U.S. Department of Justice

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook

Revised 2004

EDITORIAL NOTE: The Uniform Crime Reporting 

(UCR) Program staff of the FBI worked for over three years on the 

revision of the UCR handbook. Individuals from the various units 

that make up the national UCR Program read, reviewed, and made 

suggestions during this long endeavor. Our goal was to make the 

handbook user friendly as well as educationally sound. From a 

pedagogical standpoint, we tried to present one concept at a time 

and not overwhelm the user with too much information at once. 

Consequently, classifying and scoring are presented in two separate 

chapters. The user can learn first how to classify the Part I offenses 

and then how to score them. For easy reference, we consolidated 

explanations of important UCR concepts, such as jurisdiction, 

hierarchy, and separation of time and place, in one chapter. We 

retained many of the examples with which users are already 

familiar, and we also updated many of the examples so they better 

reflect the American society of the twenty-first century. Further, 

where possible, we tried to align summary and National IncidentBased Reporting System (NIBRS) ideas and definitions to help 

emphasize that summary and NIBRS are part of the same UCR 

Program. Listening to suggestions from users of this manual, we 

added an Index as a quick-reference aid and a Glossary; however, 

we were cautious to retain standard UCR definitions.

The national UCR Program thanks the many substance reviewers from various state UCR Programs for their time and for their 

constructive comments. These suggestions were invaluable to the 

completion of this project; we recognize that the state Programs 

and their participating agencies and their considerable efforts in 

data collection and reporting are the foundation of a successful 

national Program.
FOREWORD

The Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program has expanded in scope, importance, and size since 

its inception over seven decades ago. The Program began with law enforcement agencies in 400 

cities from 43 states submitting crime data in January 1930 and now encompasses approximately 

17,000 law enforcement agencies nationwide that voluntarily contribute their crime statistics. 

Without the support of these city, county, state, tribal, and federal agencies, the Program could 

not fulfill its mission to generate a reliable set of crime statistics for use in law enforcement 

administration, operation, and management. To ensure the best reporting possible, the UCR staff 

developed, and has further revised, this handbook to assist participating agencies in understanding 

and completing monthly and annual reporting forms. It is of the utmost importance that administrators, as well as those persons bearing responsibility for preparing the reports, have a thorough 

understanding of information contained in this handbook. The completeness and accuracy of 

each agency’s crime reporting is crucial to a wide variety of data users so that they can understand 

crime, formulate policies, make strategic and operational decisions, and conduct criminological 

research and analysis.

Inquiries concerning UCR may be addressed to:

Uniform Crime Reporting Program

Federal Bureau of Investigation

1000 Custer Hollow Road

Clarksburg, WV 26306

(888) UCR-NIBR/(888) 827-6427

Additional copies of this handbook are available upon request. The handbook is also published on 

the FBI’s Web site at <www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm>.
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001

Total

Sale/Manufacturing

Possession

Uniform

Crime

Reports

Uniform

Crime

Reports

1985 1986 1987 1988 1989

50,000

250,000

450,000

650,000

850,000

1,050,000

1,250,000

1,450,000

1,650,000

City, County, 

State, Tribal, and 

Federal 

Law Enforcement 

Agencies 

UCR

State

Programs

UCR Publications & 

Special Compilations 

Law

Enforcement

Legislators 

Academia

Judiciary 

Researchers 

Crime in the 

United States 

Uniform Crime Reports Hate Crime

Statistics 

0 

10 

20 

30 

40 

50 

60 

70 

Law Enforcement 

Officers Killed 

and Assaulted 

Media

Protect 

Serve 

DirectSubmission
Contents

INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Uniform Crime Reporting Program Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Historical Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

The National Incident-Based Reporting System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Advisory Groups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Quality Assurance Review . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

State UCR Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Non-Program States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Law Enforcement Data Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

CHAPTER I—GENERAL INFORMATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Classifying and Scoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Offenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Jurisdiction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Hierarchy Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Separation of Time and Place Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

CHAPTER II—CLASSIFYING OFFENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

CRIMINAL HOMICIDE (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Justifiable Homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

FORCIBLE RAPE (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Forcible Rape—Rape by Force (2a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Forcible Rape—Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

ROBBERY (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Robbery—Firearm (3a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Robbery—Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc. (3d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

AGGRAVATED ASSAULT (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24

Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Aids to Classifying Assaults . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

BURGLARY—BREAKING OR ENTERING (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Hotel Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29

Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30

Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

LARCENY-THEFT (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

Pocket-picking (6Xa) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Purse-snatching (6Xb) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Shoplifting (6Xc) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32

Theft From Motor Vehicles (Except Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories) (6Xd) . . . . . . . . . .33

Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories (6Xe) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .33

Theft of Bicycles (6Xf) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Theft From Buildings (6Xg) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

Theft From Coin-operated Device or Machine (6Xh) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34

All Other Larceny-theft Not Specifically Classified (6Xi) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

ARSON (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Arson—Structural (8a–g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

Arson—Mobile (8h–i) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Arson—Other (8j) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38

Cautions In Classifying Arson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 v
Contents—continued

CHAPTER III—SCORING OFFENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Crimes Against the Person Versus Crimes Against Property . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Scoring Offenses on the Return A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

CRIMINAL HOMICIDE (1) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

Justifiable Homicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44

Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

FORCIBLE RAPE (2) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46

Forcible Rape—Rape by Force (2a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .47

Forcible Rape—Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

ROBBERY (3) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48

Robbery—Firearm (3a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .49

Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50

Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51

Robbery—Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc. (3d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52

ASSAULT (4) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53

Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

Assault—Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

BURGLARY—BREAKING OR ENTERING (5) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Hotel Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62

Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64

Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

LARCENY-THEFT (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68

Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70

ARSON (8) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Arson—Structural (8a–g) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Arson—Mobile (8h–i) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

Arson—Other (8j) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74

CHAPTER IV—MONTHLY REPORTING FORMS AND THEIR PREPARATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

RETURN A—MONTHLY RETURN OF OFFENSES KNOWN TO THE POLICE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

SUPPLEMENT TO RETURN A . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

MONTHLY RETURN OF ARSON OFFENSES KNOWN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT . . . . . . . . . . . . .94

AGE, SEX, AND RACE (ASR) OF PERSONS ARRESTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96

Police Disposition Of Juveniles (Not Including Neglect Or Traffic Cases) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

SUPPLEMENTARY HOMICIDE REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED OR ASSAULTED (Form 1-705) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

ANALYSIS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED AND ASSAULTED (Form 1-701) . . . .110

HATE CRIME INCIDENT REPORT AND QUARTERLY HATE CRIME REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . .118

LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYEES REPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .127

CHAPTER V—OTHER UCR PROGRAM FORMS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

SUPPLY REQUEST . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

TALLY BOOK: RETURN A AND SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF OFFENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .131

TALLY SHEET FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED OR ASSAULTED . . . . . . . . . . . .134

TALLY SHEET, AGE, SEX, AND RACE OF PERSONS ARRESTED . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134

LAW ENFORCEMENT RECORDS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .135

CHAPTER VI—PART II OFFENSES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .139

GLOSSARY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .149

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .154

vi Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
INTRODUCTION

Uniform crime reporting is a collective effort on the part of city, county, state, tribal, and federal 

law enforcement agencies to present a nationwide view of crime. Agencies throughout the country 

participating in the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program provide summarized reports on eight 

Part I offenses known to law enforcement and reports on persons arrested. They also provide information about law enforcement officers killed and assaulted and on hate crime. For the most part, 

agencies submit crime reports monthly to a centralized crime records facility within their state. The 

state UCR Program then forwards the data, using uniform offense definitions, to the FBI’s national 

UCR Program. Agencies in states that do not have a state Program submit their statistics directly to 

the national Program. The FBI provides report forms, tally sheets, tally books, and self-addressed 

envelopes to these direct contributors (local agencies that do not have the benefit of a state Program). 

The FBI compiles, publishes, and distributes the data to participating agencies, state UCR Programs, 

and others interested in the Nation’s crime data.

Uniform Crime Reporting Program Publications

The culmination of this national data collection effort is three annual publications: Crime in the 

United States, Hate Crime Statistics, and Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, all of which 

have become sources of data widely used by law enforcement administrators, government policy 

makers, social science researchers, the media, and private citizens. Additionally, UCR data are often 

considered by the federal government in administering law enforcement grants.

The FBI publishes crime data through various Uniform Crime Reports. Twice a year, the 

national UCR Program publishes reports in the Preliminary Semiannual Uniform Crime Report and 

Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report, which provide the percent change of the Part I offenses 

from the previous reporting period to the current one for population groups and geographical regions. 

These reports also present the number of crimes reported by agencies with 100,000 and more resident 

population. The annual publication, Crime in the United States, is a detailed report of offense and 

arrest data. It also provides data concerning the number of law enforcement employees and includes 

analytical studies of particular interest to law enforcement and the public. The UCR state Programs 

also publish data that they collect, including not only UCR statistics, but also data collected that 

specifically pertain to the individual states they represent.

