IRE and NICAR offer resources for journalists who want to use data to probe law enforcement and crime.
"Understanding Crime Statistics: A Reporter's Guide," by Kurt Silver is an IRE Beat Book that provides detailed guidance for analyzing crime report databases. The book covers use of the FBI's Uniform Crime Report data and the National Crime Victimization Survey. Order the book online at www.ire.org/store/books/crime.html or call 573-882-3364.
Journalists can purchase Uniform Crime Report and U.S. campus crime data from the Database Library. UCR data includes data on index crimes – murder, non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny-theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson – by law enforcement agency, and detailed information about homicides. For more information see www.nicar.org/data/fbi. The Database Library has the data for 1980, 1990 and 1993-2002.
The campus crime data from the U.S. Department of Education contains information about alleged criminal incidents reported to campus or local law enforcement agencies. The data covers 2001-02 and includes data about arrests that result in campus disciplinary proceedings. For more information see www.ire.org/datalibrary/databases/campus.
Contact the Database Library at 573-884-7711 or 573-884-7332 to order the data.
Tipsheet No. 1196 by journalists from The Philadelphia Inquirer provides advice for using the Uniform Crime Report data to examine whether police are underreporting rapes.
John Archibald of The Birmingham News lists resources for journalists who want to use crime and justice data for looking at law enforcement (Tipsheet No. 2056).
Karisa King of the San Antonio Express-News provides guidance for examining traffic stop data to detect possible racial disparities. (Tipsheet No. 2094).
Order tipsheets by contacting the IRE Resource Center at 573-882-3364 or rescntr@ire.org.