file (157K) | ASCII file (29K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 22K)
Statistics: Crime in the United States, 2006. The FBI's annual report of U.S. crime statistics.
Statistics: Bank Crime Statistics 2006. Compiled by the FBI (Feb. 2007).
Statistics: Contacts between Police and the Public, 2005, 04/07. NCJ 215243 Presents data on the nature and characteristics of contacts between residents of the U.S. and the police over a 12-month period. Findings are provided from a nationally representative survey of more than 60,000 residents age 16 or older. Detailed information is presented on face-to-face contacts with the police, including the reason for and outcome of the contact, resident opinion on police behavior during the contact, and whether police used or threatened to use force during the contact. The report provides demographic characteristics of residents involved in traffic stops and use of force incidents. The report also provides comparative analysis with prior survey findings. Highlights include the following: An estimated 19% of U.S. residents age 16 or older had a face-to-face contact with a police officer in 2005, a decrease from 21% of residents who had contact with police in 2002. Overall, about 9 out of 10 persons who had contact with police in 2005 felt police acted properly. Of the 43.5 million persons who had contact with police in 2005, an estimated 1.6% had force used or threatened against them during their most recent contact, a rate relatively unchanged from 2002 (1.5%).
Statistics: Compendium of Federal Justice Statistics, 2004 Presents national-level statistics describing characteristics of persons processed and the distribution of case processing outcomes at each major stage of the Federal criminal justice system. This annual report includes investigations by U.S. attorneys, prosecutions and declinations, pretrial release and detention, convictions and acquittals, sentencing, appeals, and correctional populations. New this year are statistics on fugitive investigations by the U.S. Marshals Service. This is an electronic only document. Highlights include the following: * During 2004, 126,878 suspects were arrested by Federal law enforcement agencies for violations of Federal law. *During 2004, U.S. Attorneys initiated criminal investigations involving 130,078 suspects, and they concluded their investigations of 128,518. * The number of offenders on community supervision increased by 29%, from 84,801 during 1990 to 108,976 during 2004. 12/06 NCJ 213476 Full report: Acrobat file (3M) ASCII file (185K) | Spreadsheets (zip format) (83K)
Statistics: Intimate Partner Violence in the U.S., by Shannan Catalano, Ph.D., Bureau of Justice Statistics Statistician. A report showing that the "intimate partner" violence rate has declined since 1993. In 1993, nonfatal intimate partner violence was 5.8 victimizations per 1,000 U.S. residents 12 years old and older. By 2004, the report states, this rate had fallen to 2.6 victimizations per 1,000 individuals. The report also states that the number of intimate partner homicide victims has declined since 1993, with 1,571 females murdered by intimates in 1993, compared to 1,159 during 2004, a 26 percent decline. The number of males murdered by partners during 1993 was 698, compared to 385 in 2004, a 45 percent decline. An intimate partner is defined in the report as a current or former spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend, or same-sex partner. The entire report is also available in .pdf format. 12/06.
Statistics: Hate Crime Statistics 2005. An Annual Report from the FBI. (10/16/2006). See also, summary press release.
Statistics: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2006. Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general public. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It also provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools, school environments, and responses to violence and crime at school. Data are drawn from several federally funded collections including the National Crime Victimization Survey, Youth Risk Behavior Survey, School Survey on Crime and Safety, and School and Staffing Survey. Information was gathered from an array of sources including: - National Crime Victimization Survey (1992-2004) - School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (1995, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005) - Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005) - School Survey on Crime and Safety (1999-2000 and 2003-04) - School and Staffing Survey (1993-94, 1999-2000, and 2003-04). Highlights include the following: * From July 1, 2004, through June 30, 2005, there were 21 homicides of school-age youth (ages 5 to 18) at school. * In 2003-04 teachers' reports of being threatened or attacked by students during the previous 12 months varied according to their school level. * The percentage of public schools experiencing one or more violent incidents increased between the 1999-2000 and 2003-04 school years, from 71 to 81 percent. 12/06 NCJ 214262 Press release | Acrobat file (1.6K) | ASCII file (199K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 158K)
Statistics: Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 2005. (10/30/2006). Annual report by the FBI. "Overall, the numbers this year fell from 2004: the number of officers killed by criminals dipped from 57 to 55; the number assaulted dropped by more than 1,800 (to 57,546, the lowest total since 2001); and the number killed accidentally decreased from 82 to 67 (the lowest total in six years)."
