Statistical Analysis Center - NIBRS

The State Justice Statistics (SJS) Program is designed to maintain and enhance each state's capacity to address criminal justice issues through collection and analysis of data. The SJS Program provides support to each state to coordinate and conduct statistical activities within the state, conduct research to estimate impacts of legislative and policy changes, and serve as a liaison in assisting BJS to gather data from respondent agencies within their states.

The Nebraska Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) is located in the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Since 2002 the SAC has been a part of the Information Services Division of the Crime Commission. This Division is charged with research and statistical activities as well as data integration and agency information technology. This includes the Uniform Crime Reporting section. Additionally, the Crime Commission is charged by statute with providing statistical support for community correction planning. Under the FY 2014 SJS program, the NE SAC will use funds to develop the groundwork for and carry out incident-based crime data research that is compatible with the National Incident-Based Reporting Systems (NIBRS). Historically, while the UCR Division of the Crime Commission has received NIBRS data from local agencies across the state, there was no capability in place to analyze this data so it was collapsed to summary level data and published in annual Crime in Nebraska reports. Approximately 39% of the state population is covered by NIBRS reporting agencies; the SAC will work with the NE State Patrol and Lincoln and Omaha Police Departments to encourage these agencies to transition to incident-based reporting which would improve the coverage to over 60% of the state population.

This project will allow the SAC to expand both the understanding of NIBRS as well as establish base reports for ongoing publication and use of these incident level data. In addition to publishing baseline reports (focused on juvenile crime, violent crime and domestic violence), the SAC will also assess the quality of the data both in terms of valid reporting by agencies as well as validation within the agency. (CA/NCF)