Robbery is an offense that is reported to the FBI through the UCR program, and demographic information is only tracked in the UCR system for arrested robbery …show more content…
First, the UCR only receives reports for the most serious offense even if multiple offenses occur during a criminal act. For instance, in the event of a robbery at a convenience store occurs and the assailant rapes the female cashier the only offense that will be reported to the UCR is the rape because it is considered a more serious crime. Another flaw with UCR is that only with crimes involving murder or rape is demographic information recorded unless there is an arrest. The demographic information regarding the victim and the perpetrator should be compiled in the UCR reports in order to have a more accurate depiction of crimes, victims, and potential assailant’s characteristics. This type of demographic information may help researchers, policy makers, and social programs find preemptive solutions to the criminal justice bombardment that we are currently experiencing. In addition, the UCR program does not take into account white-collar crimes, which are increasingly becoming a significant issue in our society. A major problem that occurs with the UCR reporting process is that statistical information is voluntary, and may be submitted manually or electronically. Some agencies continue to report crime statistics to the FBI manually due to lack of funding for technological updates; however, other law enforcement agencies alter the crime reports they submit to reflect a lower crime rate so the community perception is positive. Since the UCR generates reports on crimes that have been reported, many crimes that are not reported, but still occur are not accounted for in the crime rate statistical information. Therefore, the data regarding crime rates is not as reliable as many politicians, law enforcement agencies, and citizens