Statistics: Medical Examiners and Coroners' Offices, 2004. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Presents key findings from the 2004 Census of Medical Examiners and Coroners’ (ME/C) Offices. This special report describes the medicolegal investigation of death in the United States. It provides an overview of the personnel, budgets, and workload of these offices by type of office and size of jurisdiction. It also includes information on the number of unidentified human decedents handled by ME/C offices. The report examines record keeping practices and use of national databases for unidentified remains. Detailed data tables on topics covered in this report are available on the BJS website. Highlights include the following: About 2,000 medical examiners and coroners' (ME/C) offices provided death investigation services across the United States in 2004. In a typical year ME/C offices reported that they handled about 4,400 unidentified human decedents of which about 1,000 remained unidentified after one year. Nearly 1 million human death cases were referred in 2004; about 500,000 accepted. 06/07 NCJ 216756 Press release | Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2004. Reports the results of a biennial census of Federal agencies employing personnel with arrest and firearms authority. Using agency classifications, the report presents the number of officers working in the areas of police response and patrol, criminal investigation and enforcement, inspections, security and protection, court operations, and corrections, by agency and State, as of September 2004. Data on gender and race of officers are also included. Highlights include the following: Federal officers' duties included criminal investigation (38%), police response and patrol (21%), corrections and detention (16%), court operations (5%), and security and protection (4%). The combined officer employment of CBP and ICE in 2004 was 21% greater than the comparable combined totals of the INS, U.S. Customs Service, and Federal Protective Service in 2002. Women accounted for 16% of Federal officers in 2004. A third of Federal officers were members of a racial or ethnic minority in 2004. This included 17.7% who were Hispanic and Latino, and 11.4% who were black or African American. 08/06 NCJ 212750 Acrobat file (594K) | ASCII file (37K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 12K)
Statistics: Violent Felons in Large Urban Counties Presents data collected from a representative sample of felony cases that resulted in a felony conviction for a violent offense in 40 of the Nation's 75 largest counties. The study tracks cases for up to 1 year from the date of filing through final disposition. Defendants convicted of murder, rape, robbery, assault or other violent felonies are described in terms of demographic characteristics (gender, race, Hispanic origin, age), prior arrests and convictions, criminal justice status at time of arrest, type of pretrial release or detention, type of adjudication, and sentence received. Highlights include the following: Thirty-six percent of violent felons had an active criminal justice status at the time of their arrest. This included 18% on probation, 12% on release pending disposition of a prior case, and 75% of parole. A majority (56%) of violent felons had a prior conviction record. Thirty-eight percent had prior felony conviction and 15% had a previous conviction for a violent felony. Eighty-one percent of violent felons were sentenced to incarceration with 50% going to prison and 31% to jail. Nineteen percent received a probation term without incarceration. 8/06 NCJ 205289 Press release | Acrobat file (253K) | ASCII file (22K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 18K)
Statistics: Citizen Complaints about Police Use of Force. Presents data on citizen complaints about police use of force received by large, general purpose State and local law enforcement agencies as well as on complaint dispositions. Findings presented are from new questions on formal citizen complaints about police use of force added to the Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey. Detail is presented on the policies and procedures of large municipal police departments relating to the processing of citizen complaints and other administrative features. The report also discusses the limitations of complaints' data and the use of sustained complaints as a measure of police use of excessive force. Highlights include the following: During 2002 large State and local law enforcement agencies, representing 5% of agencies and 59% of officers, received a total of 26,556 citizen complaints about police use of force. About a third of all force complaints in 2002 were not sustained (34%). Twenty-five percent were unfounded, 23% resulted in officers being exonerated, and 8% were sustained. Using sustained force complaints as an indicator of excessive force results in an estimate of about 2,000 incidents of police use of excessive force among large agencies in 2002. 06/06 NCJ 210296 Press release | Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Characteristics of Drivers Stopped by Police, 2002. Presents data on the nature and characteristics of traffic stops, as collected in the 2002 Police Public Contact Survey, a supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey. Detailed demographic information is presented on the 16.8 million drivers stopped by police in 2002. The report provides statistics about various outcomes of traffic stops, including searches conducted by police, tickets issued to drivers stopped for speeding, arrests of stopped drivers, and police use of force during a traffic stop. The report also discusses the relevance of the survey findings to the issue of racial profiling and provides comparative analysis with prior survey findings. Highlights include the following: In 2002 an estimated 8.7% of drivers age 16 or older were stopped by police, representing nearly 17 million of the 193 million drivers in the United States. Among traffic stops of young male drivers in 2002, 11% were physically searched or had their vehicle searched by police. Among these young male drivers who were stopped, blacks (22%) and Hispanics (17%) were searched at higher rates than whites (8%). White drivers were more likely than both black and Hispanic drivers to be stopped by police for speeding. Subsequent to being stopped for speeding, blacks (78%) and Hispanics (85%) were more likely than whites (70%) to receive a ticket. 6/06 NCJ 211471 Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Background Checks for Firearm Transfers, 2004 U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics. Describes background checks for firearm transfers conducted in 2004. This annual report provides the number of applications checked by State points of contact, estimates of the number of applications checked by local agencies, the number of applications rejected, the reasons for rejection, and estimates of applications and rejections conducted by each type of approval system. It also provides information about appeals of rejected applications and arrests for falsified applications. The Firearm Inquiry Statistics Program, managed under the National Criminal History Improvement Program, is an ongoing data collection effort focusing on the procedures and statistics related to presale firearms background checks in selected States. Highlights include the following: Total applications for firearm transfers or permits increased 3.2% nationwide, from 7,831,000 in 2003 to 8,084,000 in 2004. In 2004 the rejection rate for applications checked by the FBI (1.4%) was lower than that for checks by State and local agencies (1.8%). A felony conviction or indictment was the most common reason for rejection during 2004 by State or local agencies (50%) and the FBI (38%). 10/05 NCJ 210117 Acrobat file (143K) | ASCII file (40K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 14K)