The annual publication Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted provides detailed information on local, state, tribal, and federal officers killed and assaulted in the line of duty, circumstances surrounding the incidents, type of assignments, weapons used, etc. The book also includes 

trend data for states and geographic regions. Once a year, the FBI publishes a press release that 

provides preliminary data on law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty. 

The FBI also annually publishes Hate Crime Statistics. This book includes data on criminal 

offenses committed against persons, property, or society that are motivated, in whole or in part, by the 

offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 1
Historical Background

Recognizing a need for national crime statistics, the International Association of Chiefs of Police 

(IACP) formed the Committee on Uniform Crime Records in 1927 to develop a system for collecting uniform police statistics. The Committee first determined that the number of offenses known to 

law enforcement, whether or not there was an arrest, would be the most appropriate measure of the 

Nation’s criminality. Next, the members evaluated various crimes on the basis of their seriousness, 

frequency of occurrence, pervasiveness in all geographic areas of the country, and likelihood of being 

reported to law enforcement. Based on this assessment, the Committee identified seven crimes to be 

reported to the national Program: felonious homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary— 

breaking or entering, larceny-theft, and auto theft. From the beginning, the Committee realized that 

the differences among criminal codes precluded a mere aggregation of state statistics to arrive at a 

national total. Further, because of the variances in punishment for the same offenses in different state 

codes, no distinction between felony and misdemeanor crimes was possible. To avoid these problems and provide nationwide uniformity in crime reporting, the Committee formulated standardized 

offense definitions by which law enforcement agencies were to submit data without regard for local 

statutes. 

The culmination of the Committee’s work was the publication in 1929 of Uniform Crime 

Reporting, a complete manual for police records and statistics. The manual established uniform 

definitions for Part I and Part II crimes and described procedures for completing the Return A, 

Monthly Return of Offenses Known to the Police. During that year, law enforcement agencies in 400 

cities from 43 states and the territories of Puerto Rico, Alaska, and Hawaii submitted statistics to the 

IACP, which subsequently published the first monthly Uniform Crime Reports for the United States 

and Its Possessions. The pamphlet consisted of one table, “Number of Offenses Known to the Police: 

January 1930.”

. . . the FBI assumed 

responsibility 

for managing the 

UCR Program in 

September 1930.

At the urging of the IACP, Congress enacted legislation in 1930 

authorizing the Attorney General to gather crime information. The 

Attorney General, in turn, designated the FBI to serve as the national 

clearinghouse for the data collected, and the FBI assumed responsibility 

for managing the UCR Program in September 1930. 

Over the years, the scope of the UCR Program expanded in response to suggestions from law 

enforcement advisory groups or to comply with federal mandates. For example, agencies began 

contributing data on the age, sex, and race of arrestees in 1952. In 1958, upon the recommendation 

of the Committee on Uniform Crime Reporting, the FBI incorporated the concept of a national Crime 

Index, the total of six Part I offenses and larceny over $50, to serve as a general indicator of criminality. Crime in the United States, 1960, presented the first full year of reporting for the 50 states, 

including the new states Alaska and Hawaii. Also in 1960, the UCR Program first collected national 

statistics on law enforcement officers killed. In 1962, the Program published the Supplementary 

Homicide Report (SHR). For the first time, national data were available concerning the age, sex, and 

race of murder victims, the weapon used, and the circumstances surrounding the offense.

Changes to the Program over the next three decades included collecting comprehensive data 

regarding law enforcement officers killed and assaulted, arson, and crimes motivated by bias. In 

1972, the UCR Program began gathering specific information on incidents in which officers were 

killed or assaulted. In 1978, Congress mandated the collection of arson data and, in 1982, directed 

the FBI to permanently count arson as a Part I offense. Beginning in 1980, the Office of Management 

2 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
and Budget (OMB) authorized the FBI to collect ethnic origin data regarding persons arrested. The 

UCR Program collected ethnicity data until 1987, when the OMB’s authorization expired. Following 

passage of the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990 (the Act), the UCR Program began collecting the 

additional variable of bias motivation in incidents in which the offense resulted in whole or in part 

because of the offender’s prejudice against a race, religion, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national 

origin. In 1994, Congress amended the Act to include bias against physical or mental disability.

The National Incident-Based Reporting System

By the 1980s, law enforcement was calling for a complete overhaul and modernization of the UCR 

Program. At a conference on the future of UCR, which was held in Elkridge, Maryland, in 1984, participants began developing a national data collection system that would gather information about each 

crime incident. By the end of the decade, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) 

was operational. NIBRS collects data on each incident and arrest within 22 offense categories made 

up of 46 specific crimes called Group A offenses. For each incident known to police within these 

categories, law enforcement collects administrative, offense, victim, property, offender, and arrestee 

information. In addition to the Group A offenses, there are 11 Group B offenses for which only arrest 

data are collected. The intent of NIBRS is to take advantage of available crime data maintained in 

modern law enforcement records systems. Providing considerably more detail, NIBRS yields richer 

and more meaningful data than those produced by the traditional summary UCR system. The conference attendees recommended that the implementation of national incident-based reporting proceed at 

a pace commensurate with the resources and limitations of contributing law enforcement agencies.

Advisory Groups

Providing vital links between local law enforcement and the FBI in the conduct of the UCR 

Program are the Criminal Justice Information Systems Committees of the IACP and the National 

Sheriffs’Association (NSA). The IACP, as it has since the Program began, represents the thousands 

of police departments nationwide. The NSA encourages sheriffs throughout the country to participate 

fully in the Program. Both committees serve in advisory capacities concerning the UCR Program’s 

operation.

In 1988, a Data Providers’Advisory Policy Board was established. That Board operated until

1993 when it combined with the National Crime Information Center Advisory Policy Board to form

a single Advisory Policy Board (APB) to address all FBI criminal justice information services. The

current APB advises the FBI concerning UCR policy and procedures. The UCR Subcommittee of the

APB ensures continuing emphasis on UCR-related issues. The Association of State Uniform Crime

Reporting Programs focuses on UCR issues within individual state law enforcement associations and

also promotes interest in the UCR Program. These organizations foster widespread and responsible use

of uniform crime statistics and lend assistance to data contributors when needed.

Quality Assurance Review

The UCR Quality Assurance Review (QAR) is available to state UCR Programs on a voluntary 

basis as part of the FBI’s triennial audit of states’ criminal justice information systems. The purpose 

of the QAR is to ensure that each state UCR Program adheres to summary and incident-based reporting methods that are consistent with UCR standards in order to achieve uniform crime reporting 

nationwide. In 2001, the QAR incorporated a statistical sampling methodology to select records 

for data quality review and to project the number of discrepant crime reports a state UCR Program 

submits to the national UCR Program. The QAR can then make suggestions to improve a local or 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 3
state agency’s reporting practices. The national Program encourages state UCR Programs to avail 

themselves of the opportunity to assess the integrity of their data and to receive assistance in complying with Program requirements.

State UCR Programs

As early as 1969, state UCR Programs began submitting data collected by agencies within the 

state to the national UCR Program. An important aspect of transferring the responsibility of collecting crime data from local agencies from the FBI to the state was a guarantee of consistency and 

comparability in the data forwarded by the state Program. The following are the conditions under 

which a state Program must operate:

1. The state Program must conform to the national UCR Program standards, definitions, and 

information required. These requirements, of course, do not prohibit the state from gathering 

other statistical data beyond the national collection.

2. The state criminal justice agency must have a proven, effective, statewide Program and have 

instituted acceptable quality control procedures.

3. The state crime reporting must cover a percentage of the population at least equal to that covered by the national UCR Program through direct reporting.

4. The state Program must have adequate field staff assigned to conduct audits and to assist contributing agencies in record-keeping practices and crime reporting procedures.

5. The state Program must furnish the FBI with all of the detailed data regularly collected by the 

FBI from individual agencies that report to the state Program in the form of duplicate returns, 

computer printouts, and/or appropriate electronic media.

6. The state Program must have the proven capability (tested over a period of time) to supply all 

the statistical data required in time to meet publication deadlines of the national UCR Program.

The FBI fulfills its responsibilities in connection with the state UCR Program by:

 • Editing and reviewing individual agency reports for both completeness and quality.

 • Having direct contact with individual agency contributors within the state when necessary in 

connection with crime reporting matters.

 • Coordinating individual agency contacts with the state UCR Program.

 • Assessing the validity of reported data by providing a Quality Assurance Review.

• Coordinating with the state UCR Program to conduct training within the state on law enforcement record-keeping and crime-reporting procedures.

 • Sending state UCR Program monthly reporting forms for distribution to agencies within that 

state. (See Non-Program States.)

Should circumstances develop whereby the state agency does not comply with the aforementioned 

requirements, the national Program may reinstitute a direct collection of the required reporting forms 

from law enforcement agencies within the state. (See Non-Program States.)

