Why National Crime Statistics Are Important

1. Predictive Policing
Crime statistics can be a tool in helping criminal justice professionals anticipate increased risk of crime. This can be followed up by law enforcement intervention to prevent the predicted crimes from occurring. The predictive policing data can help focus on a specific area and allow police resources to be used more effectively. However, the predictive value of crime statistics is debatable and still needs refinement. There have been several pilot projects using crime statistics to predict future crime, but the results have been inconclusive². The goal is that with more work, crime statistics will become a tool to help decrease future crimes.

2. Improving Community Relations
Although statistics can’t be reliably used for predicting crime right now, national crime data is an excellent tool in helping to improve relations with the community. Making crime data public increases transparency. While it can open criminal justice professionals to scrutiny, it also allows for a dialogue between law enforcement and the public they serve. As with any other government agency, the public deserves to be informed about how well police are protecting the community³. Sharing crime statistics with the public increases trust in police and creates good working relationships.

3. Budget Formation
Budgets are a crucial part of law enforcement at the local, state, and federal levels. Making sure enough money is allocated to the right locations and programs can make a big difference in keeping communities safe. Crime statistics are important in creating accurate budgets⁴. They can show where more resources are needed, as well as where fewer resources are needed as a community grows safer. Without statistics, it would be impossible to create appropriate law enforcement budgets.

4. Resource Allocation
Beyond just budgets, crime statistics are important in broader law enforcement resource allocation. For example, the data can be used to help determine which programs or communities will receive criminal justice grants. Crime statistics can also be used to determine where or when police officers will patrol based on areas or times that see higher crime⁵. While not going as far as predicting where crime will occur, the statistics do make it easier for criminal justice professionals to deploy their limited financial and personnel resources.

5. Initiative Assessment
Law enforcement initiatives are created to decrease crime. Crime statistics are important in determining whether these initiatives are working, or if changes are needed⁶. The data can show if crime is going up or down in the areas targeted. This can help criminal justice professionals understand whether their initiatives are successful.