Statistics: State Court Processing of Domestic Violence Cases. Examines the processing of domestic violence (DV) and non-domestic violence (non-DV) cases filed in May 2002 in 15 large urban counties. The study compares the domestic and non-domestic offenses of sexual and aggravated assault on 11 prosecution, conviction, and sentencing outcome measures. Data are also presented regarding court issued protection orders, guilty plea versus trial convictions, and the demographic characteristics of domestic violence defendants. Highlights include the following: A third of violent felony defendants were charged with domestic violence. Prosecuted domestic sexual assault defendants had a higher overall conviction rate (98%) than prosecuted non-domestic sexual assault defendants (87%). Domestic aggravated assault defendants (54%) were less likely to be granted pretrial release than non-domestic aggravated assault defendants (62%). 02/08 NCJ 214993 Press release | Acrobat file (221K) | ASCII file (24K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 11K)
Statistics: Statutory Rape Known to Law Enforcement. U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. (August 2005). This Bulletin draws on data from the FBI's National Incident-Based Reporting System to provide a comprehensive look at the patterns of and response to statutory rape. Based on an analysis of reports from law enforcement agencies in 21 states for the years 1996 through 2000, this Bulletin characterizes victim and offender attributes and law enforcement's response to incidents of statutory rape. (NCJ 208803) [PDF]
Guide to Bureau of Justice Statistics Website: Guide to the BJS Website: Third Edition (December 2002). Reports on the latest updates and additions to materials on the U.S. Department of Justice BJS website. In addition to paper documents, BJS electronically publishes a variety of materials, including statistical graphics and spreadsheets on its website. This report, the third in a series, outlines all of the material available on the website, some not otherwise published. NCJ 187735. Available in PDF format or plain text ASCII format.
Publication: "Fighting Urban Crime: The Evolution of Federal-Local Collaboration" National Institute of Justice, 19 pages, December 2003. "Although rare before the mid-1980s, Federal-local law enforcement collaboration has grown rapidly as local police and prosecutors have worked closely with Federal authorities to address increased levels of drug trafficking and violent crime. This Research in Brief examines the rise of Federal-local collaboration, the various types of collaborations such as task forces and grant-funded programs, and the advantages collaboration offers both local and Federal authorities. Despite some observers' concerns about the 'federalization of crime,' most partnerships have been characterized by restraint, careful coordination, and shared operational leadership. Researchers found that collaboration has become institutionalized in many U.S. cities and is likely to expand in the future." PDF file. ASCII text file.
Publication: Intelligence-Led Policing: The New Intelligence Architecture presents key concepts in intelligence in law enforcement, including a succinct history, a summary of current issues, and an outline of what needs to be done in the future. U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance. (Sept. 2005). [PDF]
Publication: Toward Improved Criminal Justice Information Sharing: An Information Integration Planning Model by Laura Nichols. International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) 196 pgs. [PDF].
Report: Crime in the United States, 2001, annual FBI report (October 2002).
Report: "Intimate Partner Violence, 1993-2001". [PDF]. Reports on trends in intimate partner violence of persons age 12 or older in the United States using data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the FBI's Supplementary Homicide Reports. Murder and nonfatal violent crimes -- such as aggravated assault, simple assault, robbery, and rape/sexual assault -- are examined for male and female victims. This Crime Data Brief updates some of the data in Intimate Partner Violence, a more detailed report on this subject published in 2000. Highlights include the following: The number of violent crimes by intimate partners against females declined from 1993 to 2001. Intimate partner violence made up 20% of all nonfatal violent crime experienced by women in 2001. 1,247 women and 440 men were killed by an intimate partner in 2000. 02/03 NCJ 197838
Statistics: Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2002 Presents data collected from a representative sample of felony cases filed in the Nation's 75 largest counties during May 2002. The cases are tracked for up to one year to provide a complete overview of the processing of felony defendants from filing to disposition and sentencing. Data collected include current arrest charges, demographic characteristics, prior arrests and convictions, criminal justice status at arrest, type of pretrial release or detention, bail amount, court appearance record, adjudication outcome, and sentence received if convicted. This periodic report has been published biennially since 1990. Highlights include the following: Eighty-two percent of defendants were male, including 90% or more of those charged with rape (99%), a weapons offense (96%), murder (93%), or robbery (90%). The percentage of female defendants increased from 14% in 1990 to 18% in 1998 and has remained stable since then. An estimated 56,146 felony cases were filed in the State courts of the Nation's 75 largest counties during May 2002. 02/06 NCJ 210818 Acrobat file (1.2M) | ASCII file (74K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 64K)