4 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Non-Program States

Agencies in states without a state UCR Program are direct contributors, that is, they submit their

reports directly to the FBI. They receive the following reporting forms from the FBI:

Return A—Monthly Return of Offenses Known to Police (Return A); Supplement to Return A 

(Supplement); Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested (ASR); Supplementary Homicide Report 

(SHR); Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted (LEOKA); Monthly Return of Arson Offenses 

Known to Law Enforcement; Hate Crime Incident Report; and Quarterly Hate Crime Report. All 

agencies in both Program and non-Program states annually receive from the FBI the form Number 

of Full-Time Law Enforcement Employees as of October 31. Detailed explanations of these forms 

are included throughout this handbook. Additionally, tally sheets, tally books, and law enforcement record-keeping forms are available upon the request of law enforcement agencies from: Crime 

Statistics Management Unit, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

Module E-3, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone (304) 625-4830 or 

facsimile (304) 625-3566.

Law Enforcement Data Requirements

The collection of reports on a nationwide scale is based on the fact that police need to compile 

certain basic data for local administrative and operational purposes.

Local law enforcement executives need to know:

1. The number and kinds of criminal acts that occur (offenses known).

2. The number of such crimes or offenses cleared.

3. The personal characteristics concerning persons arrested.

4. Law enforcement disposition of juveniles.

5. Law enforcement employee information.

These tabulations come from basic records that show:

1. The extent of the patrol and crime prevention problem.

2. A measure of the results of investigative activity to solve crimes.

3. The characteristics and identities of known offenders.

An efficient record-keeping system makes possible these tabulations and studies and permits close 

supervision and corrective administrative action where necessary. Law enforcement officials can also 

readily present a clear picture of the crime situation in their jurisdictions and of the positive steps 

taken to meet the conditions.

Law enforcement is a public service, and citizens expect a full accounting from the police 

commissioner, police chief, or sheriff concerning the administration of the agency and the status 

of public safety within their jurisdiction. Full participation in the UCR Program ensures that law 

enforcement administrators have available the core statisitcs they need to meet this expectation.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 5
Guidelines for Records Management

An efficient record-keeping system that provides the information needed for generating UCR data 

should meet the following guidelines:

1. Permanent documentation of each crime is made immediately upon receipt of a complaint or 

call for service. All reports of thefts and attempted thefts are included, regardless of the value 

of property involved.

2. The staff or headquarters has control over the receipt of each complaint or call for service to 

ensure each is promptly recorded and accurately tabulated.

3. Documentation is made in each case showing fully the details of the offense as alleged by the 

complainant and as disclosed by the investigation. An effective follow-up system is used to 

see that reports are promptly submitted in all cases.

4. All reports are checked to see that the crime classification conforms to the uniform classification of the offenses. That is, all offenses reported to the UCR Program, regardless of what 

the offense is called at the local, state, tribal, or federal level, must conform to the UCR 

classification of offenses.

5. The offense reports on crimes cleared by arrest or exceptional means are noted as cleared.

6. Arrest records are complete, with special care being taken to show the final disposition of the 

charge.

7. Records are centralized; records and statistical reports are closely supervised by the administrator; periodic inspections are made to ensure strict compliance with the rules and regulations of the local agency relative to records and reports.

8. Statistical reports conform in all respects to the UCR standards and regulations.

Small agencies may request that the FBI send them forms entitled Register of Incidents/Offenses

(Daily Log) and Register of Persons Charged (Arrest Sheet). These forms help smaller agencies 

maintain a permanent record of their operations and prepare crime reports; however, their use is a 

matter of preference. The forms may be inadequate in a department with 15 or more officers.

Persons Arrested

Contributing agencies submit the number of persons arrested for all violations, except traffic 

offenses, on monthly returns to their state Program or directly to the FBI. Agencies record the age, 

sex, and race of both adult and juvenile arrestees so that arrest trends and volume can be computed.

6 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
CHAPTER I

GENERAL INFORMATION

This chapter contains some general information law enforcement personnel should know before 

they embark on a comprehensive discussion of reporting offenses and arrests to the UCR Program. 

Information covered in this chapter includes (1) a general discussion of classifying and scoring 

offenses, (2) a list of Part I and Part II offenses, (3) an explanation of jurisdiction, (4) an explanation 

of the Hierarchy Rule, and (5) an explanation of separation of time and place.

Classifying and Scoring

Classifying and scoring offenses are the two most important functions that a participant in the 

UCR Program performs. The data that contributing agencies provide are 

based on these two functions, so scrupulous attention to the Program’s 

guidelines helps to ensure accurate and reliable data. Classifying and 

scoring offenses 

Classifying is determining the proper crime categories in which to are the two most 

report offenses in UCR. The offense’s classification is based on the important functions 

facts of an agency’s investigation of crimes. (See Chapter II.) Scoring that a participant in 

is counting the number of offenses after they have been classified and the UCR Program entering the total count on the appropriate reporting form. The appropri- performs. ate scoring of Part I crimes is directly related to the two types of crimes 

involved, crimes against the person and crimes against property. (See 

Chapter III.)

City, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agency participants must classify 

and score offenses from the records of calls for service, complaints, and/or investigations. Since 

these crime statistics are intended to assist law enforcement in identifying the crime problem, 

participants must record offense counts, not the findings of a court, coroner, or jury or the decision of a prosecutor.

For practical purposes, the reporting of offenses known is limited to the following crime classifications because they are the most serious and most commonly reported crimes occurring in all areas of 

the United States. Together they serve as a gauge of the level and scope of crimes occurring across 

the country.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 7
Offenses

Part I Offenses

Part I offense classifications include (in this particular order):

1. Criminal Homicide

2. Forcible Rape

3. Robbery

4. Aggravated Assault

5. Burglary 

6. Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft)

7. Motor Vehicle Theft

8. Arson

Part II Offenses

Part II offenses encompass all other reportable classifications outside those defined as Part I. Law 

enforcement agencies report to the FBI only arrest data involving the Part II crimes:

 9. Other Assaults

10. Forgery and Counterfeiting

11. Fraud

12. Embezzlement

13. Stolen Property: Buying, Receiving, Possessing

14. Vandalism

15. Weapons: Carrying, Possessing, etc.

16. Prostitution and Commercialized Vice

17. Sex Offenses

18. Drug Abuse Violations

19. Gambling

20. Offenses Against the Family and Children

21. Driving Under the Influence

22. Liquor Laws

23. Drunkenness

24. Disorderly Conduct

25. Vagrancy

26. All Other Offenses

27. Suspicion

28. Curfew and Loitering Laws—(Persons under 18)

29. Runaways—(Persons under 18)

Jurisdiction

The purpose of establishing appropriate jurisdiction is to depict the nature and volume of crime 

in a particular community, not for an agency to claim or take credit for the number of investigations, 

arrests, etc., or to serve as a measurement of agency workload.

8 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Throughout the United States, there are thousands of law enforcement agencies, some of which 

have overlapping jurisdictions. To be certain that data (offense or arrest) are not reported more than 

once by overlapping jurisdictions, the national UCR Program developed the following guidelines:

1. City law enforcement agencies should report offenses that occur within their city 

jurisdictions.

2. County or state law enforcement agencies should report offenses that take place in the county 

outside the limits of the city.

3. Federal agencies should report offenses within their investigative jurisdictions if they are not 

being reported by a local/state law enforcement agency.

4. When two or more local, state, tribal, or federal agencies are involved in the investigation of 

the same offense and there is a written or oral agreement defining the roles of the investigating agencies, the agreement must designate which agency will report the offense.

5. When two or more federal agencies are involved in the investigation of the same offense and 

there is no written or oral agreement defining their roles, the federal agency having lead or 

primary investigative jurisdiction should report the data. If there is uncertainty as to which is 

the lead or primary agency, the agencies must agree on which agency will report the offense.

6. Agencies must report only those arrests made for offenses committed within their own jurisdictions.

7. The recovery of property should be reported only by the agency from whose jurisdiction it 

was stolen, regardless of who or which agency recovered it.

In other words, cities having their own police departments, as a rule, report their own crime data 

to the UCR Program. However, crime data for smaller locales may be combined with those for larger 

agencies, e.g., sheriffs’ offices and state police. This practice most often occurs in rural or unincorporated places employing constables, town marshals, or other officers who infrequently report Part I 

offenses. A special form has been devised for law enforcement officers in these small locales for use 

in reporting offense data to the sheriff’s office or another larger law enforcement agency. Agencies 

may obtain copies of this form, Report of Offenses Committed During Month Of _____, from: Crime 

Statistics Management Unit, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation,

Module E-3, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone (304) 625-4830 or facsimile

(304) 625-3566.

In cases where the county sheriff or state police has a contract to provide law enforcement services 

for a rural or unincorporated area, the sheriff or state police will continue to report data occurring 

within the boundaries of these areas. In some localities, the sheriff, state police, or a federal law 

enforcement agency will assist a local police department in the investigation of crimes committed 

within the limits of the city. Even though this is the case, the city police department will report the 

offenses, unless, again, there is a written or oral agreement specifying otherwise.

