The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program is a nationwide cooperative effort of over 16,000 city, county and state law enforcement agencies voluntarily reporting data on crime brought to their attention. The monthly contributions of Maine's 150 law enforcement agencies represent the initial step in establishing an efficient statewide criminal justice information system (CJIS). Ideally, the UCR data will eventually merge with that of the other major components of the criminal justice system (i.e., prosecutors, courts, corrections) to form an integrated system for the exchange of vital management information. The availability of such data will allow for the provision of complete and timely criminal histories of offenders and their progress through the criminal justice system.
Since July 1973, the State Police have administered the program as a statewide, uniform method of collecting statistics on crime as it is reported to law enforcement and producing a reliable set of criminal statistics for use in law enforcement administration, operation and management. Additionally, Maine's statistics are forwarded monthly to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for inclusion in the annual Crime in the U.S. Report.
Over the years the UCR data has become one of Maine's and America's leading social indicators. Maine's citizens look to UCR as the primary information source on the nature and extent of crime, while criminologists, sociologists, legislators, state and local planners, the media and academicians use the statistics for wide and varied research and planning purposes.
Related Links
- Maine Statistical Analysis Center
- Association of State Uniform Crime Reporting Programs (ASUCRP)
- Maine Public Crash Data
- FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting
- Crime Data Explorer