Statistics: Hate Crimes Reported by Victims and Police. Provides information on the number of hate crimes reported to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and their characteristics. This BJS Special Report uses data from victims' reports to the NCVS from July 2000 through December 2003 and from police reports to the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program (UCR) in 2002 to describe characteristics of hate crimes. Information is provided on the motivations for hate crime as perceived by victims, the types of crimes which victims thought were hate-related, reasons for reporting or not reporting hate crimes to police, police response to victim's notification of a crime, the time and place at which hate crimes occurred and offenders' gender, race, age, relationship to the victim, use of weapons, and gang membership. Rates of hate crime are presented for victims by gender, race, ethnicity, age and other characteristics. The report also compares results from the NCVS and the UCR on motivations for hate crime, the types of crimes that involve hate, and the characteristics of victims and offenders. Highlights include the following: Most hate crimes described by victims accompanied violent crimes - a rape or other sexual assault, robbery, or assault (84%). In about half of hate crimes, the victim was threatened verbally or assaulted without either a weapon or an injury being involved. In 41% of hate victimizations reported to police, law enforcement was at the scene within 10 minutes. 11/05 NCJ 209911 Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Indicators of School Crime and Safety, 2005 Presents data on crime and safety at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and the National Center for Education Statistics, this annual report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It also provides the most current detailed statistical information on the nature of crime in schools, school environments, and responses to violence and crime at school. Information was gathered from an array of sources including: - National Crime Victimization Survey (1992-2003) - School Crime Supplement to the National Crime Victimization Survey (1995, 1999, 2001, and 2003) - Youth Risk Behavior Survey (1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 and 2003) - School Survey on Crime and Safety (2000) - School and Staffing Survey (1993-94 and 1999-2000). Highlights include the following: From July 1, 2001, through June 30, 2002, there were 17 homicides and 5 suicides of school-age youth (ages 5-19) at school. Annually, from 1999 through 2003, teachers were the victims of approximately 183,000 total nonfatal crimes at school, including 119,000 thefts and 65,000 violent crimes. In 1999-2000, about 54% of public schools took at least one serious disciplinary action against a student, amounting to about 1,163,000 actions. 11/05 NCJ 210697 Press release | Acrobat (.pdf) file (766 K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 121K)
Statistics: Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2004, annual report by the FBI. (November 21, 2005). The report indicates that 57 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty last year, losing their lives in 50 separate incidents in 22 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Data from 2, 5, and 10 years ago showed that the 57 officers murdered in the line of duty in 2004 were 5 more than the 52 officers feloniously killed in 2003, 6 more than the 51 officers murdered in 2000, but 17 fewer than the 74 officers slain in 1995. Nearly 10,500 local, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies submitted data regarding their officers who were killed or assaulted in 2004 to the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program.
A composite picture of the victim officers feloniously killed in 2004 showed that the average age was 39 and the average length of service in law enforcement was 12 years. Fifty-four of the victim officers were male. Forty-six officers were white, 10 were black, and 1 was Asian/Pacific Islander. Of the 57 officers feloniously slain last year, 17 were killed in arrest situations. Twelve officers were slain in ambush situations, 10 officers while investigating disturbance calls, 6 while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances, 6 during traffic stops or pursuits, 3 while involved in resolving hostage situations or other high-risk tactical situations, 2 officers were slain while handling mentally deranged individuals, and 1 while handling a prisoner. Offenders used firearms to kill 54 of the 57 victim officers. Of these 54 officers, 36 were slain with handguns, 13 with rifles, and 5 were killed with shotguns. Two officers were killed when they were intentionally hit by vehicles. One officer was killed by an individual with a knife.
In the South, the Nation’s most populous region, 27 officers were murdered in the line of duty, more than in any other region. Ten officers were slain in the Midwest, 9 in the West, and 8 in the Northeast. Three officers were slain in the U.S. Territories. The data that law enforcement agencies provided the FBI’s UCR Program showed that 58 alleged assailants were identified in connection with the 50 separate incidents that claimed the lives of the 57 law enforcement officers. All but one of the incidents in which law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in 2004 were cleared by arrest or exceptional means.
Eighty-two law enforcement officers were killed in accidents while performing their duties in 2004. Over half of the officers killed in accidents, 48, died as a result of automobile wrecks. Ten officers died of injuries sustained in motorcycle mishaps, and 10 were killed in traffic-related incidents, e.g., struck by vehicles while directing traffic, assisting motorists, or stopping traffic at roadblocks. Four officers were mistakenly shot, 3 died in aircraft accidents, 3 drowned, 1 officer fell to his death, and 3 were killed in other situations.
The Nation’s law enforcement agencies reported to the FBI’s UCR Program that 59,373 officers were assaulted during the performance of their duties, and 16,563 of those officers suffered injuries as a result of these attacks. Personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) were used in 80.1 percent of the attacks. Firearms were used in 3.6 percent, knives or cutting instruments in 1.9 percent. Other dangerous weapons were used in 14.5 percent of the attacks on officers.
Statistics: National Crime Victimization Survey, Bureau of Justice Statistics, September 2005 Presents estimates of national levels and rates of personal and property victimization for the year 2004. Rates and levels are provided for personal and property victimization by victim characteristics, type of crime, victim-offender relationship, use of weapons, and reporting to police. A special section is devoted to trends in victimization from 1993 to 2004. Estimates are from data collected using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), an ongoing survey of households that interviews about 76,000 persons in 42,000 households twice annually. Violent crimes included in the report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault (from the NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI's UCR program). Property crimes examined are burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft. Highlights include the following: The rate of violent crime dropped 9% from the period 2001-02 to the period 2003-04. During 2004, 22% of all violent crime incidents were committed by an armed offender; 6% by an offender with a firearm. Between 2001-02 and 2003-04 violent crime decreased 17% in the West, from 31 to 26 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. 9/05 NCJ 210674 (9/28/05) [PDF].