The jurisdictional guidelines provide for most local reporting. Whenever possible, the local law 

enforcement agency of the geographical area in which the crime occurred should report the data.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 9
Hierarchy Rule

There is a significance to the order in which the Part I offenses are presented, with criminal homicide being the highest in the hierarchy and arson being the lowest. The Part I offenses are as follows:

1. Criminal Homicide

a. Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

b. Manslaughter by Negligence

2. Forcible Rape

a. Rape by Force

b. Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape

3. Robbery

a. Firearm

b. Knife or Cutting Instrument

c. Other Dangerous Weapon

d. Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.

4. Aggravated Assault

a. Firearm

b. Knife or Cutting Instrument

c. Other Dangerous Weapon

d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.—Aggravated Injury

5. Burglary

a. Forcible Entry

b. Unlawful Entry—No Force

c. Attempted Forcible Entry

6. Larceny-theft (except motor vehicle theft)

7. Motor Vehicle Theft

a. Autos

b. Trucks and Buses

c. Other Vehicles

8. Arson

a.–g. Structural

h.–i. Mobile

j. Other

The experience of law enforcement agencies in handling UCR data shows that, for the most part, 

offenses of law occur singly as opposed to many being committed simultaneously. In these singleoffense situations, law enforcement agencies must decide whether the crime is a Part I offense. If so, 

the agency must score the crime accordingly. However, if several offenses are committed at the same 

time and place by a person or a group of persons, a different approach must be used in classifying and 

scoring. The law enforcement matter in which many crimes are committed simultaneously is called 

a multiple-offense situation by the UCR Program. As a general rule, a multiple-offense situation 

requires classifying each of the offenses occurring and determining which of them are Part I crimes. 

The Hierarchy Rule requires that when more than one Part I offense is classified, the law enforcement 

agency must locate the offense that is highest on the hierarchy list and score that offense involved and 

not the other offense(s) in the multiple-offense situation. 

The Hierarchy Rule applies only to crime reporting and does not affect the number of charges for 

which the defendant may be prosecuted in the courts. The offenses of justifiable homicide, motor 

vehicle theft, and arson are exceptions to the Hierarchy Rule.

10 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenarios illustrate the proper application of the Hierarchy Rule in reporting a 

multiple-offense incident.

1. Two women broke into a new car dealership after closing hours. They took the cash from the 

dealership’s office safe and two new automobiles from the garage.

Applying the Hierarchy Rule to crime reporting: A Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a), 

Larceny-theft (6), and a Motor Vehicle Theft (7a) were committed. Following the Hierarchy 

Rule, only the Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a), the highest of the offenses on the list of Part I 

offenses, must be scored.

2. A burglar broke into a home, stole several items, and placed them in a car belonging to the 

owner of the home. The homeowner returned and surprised the thief, who in turn knocked 

the owner unconscious by hitting him over the head with a chair. The burglar drove away in 

the homeowner’s car.

Applying the Hierarchy Rule to crime reporting: A Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a), 

Larceny-theft (6), Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c), Aggravated Assault—Other 

Dangerous Weapon (4d), and Motor Vehicle Theft—Auto (7a) occurred in this situation. 

After classifying the offenses, the reporting agency must score only one offense—Robbery—

Other Dangerous Weapon (3c)—the crime appearing first in the list of Part I offenses.

3. A white female, aged 23, was being arrested on the street on charges of soliciting for prostitution. During the arrest, she attempted to spray Mace into the arresting officer’s face. The 

officer’s search incident to the arrest resulted in the recovery of a credit card belonging to an 

individual that had previously reported it stolen. There was no indication that the card had 

been used fraudulently.

Applying the Hierarchy Rule to crime reporting: In this situation, Prostitution and 

Commercialized Vice; Stolen Property: Buying, Receiving, Possessing; and Aggravated 

Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c) were committed. Following the Hierarchy Rule, 

only the Part I offense, Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c), must be classified and scored. 

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that are exceptions to the 

Hierarchy Rule.

4. Someone stole a pickup truck that had attached to it a camper containing camping equipment. 

The police recovered the truck and camper but not the equipment.

Exception to the Hierarchy Rule: Motor Vehicle Theft (7) is a special type of Larcenytheft (6). It is a separate classification because of the volume of such thefts and the prevailing 

need of law enforcement for specific statistics on this offense. Therefore, when classifying, 

the reporting agency must choose between Larceny-theft (6) and Motor Vehicle Theft (7). In 

cases such as this, the agency must classify and score the offense as Motor Vehicle Theft (7b).

5. As a result of arson in an apartment building, six persons were found dead.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 11
Exception to the Hierarchy Rule: The Part I crimes of Murder (1) and Arson (8) are 

involved in this multiple-offense situation. The reporting agency must report Criminal 

Homicide (1) offenses (one for each victim) on the Return A and one arson on the Monthly 

Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement. (See page 75 for an explanation of 

Return A and page 94 for an explanation of the monthly arson report.)

NOTE: The Hierarchy Rule does not apply to the offense of arson. For a multiple-offense situation, of which one offense is arson, the reporting agency must report the arson and then 

apply the Hierarchy Rule to the remaining Part I offenses to determine which one is the 

most serious. Put more simply, when an arson is involved in a multiple-offense situation, 

the reporting agency must report two Part I offenses, the arson as well as the additional 

Part I offense.

Separation of Time and Place Rule

Occasionally, an individual or a group will perpetrate a number of offenses over a short period of 

time. If there is a separation of time and place between the commission of several crimes, the reporting agency must handle each crime as a separate incident and must classify and score each offense 

individually.

Same time and place means that the time interval between the offenses and the distance between 

locations where they occurred are insignificant. Normally, the offenses must have occurred during an 

unbroken time duration and at the same or adjoining location(s). However, incidents can also be comprised of offenses which, by their nature, involve continuing criminal activity by the same offender(s) 

at different times and places, as long as investigation deems the activity to constitute a single criminal 

transaction.

The following scenarios illustrate the proper application of the Separation of Time and Place 

Rule:

1. A man and a woman were parked at a secluded location. A gunman surprised them and shot 

and killed the man when he resisted. He abducted the woman and drove across town to a 

secluded area where he forcibly raped her. The police arrested the perpetrator at the scene.

If there is a separation of Application of the Separation of Time and Place Rule: This incident is 

an example of two separate crimes against the person—Criminal Homicide time and place between (1a) and Forcible Rape(2a). The Hierarchy Rule does not apply because the commission of there is a separation of time and place between the two crimes.

several crimes, the 

reporting agency must 2. A robber entered a bank, stole $5,000 from a teller at gunpoint, and 

handle each crime as a then escaped in a getaway car. At a shopping center parking lot 

separate incident . . . . across town, the robber and an accomplice stole a car in their effort 

to elude police.

Application of the Separation of Time and Place Rule: Because of the separation of time 

and place between the robbery and the theft of the motor vehicle, these incidents must not be 

handled as a multiple-offense situation. The two crimes must each be classified and scored as 

separate offenses—one Robbery—Firearm (3a) and one Motor Vehicle Theft—Auto (7a).

12 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
3. A man forcibly entered a sporting goods store, which was closed, and stole cash and 

merchandise including numerous firearms. The next day, the police arrested a man during 

an attempted street robbery. The man was armed with a handgun, which further police 

investigation determined he stole from the sporting goods store the previous day.

Application of the Separation of Time and Place Rule: In this scenario, two crimes have 

been committed at different times and places—a burglary and a robbery. In other words, 

there are two distinct operations with a separation of time and place. The reporting agency 

should classify and score separately the Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) and the Robbery—

Firearm (3a).

4. A known purse snatcher caught in the act was subsequently identified by four additional 

women as having snatched their purses at different times. All stated that the thief knocked 

them down when he stole their purses. The thief admitted to all five robberies.

Application of the Separation of Time and Place Rule: This scenario illustrates five 

separate and distinct operations by the same offender. The reporting agency must classify and 

score five Strong-arm Robbery offenses (3d).

Because it is not possible to provide instructions that will cover all of the situations that might 

occur, in some cases the reporting agency will have to use its best judgment in determining how many 

incidents were involved.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 13
Notes
CHAPTER II

CLASSIFYING OFFENSES

Classifying is determining the proper crime categories in which to report offenses in UCR.

The classification of the offense is based on the facts of an agency’s investigation of a crime.

When agencies report offense data to a state or the national UCR Program, they must first appropriately classify offenses known to police into the Part I or II standard offense categories as defined by the

Program. This practice ensures that offenses with different titles under state and local law are considered and appropriately recorded in UCR. (See Chapter VI for a discussion of Part II offenses.)

Generally, agencies classify attempts to commit a crime as though the crimes were actually completed. The only exception to this rule applies to attempts or assaults to murder wherein the victim 

does not die. These offenses must be classified as aggravated assaults rather than attempted murders.

Unusual situations will arise in the effort to classify offenses, and all cannot be covered in this 

handbook. In classifying the unusual situations, agencies must consider the nature of the crime 

along with the guidelines provided herein. If agencies require assistance, they should communicate 

with their state UCR Program. Direct contributors should contact the national Uniform Crime Reporting

Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone

(888) UCR-NIBR/(888) 827-6427.

