Increasing Access to Statistical Data in Tennessee – SJS FY 2018

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 Tennessee Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) located within the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), was established by Executive Order and mandated by legislation to act as a clearinghouse for statewide criminal justice statistics and to operate the statewide Uniform Crime Reporting Program. The broad goals of the SAC are: 1) act as a central coordination point for federal support, with technical assistance available to help criminal justice agencies in the statistical analysis process; 2) coordinate the flow and exchange of information statistics for all criminal justice agencies in the state; 3) locate, utilize, and coordinate resource personnel to provide expertise to criminal justice agencies on developments in criminal justice statistics and to assist these agencies in the development of public policy; and, 4) continue to design, create, and coordinate the development and management of databases for statistical information for both state and local criminal justice agencies and policymakers to improve the decision making process. The SAC continues to operate under the supervision of a Director with assistance from eight support specialists from TBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Support Center.

Under this award, the Tennessee Statistical Analysis Center (SAC) will conduct activities under the following Core Capacity area: Increasing access to statistical data. The two main goals of the proposal are to (1) Build capacity of TnCrimeonline system to process, analyze and disseminate crime data to positively impact statewide policing, legislation, and education, and (2) Build the capacity of the Tennessee Incident-Based Reporting System (TIBRS) to process, analyze and comply with the FBI’s National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) data reporting requirements and improve the quality of data reported on CrimeInsight. Three key projects will be implemented to address the state’s needs. The first project involves enhancing TBI’s new crime website, the Theme Oriented Public Site (TOPS), by providing additional online analytic capabilities for new data topics collected through CrimeInsight, the new TIBRS repository. The second project will involve improving the quality and usage of data available and easing the burden of local law enforcement when multiple Group B incident arrests are made. To ensure continuity and the on-going success of TBI’s statistical work, the SAC plans to conduct in-depth collaborative trainings for its leaders under the third project. Anticipated deliverables include three new themes (hate crimes, LEOKA, and use of force) being added to the TOPS website and adding the capability to report multiple Group B incidences on the TnCOP portal.

Funding is also being requested for the SAC Director and CJIS Supervisor to travel to attend the JRSA fall and spring meetings in 2019.

(CA/NCF)