Statistics: Family Violence Statistics: Including Statistics on Strangers and Acquaintances. Compares family and nonfamily violence statistics from victimization through the different stages of the justice system. Family violence is defined as all types of violent crime committed by an offender who is related to the victim and includes spouse abuse, parental violence against a child, and violence among other family members. Nonfamily relationships used for comparison include boyfriends and girlfriends, friends and acquaintances, and strangers. Data are drawn from victimization surveys, official police statistics, State and Federal court statistics, and surveys of inmates in State prisons and local jails. Highlights include the following: * Family violence accounted for 11% of all reported and unreported violence between 1998 and 2002. * About 22% of murders in 2002 were family murders. * Of the nearly 500,000 men and women in State prisons for a violent crime in 1997, 15% were there for a violent crime against a family member. 6/05 NCJ 207846 Press release Full report: Acrobat file (1M) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 136K)
Statistics: Traffic Stop Data Collection Policies for State Police, 2004 Presents findings from the 2004 Survey of State Police Agencies which obtained data from State police agencies on their policies and procedures for collecting race and ethnicity data regarding motorists involved in traffic stops. The circumstances under which demographic data are collected for traffic-related contacts and violations are presented. The survey asked if the data collected were stored in an electronically accessible format. Findings are compared to those found during previous surveys conducted in 1999 and 2001. 6/05 NCJ 209156 Acrobat file (544K) | ASCII file (9K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 3K)
Statistics: Violence by Gang Members, 1993-2003 Provides estimates of the number and rate of violent crimes committed by offenders that victims perceived to be members of gangs based on the National Crime Victimization Survey data. This Crime Data Brief also presents information on demographic characteristics of the victims of violence by gang members such as race, age, and gender, and characteristics of the incident such as police notification and number of offenders. Trends in violence by gang members are also examined. 06/05 NCJ 208875 Acrobat file (91K) | ASCII file (4K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 4K)
Statistics: "Black Victims of Violent Crime." Presents findings about violent crime experienced by non-Hispanic blacks. Data on nonfatal violent victimization (rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault) are drawn from the National Crime Victimization Survey. Data on homicides are drawn from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s Supplementary Homicide Reports. Comparisons are made with the victimization experience of other racial/ethnic groups. Findings include violent victimization rates by victim characteristics. Also examined are crime characteristics, including weapon use, offender race, police reporting, and police response to violent crime incidents. Trends in violent victimization are also discussed. Highlights include the following: Blacks were victims of an estimated 805,000 nonfatal violent crimes and of about 8,000 homicides in 2005. Blacks accounted for 13% of the U.S. population in 2005, but were victims in 15% of all nonfatal violent crimes and nearly half of all homicides. During the 5-year period from 2001 to 2005, the average annual rate of nonfatal violent victimization against blacks was 29 victimizations per 1,000 persons age 12 or older. For whites the rate was 23 per 1,000, and for Hispanics, 24 per 1,000. 08/07 NCJ 214258 Press release | Acrobat file (216K) | ASCII file (22K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 21K)
Statistics: Crime in the U.S. 2004 preliminary report (January-June 2004) issued December 14, 2004 by the FBI [18 pgs. PDF].
Statistics: Crimes Against Persons Age 65 or Older, 1993-2002 Presents data from the National Crime Victimization Survey and the Uniform Crime Reports comparing crimes against persons age 65 or older with those in younger age groups. Crime rates are presented for murder, rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated and simple assault, purse snatching/pocket picking, household burglary, motor vehicle theft and property theft. The report describes trends in violent and property crime between 1993 and 2002. It discusses characteristics of the crimes, including injury to victims, self protective measures used, whether weapons were present, time and place of occurrence and victim-offender relationships. Crimes include both those reported to the police and those that were not reported. This report updates a previous report for the period 1992-1997. 01/05 NCJ 206154 Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Federal Tort Trials and Verdicts, 2002-03. Presents findings on jury and bench tort trials concluded in Federal district courts during fiscal years 2002-03. Analyzing public use data assembled by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and BJS, the report is the latest edition in a series on the topic of tort trials. Information includes the types of tort cases that proceed to trial, plaintiff win rates, case processing times, and estimated median damage awards. The report also describes the types of Federal jurisdiction in tort trial cases, the differences between tort bench and jury trials, and details about asbestos and non-asbestos product liability trials (1990 - 2003). The overall trends in tort trial litigation from 1970 to 2003 are also examined. Highlights include the following:* Plaintiffs won in 48% of tort trials terminated in U.S. district courts in 2002-03. Plaintiffs won less frequently in medical malpractice (37%) and product liability (34%) trials. * An estimated 9 out of 10 tort trials involved personal injury issues -- most frequently, product liability, motor vehicle (accident), marine, and medical malpractice cases. * Eighty-four percent of plaintiff winners received monetary damages with an estimated median award of $201,000. 08/05 NCJ 208713 Press release | Acrobat file (162K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 16K)