Essential to the Program’s maintaining uniform and consistent data, all reporting agencies must 

use standard UCR Program definitions of the offenses. The standard UCR definitions for Part I 

offenses are presented and explained in this chapter. 

CRIMINAL HOMICIDE (1)

• Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

• Manslaughter by Negligence

Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a)

Definition: The willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being by another.

As a general rule, any death caused by injuries received in a fight, argument, quarrel, assault, or 

commission of a crime is classified as Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a).

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 15
The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a):

 1. A berserk gunman shot and killed three pedestrians. The police subdued the offender and 

placed him under arrest.

 2. A neighbor discovered an infant who had been beaten. The neighbor rushed the infant to the 

hospital. The infant later died as a direct result of the injuries. Investigation revealed that the 

mother was responsible. The mother was not considered mentally competent, and the district 

attorney did not wish to prosecute.

 3. A man shot and killed his neighbor in an argument over the location of their property line. 

The police arrested the man and charged him with murder.

 4. A husband and wife had an argument. The wife shot the husband and severely wounded him. 

He grabbed the gun and shot and killed her. The husband survived his wounds. The police 

subsequently arrested him.

 5. A man was in a fight on the second floor of a building. During the fight, he was knocked 

through a window and fell to his death. No arrest was made.

 6. While attempting to break up a fight, a man was struck over the head with an ashtray by one 

of the combatants. During the incident, a pre-existing aneurysm burst in the man’s head, 

causing his death. No arrest was made.

 7. A psychiatrist counseling a young female patient performed a criminal abortion on her. She 

died of peritonitis resulting from the operation. The psychiatrist fled the state and is still 

wanted for the crime.

 8. A teller chased a robber from a bank. The robber fired at him. His shot missed the teller but 

killed a woman walking on the street. The police did not locate the robber.

 9. While playing cards, two men got into an argument. The first man attacked the second with 

a broken bottle. The second man pulled a gun and killed the first. The police arrested the 

shooter; he claimed self-defense. The police found no other witnesses.

10. A felon fleeing in her car attempted to get through a police roadblock. As a result, she struck 

and killed two police officers.

Agencies must not classify the following as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent 

Manslaughter (1a):

• Suicides • Accidental deaths

• Fetal deaths • Assaults to murder

• Traffic fatalities • Attempts to murder

Suicides, traffic fatalities, and fetal deaths are excluded from the UCR Program; however, some 

accidental deaths are classified as Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (lb). (See page

18.) Attempts and assaults to murder must be classified as aggravated assaults. (See page 23.)

16 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Situations in which a victim dies of a heart attack as the result of a crime are not classified as 

criminal homicide. A heart attack cannot, in fact, be caused at will by an offender. Even in instances 

where an individual is known to have a weak heart, there is no assurance that an offender can cause 

sufficient emotional or physical stress to guarantee that the victim will suffer a fatal heart attack.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must not classify as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a):

11. A man was despondent over the breakup of his marriage. Police officers discovered his body 

in his home office with a bullet wound to his head and a revolver still in his hand. They also 

found a suicide note in the victim’s handwriting on his desk.

12. A woman was attacked by her boyfriend, who struck her several times in the abdomen with a 

baseball bat. The victim was eight months pregnant at the time of the attack. Her baby was 

stillborn. (Refer to Aggravated Assault, page 23.)

13. A woman swerved her vehicle to avoid hitting a dog in the road. 

She struck and killed two children playing near the roadway. Situations in which 

a victim dies of a 14. A convenience store clerk was robbed at gunpoint. The victim, 

who was under a doctor’s care from previous heart surgery, had a heart attack as the 

heart attack during the robbery. He collapsed and died in the store. result of a crime are 

(Refer to Robbery, page 21.) not classified as 

criminal homicide.

Justifiable Homicide

Certain willful killings must be classified as justifiable or excusable. In UCR, Justifiable 

Homicide is defined as and limited to:

• The killing of a felon by a peace officer in the line of duty.

• The killing of a felon, during the commission of a felony, by a private citizen.

NOTE: To submit offense data to the UCR Program, law enforcement agencies must report the 

willful (nonnegligent) killing of one individual by another, not the criminal liability of the 

person or persons involved. 

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

would consider Justifiable Homicide:

15. A police officer answered a bank alarm and surprised the robber coming out of the bank. The 

robber saw the responding officer and fired at him. The officer returned fire, killing the robber. The officer was charged in a court of record as a matter of routine in such cases.

16. When a gunman entered a store and attempted to rob the proprietor, the storekeeper shot and 

killed the felon.

NOTE: Justifiable homicide, by definition, occurs in conjunction with other offenses. Therefore, 

the crime being committed when the justifiable homicide took place must be reported as a 

separate offense. Reporting agencies should take care to ensure that they do not classify a 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 17
killing as justifiable or excusable solely on the claims of self-defense or on the action of a 

coroner, prosecutor, grand jury, or court.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

would not consider Justifiable Homicide:

17. While playing cards, two men got into an argument. The first man attacked the second with 

a broken bottle. The second man pulled a gun and killed his attacker. The police arrested the 

shooter; he claimed self-defense.

Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b)

Definition: The killing of another person through gross negligence.

As a general rule, any death caused by the gross negligence of another is classified as Criminal 

Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b). 

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b):

18. While two juveniles were playing with a gun, one playfully pointed it at the other. The youth 

pointing the gun fired it and killed the other. At the time of arrest, the juvenile claimed no 

knowledge of the gun being loaded.

19. A target shooter was practicing in an unincorporated wooded area near some houses. One 

shot missed the target and killed a resident. The police arrested the shooter.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must not classify as Manslaughter by Negligence (1b):

20. A man was riding his motorcycle without a helmet and ran off the roadway. He was killed in 

the subsequent crash.

21. A woman slipped on her neighbors’ icy sidewalk and died as a result of the fall.

22. A woman was a passenger in a man’s car. The man drove through an ungated railroad crossing. A train struck the car, killing both the driver and the passenger.

23. A man drove his pickup truck recklessly and exited the interstate at a high rate of speed. 

While attempting a right turn at the first intersection, he lost control of his vehicle and struck 

and killed three pedestrians standing at a bus stop. The police arrested the driver at the scene 

for vehicular manslaughter.

NOTE: Deaths of persons due to their own negligence, accidental deaths not resulting from 

gross negligence, and traffic fatalities are not included in the category Manslaughter by 

Negligence. The findings of a court, coroner’s inquest, etc., do not affect classifying or 

scoring; these are law enforcement statistics.

18 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
FORCIBLE RAPE (2)

• Rape by Force

• Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape

Reporting agencies must classify one offense for each female raped or upon whom an assault to 

rape or attempt to rape has been made. Reporting agencies must classify rapes or attempts accomplished by force or threat of force as forcible regardless of the age of the female victim.

Forcible Rape—Rape by Force (2a)

Reporting agencies Definition: The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and 

against her will. must classify rapes or

attempts accomplished

by force or threat of Carnal knowledge is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary, 6th ed. 

as “the act of a man having sexual bodily connections with a woman; force as forcible regardsexual intercourse.” There is carnal knowledge if there is the slight- less of the age of the

est penetration of the sexual organ of the female (vagina) by the female victim.

sexual organ of the male (penis).

“Against her will” includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of

her temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity (or because of her youth). The ability of the

victim to give consent must be a professional determination by the law enforcement agency. The age

of the victim, of course, plays a critical role in this determination. Individuals do not mature mentally

at the same rate. For example, no 4-year-old is capable of consenting, whereas victims aged 10 or 12

may need to be assessed within the specific circumstances regarding the giving of their consent.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Rape by Force (2a):

1. Law enforcement received a complaint from a victim who claimed that when she was leaving 

work late one night, she was attacked in the company parking lot by an unidentified male and 

forcibly raped. The offender was not apprehended.

2. Two men lured a woman to their motel room with the promise of discussing a job opportunity. They threatened her with a knife and both forcibly raped her. On complaint by the 

woman, the police arrested both men.

3. Three girls were attacked, assaulted, and raped by four boys. Each boy raped each of the 

girls. No arrests were made.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 19
Forcible Rape—Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b)

Assaults or attempts to forcibly rape are classified as Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b).

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b):

4. A man attacked a woman on the street, knocked her down, and attempted to rape her. A 

pedestrian frightened the man away before he could complete the attack.

5. At a local bar, a man slipped gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a date rape drug, into a 

woman’s drink. However, the man was unable to lure the woman away from her friends. 

Investigators concluded that the man intended to have intercourse with the woman and 

arrested him.

Agencies must not classify statutory rape, incest, or other sex offenses, i.e. forcible sodomy, 

sexual assault with an object, forcible fondling, etc. as Forcible Rape (2a or 2b). The UCR Program 

applies the following definitions:

• Statutory rape–nonforcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the statutory age of 

consent.

