The National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is an incident-based reporting system used by local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to collect and report crime data.
In existence since 1988, NIBRS has grown into a powerful digital tool for law enforcement. Unlike the Summary Reporting System (SRS) in use since the 1920s, NIBRS offers the ability to report a greater number of offenses and in greater detail.
NIBRS captures details on each single crime incident, separate offenses associated with the same incident, victims, known offenders, relationships between them, as well as arrests made, location, time of day, and whether the incident was cleared. All this leads to more robust, accurate crime statistics.
That’s why beginning January 1, 2021, the FBI will retire SRS and begin collecting crime statistics only through NIBRS, making it a truly national database for crime statistics in the United States.
While the FBI is working closely with law enforcement agencies to ensure they are ready for the change before the deadline, law enforcement executives naturally have a lot of questions about what a move to NIBRS means for their agencies.
Here’s a list of the best online resources to help you understand your NIBRS data collection, submission, and accuracy requirements.
Collecting NIBRS Data
- What’s the Hype Behind NIBRS?
- NIBRS Data Collection Guidelines
- Examining National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) Data: Perspectives From a Quarter Century of Analysis Efforts
- How to Achieve NIBRS Compliance Without Disrupting Your Department
Submitting NIBRS Data
- NIBRS Data Submission Specifications
- Acquiring a NIBRS RMS
- Handbook for Acquiring a Records Management System (RMS) That is Compatible with the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS)
- Mark43 Stat Reporting