Statistics: State and Local Law Enforcement Training Academies, 2002 Presents data on personnel, facilities and resources, trainees, and training curricula of law enforcement academies in the United States, from the 2002 Census of Law Enforcement Training Academies. This is the first survey of training academies ever conducted by BJS. All academies that provide basic law enforcement training are included. Special topics include training related to terrorism, community policing, and racial profiling. Highlights include the following: Among basic law enforcement academy classes that completed training during 2002, an estimated 61,354 recruits started training and 53,302 (or 87%) successfully completed or graduated from their training program. Academies in 2002 employed about 12,200 full-time and 25,700 part-time trainers or instructors. The total expenditures of training academies during fiscal 2002 was an estimated $725.6 million, including $351.2 million among county, regional, or State academies, $299.4 million among city or municipal academies, and $75.1 million among college, university, or technical school academies. 1/05 NCJ 204030 Acrobat file (50K) | ASCII file (638K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 33K)
Statistics: Violent Victimization of College Students, 1995-2002. Examines the incidence of college student victimization and compares the findings to persons of similar ages in the general population. In addition, the report describes the extent to which student victimization occurs on campus and in off-campus locations and settings, as well as the involvement of alcohol and drugs in student victimizations. Highlights include the following: On average, from 1995 to 2002, comparing persons ages 18-24 - Male college students were twice as likely to be victims of overall violence than female students (80 versus 43 per 1,000). White students had somewhat higher rates of violent victimization than blacks and higher rates than students of other races (65 versus 52 and 37 per 1,000 respectively). For females, nonstudents were over 1.5 times more likely than college students to be a victim of a violent crime (71 versus 43 per 1,000). 01/05 NCJ 206836 Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Carjacking, 1993-2002 Presents data for carjackings that occurred in the United States between 1993 and 2002. Carjacking is defined as completed or attempted robbery of a motor vehicle by a stranger to the victim. It differs from other motor vehicle theft because the victim is present and the offender uses or threatens to use force. The report presents information on demographic characteristics of the victims such as race, gender, and income; and characteristics of the incident such as time and place of occurrence, weapon use, police reporting and whether the motor vehicle was recovered. Highlights include the following: Carjacking rates were higher on average during the first 5 years of the 1993-2002 period (2.1 per 10,000 persons each year) than during the last 5 years (1.3 per 10,000). Carjacking victimization rates were highest in urban areas, followed by suburban and rural areas. Ninety-three percent of carjackings occurred in cities or suburbs. A weapon was used in 74% of carjacking victimizations. Firearms were used in 45% of carjackings, knives in 11% and other weapons in 18%. 07/04 NCJ 205123 Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K)
Statistics: Contacts between Police and the Public: Findings from the 2002 National Survey. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Presents data on the nature and characteristics of contacts between residents of the U.S. and the police over a 12-month period. Findings are provided from a nationally representative survey of nearly 80,000 residents age 16 or older. Detailed information is presented on face-to-face contacts with the police, including the reason for and outcome of the contact, resident opinion on police behavior during the contact, and whether police used or threatened to use force during the contact. The report provides demographic characteristics of residents involved in traffic stops and use-of-force encounters and discusses the relevance of the survey findings to the issue of racial profiling. Highlights include the following: * About 25% of the 45.3 million persons with a face-to-face contact indicated the reason for the contact was to report a crime or other problem. * In 2002 about 1.3 million residents age 16 or older — 2.9% of the 45.3 million persons with contact — were arrested by police. * The likelihood of being stopped by police in 2002 did not differ significantly between white (8.7%), black (9.1%), and Hispanic (8.6%) drivers. * During the traffic stop, police were more likely to carry out some type of search on a black (10.2%) or Hispanic (11.4%) than a white (3.5%). 04/05 NCJ 207845 Acrobat file (886K) | ASCII file (62K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 25K)
Statistics: Crime and the Nation's Households, 2003, Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs. Presents national prevalence estimates for the percentage of households with one or more persons who were victimized by crime as measured by the National Crime Victimization Survey. Analyses provide household prevalence estimates for violent and property crimes and information on those households experiencing vandalism and intimate partner violence. Findings are presented by race and Hispanic origin, by region, by urban, suburban or rural location and by household size. Overall trends since 1994 are included. Comparisons with 2002 are made. Highlights include the following: * The percentage of households experiencing crimes, about 15%, did not change significantly between 2002 and 2003. * In 2003 about 3 in 1,000 households included a member victimized by an intimate partner, such as a spouse, ex-spouse, boyfriend, or girlfriend. * About 1 in every 26 households in 2003 were either burglarized or had a member age 12 or older who was victim of a violent crime committed by a stranger. (10/04) NCJ 206348 Press release | Acrobat file (337K) | ASCII file (34K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 60K).