• Incest–nonforcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the 

 degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.

However, if the female victim associated with either offense, statutory rape or incest, is forced 

against her will to engage in sexual intercourse, the incident must be classified as Rape by Force (2a).

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must not classify as Forcible Rape:

6. A 15-year-old male had consensual sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old female. The age of 

consent in the state is 16.

7. At a family reunion, a woman had sexual intercourse with her nephew, in violation of the 

state’s incest laws. No force or weapon was involved.

8. A man forcibly sodomized his male cousin. The cousin was hospitalized with internal 

injuries.

NOTE: By definition, sexual attacks on males are excluded from the rape category and must be classified as assaults or other sex offenses depending on the nature of the crime and the extent of 

injury.

20 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
ROBBERY (3)

• Firearm

• Knife or Cutting Instrument

• Other Dangerous Weapon

• Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.

Definition: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or 

control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by 

putting the victim in fear.

Robbery is a vicious type of theft in that it is committed in the 

presence of the victim. The victim, who usually is the owner or 

person having custody of the property, is directly confronted by the 

perpetrator and is threatened with force or is put in fear that force 

will be used. Robbery involves a theft or larceny but is aggravated 

by the element of force or threat of force.

Robbery involves a theft 

or larceny but is 

aggravated by the 

element of force or 

threat of force.

Because some type of assault is an element of the crime of 

robbery, an assault must not be reported as a separate crime as long 

as it was performed in furtherance of the robbery. However, if the injury results in death, a homicide 

offense must be reported. 

Armed robbery, categories 3a, 3b, and 3c, includes incidents commonly referred to as stickups,

hijackings, holdups, heists, carjackings, etc. Carjackings are robbery offenses in which a motor vehicle

is taken through force or threat of force. In such cases, following the Hierarchy Rule, agencies must

report only a robbery, not a motor vehicle theft. Robberies wherein only personal weapons, such as

hands, fists, and feet, are used (3d) or threatened to be used may be referred to as strong-arms or muggings.

The UCR Program considers a weapon to be a commonly known weapon (a gun, knife, club, etc.) 

or any other item which, although not usually thought of as a weapon, becomes one in the commission of a crime. Reporting agencies must classify crimes involving pretended weapons or those in 

which the weapon is not seen by the victim, but the robber claims to possess one, as armed robbery 

(3a, 3b, and 3c). Should an immediate on-view arrest prove that there is no weapon involved, the 

agency must classify the offense as strong-arm robbery (3d).

Law enforcement must guard against using the public’s terminology such as “robbery of an apartment” or “safe robbery” when classifying a robbery offense, inasmuch as the public is referring to a 

burglary situation.

Robbery—Firearm (3a)

Robbery—Firearm (3a) includes robberies in which any firearm is used as a weapon or employed 

as a means of force to threaten the victim or put the victim in fear. Attempts are included in this 

category.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 21
The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Robbery—Firearm (3a):

 1. A man came to a victim’s door and asked to use the phone. After being admitted to the 

residence, he pulled a gun and demanded money. He took the victim’s money and fled. The 

police have yet to apprehend the suspect.

 2. A lone male with a gun appeared in a tavern and ordered ten patrons and the owner to hand 

over their cash and jewelry. After obtaining their possessions, the man left. 

3. Four individuals planned to rob a local supermarket. One of the group informed the police. 

On the appointed day, the four walked in the front door of the market armed with handguns. 

They were all arrested. The informant was released for cooperating.

 4. A person with a shotgun entered a rural grocery store and ordered the clerk to hand over the 

cash. The clerk complied. The suspect ran out of the store to a waiting car. The clerk 

notified the police. The police spotted the suspect’s vehicle and engaged in a high-speed 

chase. They apprehended a 17-year-old suspect.

Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b)

The category Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b) includes robberies in which a knife,

broken bottle, razor, ice pick, or other cutting or stabbing instrument is employed as a weapon or

as a means of force to threaten the victim or put the victim in fear. Attempts are included in this

category.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b):

 5. A lone male approached a car stopped at a traffic light. The male brandished a knife and 

ordered the driver of the car to get out of the vehicle. She complied, and the male then 

jumped into the car and drove away, leaving the car owner frightened but unhurt. The woman 

called the police.

 6. A man was walking down the street when an assailant grabbed him and held a broken bottle 

to his throat. While the assailant was attempting to remove the victim’s wallet from his 

pocket, the police arrived and arrested the assailant.

Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c)

The category Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c) includes robberies in which a club, acid, 

explosive, brass knuckles, Mace, pepper spray, or other dangerous weapon is employed or its use is 

threatened. Attempts are included in this category.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c):

 7. Two men accosted a third, an acquaintance, in an alley near a bar. They beat him severely 

with a club and took his wallet containing several hundred dollars. The victim reported the 

incident to the police. No arrest was made.

22 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
 8. A woman robbed a jewelry store by threatening to detonate a bomb. Two store employees 

managed to detain the suspect until the police arrived. The subject was arrested. 

9. While a motorist was stopped at an intersection, a man armed with a canister of Mace forcibly removed her from her convertible. The man got into the vehicle and drove away. The 

motorist suffered several cuts and bruises in the confrontation. The police were unable to 

locate the offender or the vehicle.

Robbery—Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc. (3d)

The category of Robbery—Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc., (3d) includes muggings and 

similar offenses in which only personal weapons such as hands, arms, feet, fists, and teeth are 

employed or their use is threatened to deprive the victim of possessions.

In the absence of force or threat of force, as in pocket-picking or purse-snatching, the offense 

must be classified as larceny-theft rather than robbery. However, if in a purse-snatching or other such 

crime, force or threat of force is used to overcome the active resistance of the victim, the offense must 

be classified as strong-arm robbery (3d).

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Robbery—Strong-arm (3d):

10. During a purse-snatching, a thief shoved a woman to the ground and took her purse. The 

thief escaped.

11. A juvenile was observed by a store security guard concealing compact discs under his shirt. 

When he was confronted, the youth punched the security guard and fled the store, leaving the 

compact discs behind.

ASSAULT (4)

Definition: An unlawful attack by one person upon another.

Agencies participating in the UCR Program must collect assault information on the offenses that 

are aggravated in nature, as well as on those that are not. Assaults that are not aggravated are classified by the national Program as Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e).

Aggravated Assault

Definition: An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe 

or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use 

of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.

• Firearm

• Knife or Cutting Instrument

• Other Dangerous Weapon

• Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.

• Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 23
The UCR Program considers a weapon to be a commonly known weapon (a gun, knife, club, etc.) 

or any other item which, although not usually thought of as a weapon, becomes one in the commission of a crime.

The categories of Aggravated Assault (4a–4d) include assaults or attempts to kill or murder; 

poisoning; assault with a dangerous or deadly weapon; maiming; mayhem; assault with explosives; 

and assault with disease (as in cases when the offender is aware that he/she is infected with a deadly 

disease and deliberately attempts to inflict the disease by biting, spitting, etc.). All assaults by one 

person upon another with the intent to kill, maim, or inflict severe bodily injury with the use of any 

dangerous weapon are classified as Aggravated Assault. It is not necessary that injury result from 

an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon that could cause serious personal injury is 

used. 

Occasionally, it is the practice of local jurisdictions to charge assailants in assault cases with 

assault and battery, disorderly conduct, domestic violence, or simple assault even though a knife, gun, 

or other weapon was used in the incident. This type of offense must be reported to the UCR Program 

as aggravated assault (4a–4d).

Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a)

The category Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a) includes all assaults in which a firearm of any 

type is used or is threatened to be used. Assaults with revolvers, automatic pistols, shotguns, zip 

guns, rifles, etc. are included in this category.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a):

1. A man had an argument with his girlfriend. She left and later returned with a gun and shot 

the man, attempting to kill him. He recovered from his gunshot wound. The police arrested 

the woman. She was prosecuted for attempted murder.

2. While an officer was attempting to serve a warrant, the individual ran from her. The subject 

turned and fired on the officer, wounding her. Assisting officers caught and arrested the individual.

Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b)

The category Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b) includes assaults wherein 

weapons such as knives, razors, hatchets, axes, cleavers, scissors, glass, broken bottles, and ice picks 

are used as cutting or stabbing objects or their use is threatened.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b):

3. During a dice game, a heated argument erupted and one man stabbed another with a hypodermic needle. The victim recovered but refused to press charges against his attacker.

24 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
4. During an argument, a man cut a woman with a razor. The police were unable to locate the

suspect.

Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c)

The category Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c) includes assaults resulting 

from the use or threatened use of any object as a weapon in which serious injury does or could result. 

The weapons in this category include, but are not limited to, Mace, pepper spray, clubs, bricks, 

jack handles, tire irons, bottles, or other blunt instruments used to club or beat victims. Attacks by 

explosives, acid, lye, poison, scalding, burnings, etc. are also included in this category.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c):

5. At the scene of a riot, three police officers were attacked by 20 rioters who were armed with 

clubs and rocks. The police officers sustained injuries that caused them to be hospitalized. A 

total of 45 rioters, including 18 of those participating in the assaults, were arrested for disorderly conduct.