Statistics: Criminal Victimization, 2002 Presents national levels and rates of personal and property victimization for the year 2002. Rates and levels are provided for personal and property victimization by victim characteristics, type of crime, victim-offender relationship, use of weapons, and reporting to police. A special section is devoted to trends in victimization from 1993 to 2002. Estimates are from data collected using the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), an ongoing survey of households that interviews about 76,000 persons in 42,000 households twice annually. Violent crimes included in the report are rape/sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault and simple assault (from the NCVS), and homicide (from the FBI's UCR program). Property crimes examined are burglary, motor vehicle theft, and property theft. Highlights include the following: Overall violent victimization and property crime rates in 2002 are the lowest recorded since the inception of the NCVS in 1973. The rate of violent crime dropped 21% from the period 1999-2000 to the period 2001-02. Reporting to the police increased from 43% of all violent crimes in 1993 to 49% in 2002; reporting of property crimes increased from 34% to 40%. (August 2003) NCJ 199994 Acrobat file (277K - PDF) | ASCII file (26K) Spreadsheets (zip format 52K)
Statistics: Crime in the United States, 2002, FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program Annual Report (October 27, 2003). Summary Press Release.
Statistics: Indicators of School Crime and Safety: 2003 Presents data on crime at school from the perspectives of students, teachers, principals, and the general population. A joint effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics and National Center for Education Statistics, the report examines crime occurring in school as well as on the way to and from school. It provides the most current detailed statistical information to inform on the nature of crime in schools. (October 2003) NCJ 201257. Press release | Full report (Acrobat file 987K)
Statistics: Federal Law Enforcement Officers, 2002 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, August 2003, NCJ 199995). Acrobat file (335K) (PDF) | ASCII file (40K) Spreadsheets (zip format 63K). Provides national data on Federal officers with authority to make arrests and carry firearms as of June 2002, based on a census of Federal agencies. Using agency classifications, the report presents the number of officers working in the areas of criminal investigation and enforcement, police patrol and response, security and protection, court operations, and corrections, by agency and State. Data on gender and race of officers are also included. Highlights include the following: Duties for Federal officers included criminal investigation (40%), police response and patrol (22%), corrections (18%), non-criminal investigation and inspection (14%), court operations (4%), and security and protection. INS (1,447) had the largest increase in number of officers. Next was the Veterans Health Administration (1,263), which continued its program to expand firearm authority to its entire police force, followed by the Customs Service (1,112) and BOP (748). Women accounted for 14.8% of Federal officers in 2002. Minority representation was 32.4% in 2002, up from 30.5% in 1998. Hispanic or Latino officers comprised 16.8% of officers in 2002, and African American or black officers, 11.7%.
Statistics: "Felony Defendants in Large Urban Counties, 2000" Bureau of Justice Statistics. Presents data collected from a representative sample of felony cases filed in 40 of the Nation's 75 largest counties during May 2000. The cases are tracked for up to one year to provide a complete overview of the processing of felony defendants. Data collected includes current arrest charges, demographic characteristics, prior arrests and convictions, criminal justice status at arrest, type of pretrial release or detention, bail amount, court appearance record, adjudication outcome, and sentence received if convicted. This periodic report is published every two years. Highlights include the following: Since 1990, the proportion of defendants charged with a violent offense has remained at about a fourth. Thirty-eight percent of all defendants were detained until court disposed of their case, including 7% who were denied bail. At the time of arrest, 35% of defendants had an active criminal justice status such as probation (14%), release pending disposition of a prior case (13%) or parole (6%). 12/03 NCJ 202021 Acrobat file [PDF] (335K) | ASCII file (40K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 63K)
Statistics: Preliminary Crime Statistics for 2003 [PDF] (May 24, 2004). This preliminary report of FBI crime statistics for 2003 finds that violent crime declined 3.2 percent in 2003 as compared to the data reported in 2002. Property crime remained relatively unchanged from the 2002 figure, showing a 0.1-percent decrease. The preliminary annual report is based upon information from law enforcement agencies that provided the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program with 6 to12 months of data in both 2002 and 2003. In total, 11,921 agencies met the criteria to be included in the preliminary report.
Statistics: Preliminary Uniform Crime Report, 2002. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program. Released June 16, 2003.
Statistics: Punitive Damage Awards in Large Counties, 200. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Presents findings on civil trials concluded in 2001 in the Nation's 75 largest counties that produced a punitive damage award. Information reported in numerical tables includes the types of civil cases receiving punitive damages, punitive damage award amounts, a comparison of punitive damages in bench and jury trials, and types of litigants in trials with punitive damages. In addition, information on plaintiff and defendant post-trial and appellate activity in civil trials with punitive damages is presented. Trends in punitive damage awards in civil jury trials during the 1992 and 2001 study periods are also described. This is an electronic only report. Highlights include the following: * Plaintiff winners received $50,000 or more in punitive damages in half of the estimated 356 civil trials concluded in 2001 with punitive damage awards. * Punitive damages exceeded compensatory awards in 39% of the 356 civil trails with punitive damages. * The type of tort cases in which plaintiff winners were most likely to receive punitive damages included slander/libel (58%), intentional torts (36%), and false arrest/imprisonment (26%) cases. 03/05 NCJ 208445 Acrobat file (521K) | ASCII file (7K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 13K)
Statistics: The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 2001 (April 2003). Visit Sourcebook Online (http://www.albany.edu/sourcebook) which is updated as new material becomes available. The Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics, 2001 presents a broad spectrum of criminal justice data from more than 100 sources in 6 sections: characteristics of the criminal justice systems, public attitudes toward crime and criminal justice topics, the nature and distribution of known offenses, characteristics and distribution of persons arrested, judicial processing of defendants, and persons under correctional supervision. Nearly all the data presented are nationwide in scope and, where possible, they are displayed by regions, states, and cities to increase their value for local decision-makers and for comparative analyses. The report includes over 600 tables, figures, subject index, annotated bibliography, technical appendixes with definitions and methodology, and list of source publishers and their addresses. Hindelang Criminal Justice Research Center. 04/03 To order: Printed copies are available for a postage and handling charge of $9.00 for U.S. buyers and $39.00 for buyers from Canada and other countries. NCJ 196438 A CD-ROM of the 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997-1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001 editions is available for a postage and handling charge of $9.00 for U.S. buyers and $39.00 for buyers from Canada and other countries. NCJ 197533.
Statistics: Reporting Crime to the Police, 1992-2000 (March 2003). This Special Report presents National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) data from 1992 to 2000 on non-lethal crimes against persons age 12 or older that were reported to police. The reporting of overall violent crime, serious violent crimes, and simple assaults increased from 1992 through 2000. In 2000 a total of 9.9 million crimes were reported to law enforcement authorities, according to NCVS estimates. Highlights include the following: Reporting to the police of rape/sexual assault and assault increased between 1992 and 2000. Violence against females was more likely to be reported than violence against males. Overall violent crime committed by strangers was reported to police at a higher percentage than was violent crime committed by non-strangers. 03/03 NCJ 195710 Acrobat file (PDF, 309K) | ASCII file (35K) | Spreadsheets (zip format 32K)
Statistics: "Hate Crime Statistics 2002" FBI Annual Report. Presents data regarding incidents, offenses, victims, and offenders in reported crimes that were motivated in whole or in part by a bias against the victim's perceived race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. November 12, 2003, 148 pgs. [PDF]
Statistics: "Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 2002." The FBI annually compiles data concerning the felonious and accidental line-of-duty deaths and assaults of law enforcement officers and presents these statistics in Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA). Tabular presentations include weapons used, use of body armor, and circumstances surrounding murders and assaults of officers. November 17, 2003, 112 pgs. [PDF]
Statistics: "Violent Victimization of College Students." Bureau of Justice Statistics. Examines the incidents of college student victimization and compares the findings to persons of similar age in the general population. In addition, the report determines the extent to which student victimization occurs in campus and off-campus locations and settings, as well as the prevalence of alcohol and drugs in student victimizations. Highlights include the following: For both whites and blacks, students were victims of violence overall at rates lower than those of non-students. Among women, except for rape/sexual assault for which there were no statistical differences, college students experienced crimes of violence at lower rates than those of nonstudents. Firearms were present in 9% of all violent crimes, 7% of assaults, and 30% of robberies against college students. 12/03 NCJ 196143 Press release | Acrobat file (335K) | ASCII file (40K) Spreadsheets (zip format 63K)
Statistics: Lauritsen, J.,. "How Families and Communities Influence Youth Victimization." 12 pgs. [PDF] Bulletin. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Released: December 15, 2003. Examines how individual, family, and community factors influence the risk for nonlethal violence among U.S. youth ages 12–17. Drawing on data from a special release of the National Crime Victimization Survey, this Juvenile Justice Bulletin studies risk factors among youth of different racial and ethnic groups and analyzes which risk factors are the most significant for understanding violent victimization. By examining the connection between such factors and the risk for violent victimization, the Bulletin shows that disadvantaged communities with high proportions of young people and single-parent families experience the greatest difficulty in protecting youth from victimization.
Statistics: "Crime and the Nation's Households," 2002 Presents findings for crimes, including vandalism and intimate partner violence. Data are presented by region, by urban, suburban or rural location and by household size. Overall trends since 1994 are also included. Highlights include the following: In 2002 a violent crime against a person age 12 or older occurred in 3% of U.S. households. In both 1994 and 2002, less than 1% of households included a member victimized by an intimate partner. About 5% of households were vandalized at least once during 2002. U.S. Department of Justice · Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Statistics 02/04 NCJ 201797 Acrobat file (255K) [PDF] | ASCII file (10K) Spreadsheets (zip format 16K)
Statistics: "Statistical Abstract of the United States 2003 Edition," U.S. Census Bureau (1030 pgs. Feb. 12. 2004). [PDF] (2001 and 2002 Editions also available online at the same location). 1995-2000 Editions. To order a print copy of the 2003 edition, click here.
Statistics: "Justice Expenditure and Employment in the United States, 2001." Provides selected data from the Census Bureau's Annual General Finance and Employment Surveys. Data presented include police protection, judicial and legal services, and corrections expenditure and employment for Federal, State, and local governments in 2001 and national trend data for 1982 to 2001. Expenditure data are provided for fiscal year 2001; employment and payroll data are for the month of March 2001. The report compares justice expenditure to spending for other governmental services and analyzes trends in justice spending and employment. It also presents per capita employment dat