6. During an argument, a man picked up a tire iron and hit his neighbors, a man and his wife. 

The man suffered a minor bruise, but the wife had a concussion from a blow to the head. The 

police arrested the attacker.

7. During a physical altercation between two patrons at a local tavern, one of the men displayed 

a vial filled with a biological contaminant in a threatening manner. The police arrived at the 

tavern and arrested the individual.

8. The police responded to a fight-in-progress call. They found the offender beating a victim 

about the face and head with a shoe. The victim suffered a cut that required several stitches. 

The offender was arrested at the scene.

Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d)

The category Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d) includes only

the attacks using personal weapons such as hands, arms, feet, fists, and teeth, that result in serious or

aggravated injury. Reporting agencies must consider the seriousness of the injury as the primary factor

in establishing whether the assault is aggravated or simple. They must classify the assault as aggravated if the personal injury is serious, for example, there are broken bones, internal injuries, or stitches

required. On the other hand, they must classify the offense as simple assault if the injuries are not

serious (abrasions, minor lacerations, or contusions) and require no more than usual first-aid treatment.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d):

 9. A man came home drunk. During an argument with his wife, he slapped her with an open 

hand and broke her jaw. The police arrested the husband, but his wife refused to prosecute.

10. During an argument over a parking space, one man pushed another to the ground. The man 

on the ground suffered an abrasion and a broken wrist. The individual who pushed him was 

later arrested for assault. 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 25
Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e)

The category Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e) includes all assaults which do not 

involve the use of a firearm, knife, cutting instrument, or other dangerous weapon and in which the 

victim did not sustain serious or aggravated injuries. Simple assault is not a Part I offense—it is a 

Part II offense but is collected under 4e as a quality control matter and for the purpose of looking at 

total assault violence.

Agencies must classify as simple assault such offenses as assault and battery, injury caused by 

culpable negligence, intimidation, coercion, and all attempts to commit these offenses. Under certain 

circumstances, offenses of disorderly conduct, domestic violence, or affray must be classified as 

simple assault. (For more information about Other Assaults as a Part II offense, see page 139.)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e):

11. Several bar patrons were watching a football game on television. The supporters of the two 

teams exchanged heated words that led to a fist fight. The bartender called the police. None 

of the participants cooperated, so the police could not determine who started the fight. The 

police arrested six patrons who had suffered bruises and minor cuts and charged them with 

affray.

12. A married couple was arguing about financial problems. The husband slapped his wife 

and left the house. The wife followed him, and they continued their argument. The police 

responded to a call by a neighbor. The wife told them that her husband slapped her. The 

police arrested the husband for domestic violence.

13. An employee of a local retail establishment received numerous e-mail messages at work from 

her ex-boyfriend, against whom she had a restraining order. The e-mail messages contained 

sexually offensive material and threats of violence to the employee; she turned them over to 

the police.

14. Police responded to a reported fight at a residence. Upon arrival, they discovered a man 

with a bruise around one eye. The man said that his son, aged 17, had struck him during an 

argument. The boy admitted to striking his father and apologized. The police documented 

the incident but did not arrest anyone at the scene because the father did not wish to press 

charges.

15. Two men were waiting in a line to enter a nightclub. One man tried to bully the other man 

into giving up his place in line by threatening to punch him in the face. Refusing to be 

intimidated, the man reported the threat to the nightclub’s bouncer who called the police. The 

police cited the bully but did not arrest anyone at the scene.

Aids to Classifying Assaults

Careful consideration of the following factors should assist reporting agencies in classifying 

assaults:

1. The type of weapon employed or the use of an object as a weapon

2. The seriousness of the injury

3. The intent of the assailant to cause serious injury

26 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Often, the weapon used or the extent of the injury sustained will be the deciding factor in 

distinguishing aggravated from simple assault. In only a limited number of instances should it be 

necessary for the agency to examine the intent of the assailant.

Prosecutorial policy in a jurisdiction must not dictate an agency’s classification of an assault. 

Reporting agencies must examine and classify assaults according to the standard UCR definitions, 

regardless of whether they are termed misdemeanors or felonies by local definitions. 

Aggravated assault is a troublesome crime to classify. If a number Often, the weapon of persons are involved in a dispute or disturbance and law enforcement investigation cannot distinguish the aggressors from the victims, used or the extent of 

the reporting agency must count the number of persons assaulted as the injury sustained 

the number of offenses. In such circumstances, assault classifica- will be the deciding 

tions may require agencies to identify and report both aggravated and factor in distinguish- simple assaults within the same crime scenario. Additionally, multiple ing aggravated from types of weapons may be used during the commission of the assaults. 

Occasionally, classifying offenses in this category will involve reporting simple assault.

offenses in two or more subcategories when reporting the assaults.

The following scenario offers an example of a multiple-offense situation in which some of the 

offenses must be classified as a simple assault and others as aggravated assault:

16. During a confrontation between two groups of people, a fight occurred during which several 

of the participants were injured. None of the combatants were cooperative, and all claimed 

to be innocent. It was unclear to police who was responsible for which assault. The police 

arrested eight persons, five of whom were severely beaten and in need of emergency medical 

treatment.

Explanation: To report this crime to the UCR Program, law enforcement must report a total of eight 

assaults. Even though all the victims were not known, it was known that five persons were severely beaten. Therefore, reporting agencies must classify five offenses 

as Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d) and three 

offenses as Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e).

The following scenario offers an example of a multiple-offense situation in which offenses must be 

classified in two aggravated assault subcategories:

17. Police responding to a disturbance call found a juvenile gang fight in progress. The participants escaped, except for seven youths who suffered injuries. None would cooperate, and the 

police could not determine who started the fight. Three gang members were cut severely with 

knives. The remaining four suffered broken bones from being beaten with clubs. The police 

arrested the combatants who were under the age of 18 on felonious assault charges.

Explanation: A total of seven assault offenses must be reported: three offenses classified as 

Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b) and four offenses classified as 

Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c).

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 27
BURGLARY—BREAKING OR ENTERING (5)

• Forcible Entry

• Unlawful Entry—No Force

• Attempted Forcible Entry

Definition: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.

The UCR Program classifies offenses locally known as burglary (any degree), unlawful entry with 

intent to commit a larceny or felony, breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny, housebreaking, safecracking, and all attempts at these offenses as burglary.

The UCR Program’s definition of a structure includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Apartment

• Barn

• Cabin

• Church

• Condominium 

• Dwelling house

• Factory

• Garage

• House trailer or houseboat (used as permanent dwelling)

• Mill

• Office

• Other building

• Outbuilding

• Public building

• Railroad car

• Room

• School

• Stable

• Storage facility

• Vessel (ship)

• Warehouse

Additionally, any house trailer or other mobile unit that is permanently fixed as an office, residence, or storehouse is considered a structure. Tents, tent trailers, motor homes, house trailers, or 

other mobile units that are being used for recreational purposes are not considered structures. The 

UCR Program does not consider a telephone booth a structure.

Hotel Rule

Burglaries of hotels, motels, lodging houses, or other places where lodging of transients is the 

main purpose can present reporting problems to law enforcement. If a number of units under a single 

manager are burglarized and the offenses are most likely to be reported to the police by the manager 

rather than the individual tenants, the burglary must be reported as a single offense. Examples are 

burglaries of a number of rental hotel rooms, rooms in flop houses, rooms in youth hostels, and units 

in a motel. If the individual living areas in a building are rented or leased to the occupants for a 

28 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
period of time that would preclude the tenancy from being classified as transient, then the burglaries 

would most likely be reported separately by the occupants. Such burglaries must be reported as separate offenses. Examples of this latter type of multiple burglary would be the burglaries of a number 

of apartments in an apartment house, of the offices of a number of commercial firms in a business 

building, of the offices of separate professionals within one building, or of a number of rooms in a 

college dormitory.

Thefts from automobiles, whether locked or not; shoplifting from commercial establishments; and 

thefts from telephone booths, coin boxes, or coin-operated machines are all classified as larceny-theft 

offenses. If the area entered was one of open access, thefts from the area would not involve an unlawful trespass and would be classified as larceny-theft. A forcible entry or unlawful entry in which no 

theft or felony occurs but acts of vandalism, malicious mischief, etc. are committed is not classified as 

a burglary provided investigation clearly established that the unlawful entry was for a purpose other 

than to commit a felony or theft. (For information about vandalism as a Part II offense, see page 141.) 

Of course, if the offender unlawfully entered the structure, a multiple offense exists and the agency 

must classify the offense as a burglary.

Larceny-theft is an element of burglary and, therefore, must not be reported as a separate offense if 

associated with the unlawful entry of a structure. If a forcible or unlawful entry of a building is made 

to steal a motor vehicle, the reporting agency must count the offense and 

the value of the vehicle under burglary, not motor vehicle theft.

Agencies must also

include in this When a question arises as to whether a type of structure comes within 

the scope of the burglary definition, the law enforcement officer must category burglary by

look to the nature of the crime and be guided by the examples set forth. concealment inside a

If a question remains, the agency should contact its state UCR Program. building followed by

Direct contributors should contact the national Uniform Crime Reporting exiting the structure. Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, 

Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone (888) UCR-NIBR/(888) 827-6427.

NOTE: It is important to remember that offenses must be classified according to UCR definitions 

and not according to state or local codes. Some states might, for instance, categorize a 

shoplifting or a theft from an automobile as burglary. These offenses are not classified as 

burglaries in UCR and must be reported to the national Program as larceny-thefts. 

Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a)

Law enforcement must classify as Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) all offenses where force of 

any kind is used to unlawfully enter a structure for the purpose of committing a theft or felony. This 

definition applies when a thief gains entry by using tools; breaking windows; forcing windows, doors, 

transoms, or ventilators; cutting screens, walls, or roofs; and where known, using master keys, picks, 

unauthorized keys, celluloid, a mechanical contrivance of any kind (e.g., a passkey or skeleton key), 

or other devices that leave no outward mark but are used to force a lock. Agencies must also include 

in this category burglary by concealment inside a building followed by exiting the structure.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 29
The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a):

1. A liquor store was broken into on a holiday when the store was closed. The next day, the 

manager found alcoholic beverages and money were missing and called the police.

2. A burglar used a key to enter four units in a condominium complex and stole numerous articles from each residence. The resident in each condominium called the police. The police 

made no arrest.

3. A man hid in a theater. After it closed, he stole money from the cash register and left the 

premises during the night. The police made no arrest.

Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b)

The entry of a structure in a Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b) situation is achieved 

by use of an unlocked door or window. The element of trespass to the structure is essential in this 

category, which includes thefts from open garages, open warehouses, open or unlocked dwellings, and 

open or unlocked common basement areas in apartment houses where entry is achieved by other than 

the tenant who has lawful access.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b):

4. While a housewife was in the backyard hanging clothes, a 14-year-old boy entered her house 

through the unlocked front door and took her purse. When the woman realized her purse was 

missing, she called the police. The police subsequently located the boy and charged him with 

juvenile delinquency.

5. A woman posing as a maintenance employee entered an unlocked office and stole a wallet 

from a cabinet.

6. During the night, someone stole a $24,000 car out of an unlocked, but closed, private garage. 

Two days later, police found the car abandoned in a nearby town. No suspect was identified.

In certain circumstances of burglary, an agency may be required to identify, classify, and report 

both Forcible Entry (5a) and Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b) within the same incident. Therefore, 

the agency will occasionally report offenses in two or more categories.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify in two subcategories of burglary:

7. After closing hours, a thief entered an unlocked door of a warehouse. The warehouse contained a number of offices of individual shipping companies. The subject broke into eight of 

the company offices, rifled the office desks, and stole some items from each office.

Explanation: The reporting agency must classify this incident as eight offenses of Burglary—

Forcible Entry (5a) and one offense of Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b).

30 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c)

This category includes those situations where a forcible entry burglary is attempted but not

completed. Once the thief is inside a locked structure, the offense becomes a Burglary—Forcible Entry

(5a). Agencies must classify attempts to enter an unlocked structure as well as actual trespass to an

unlocked structure as Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b). Only situations in which a thief has

attempted to break into a locked structure are classified as Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c).

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c):

8. Police investigation verified an attempted break-in at the local bank. There were no suspects 

in the incident.

LARCENY-THEFT (6)

• Pocket-picking

• Purse-snatching

• Shoplifting

• Thefts From Motor Vehicles

• Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories

• Theft of Bicycles

• Theft From Buildings

• Theft From Coin-operated Device or Machine

• All Other

Definition: The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding 

away of property from the possession or construc- All thefts and attempted 

tive possession of another. thefts are included in 

this category with one 

Constructive possession is defined by Black’s Law Dictionary, exception: motor 

6th ed. as “where one does not have physical custody or possession, vehicle theft.

but is in a position to exercise dominion or control over a thing.”

Larceny and theft mean the same thing in the UCR Program. All thefts and attempted thefts are 

included in this category with one exception: motor vehicle theft. Because of the high volume of 

motor vehicle thefts, this crime has its own offense category.

For the UCR Program, agencies must report local offense classifications such as grand theft, 

petty larceny, felony larceny, or misdemeanor larceny as larceny-theft. Also, agencies must report all 

larceny offenses regardless of the value of the property stolen.

Agencies must not classify as larceny the offenses of embezzlement; fraudulent conversion of 

entrusted property; conversion of goods lawfully possessed by bailees, lodgers, or finders of lost 

property; counterfeiting; obtaining money by false pretenses; larceny by check; larceny by bailee; or 

check fraud. Each of these crimes falls within one of the Part II offense categories, defined on pages 

139–147 of this handbook.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 31
The UCR Program divides the category larceny-theft into the following subcategories, which 

are included on the Supplement to Return A reporting form under the heading Additional Analysis of 

Larceny and Motor Vehicle Theft (6X).

Pocket-picking (6Xa)

Definition: The theft of articles from a person by stealth where the victim usually does not 

become immediately aware of the theft.

Pocket-picking includes the removal of such items as wallets from women’s purses and men’s

pockets. It usually occurs in a crowd, public conveyance, or other similar situation to disguise the

activity. Reporting agencies must also include theft from a person in an unconscious state, including

drunks, in this category. However, if the victim is manhandled or if force beyond simple jostling is

used to overcome the resistance of the victim, the offense becomes a strong-arm robbery and must be

so classified.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as pocket-picking (6Xa):

1. While standing in a crowd watching a parade, a man was jostled by someone who stole his 

billfold containing over $200.

Purse-snatching (6Xb)

Definition: The grabbing or snatching of a purse, handbag, etc., from the custody of an 

individual.

The purse must be in the physical possession of the victim in order for the theft to be classified as 

purse-snatching. If more force is used than is actually necessary to snatch the purse from the grasp 

of the owner, or if the victim resists the theft in any way, then the offense is classified as a strong-arm 

robbery. If a woman leaves her purse unattended and a thief steals it, the offense is classified as Theft 

From Buildings (6Xg) or All Other Larceny-theft Not Specifically Classified (6Xi). 

Shoplifting (6Xc)

Definition: The theft by a person (other than an employee) of goods or merchandise exposed 

for sale.

By definition, the offender in a shoplifting incident has legal access to the premises and, thus, no 

trespass or unlawful entry is involved. The category includes thefts of merchandise displayed as a 

part of the stock in trade outside buildings such as department stores, hardware stores, supermarkets, 

fruit stands, and gas stations.

32 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as shoplifting (6Xc):

2. Two persons entered a hardware store together. While one engaged the clerk in a discussion 

in the back of the store, the other stole a power saw valued at $125. 

Theft From Motor Vehicles (Except Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and 

Accessories) (6Xd)

Definition: The theft of articles from a motor vehicle, whether locked or unlocked.

This type of larceny includes thefts from automobiles, trucks, truck 

trailers, buses, motorcycles, motor homes, or other recreational vehicles. 

It also includes thefts from any area in the automobile or other vehicle If a theft from a motor 

including the trunk, glove compartment, or other enclosure. Some of vehicle occurs in conthe items included in this theft category are cameras, suitcases, wearing junction with a motor apparel, cellular phones, MP3 players, and packages. Agencies must vehicle theft, report- take care not to report items that are automobile parts and accessories 

since these fall under the category Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and ing agencies must 

Accessories (6Xe). classify the incident 

as a motor vehicle 

Certain state statutes might interpret theft from motor vehicles as theft.

burglaries. For the UCR Program, however, agencies must classify these 

thefts as Theft From Motor Vehicles (6Xd).

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Theft From Motor Vehicles (6Xd):

3. A tractor trailer parked in the company parking lot was broken into, and 20 cases of canned 

food were taken.

In larceny situations where both motor vehicle parts and accessories and articles from the motor 

vehicle are stolen, agencies must report the offense resulting in the greatest value of property loss.

If a theft from a motor vehicle occurs in conjunction with a motor vehicle theft, reporting 

agencies must classify the incident as a motor vehicle theft. 

Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories (6Xe)

Definition: The theft of any part or accessory attached to the interior or exterior of a motor

vehicle in a manner that would make the part an attachment to the vehicle or necessary for the operation of the vehicle.

Thefts of motors, transmissions, radios, heaters, hubcaps and wheel covers, manufacturers’

emblems, license plates, inspection stickers, registration tags, radio antennas, side-view mirrors, gasoline, compact disc players, air bags, citizens’ band radios, radar detectors, etc., are included in this 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 33
category. Agencies must be careful to report only parts or accessories that are attached to the vehicle. 

If items being transported in the vehicle are stolen, reporting agencies must classify the offense as a 

Theft From Motor Vehicles (6Xd).

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories (6Xe):

4. A thief broke into a locked car and was attempting to remove an expensive compact disc 

player when the owner of the car returned. The owner called the police, who arrested the 

man.

Theft of Bicycles (6Xf)

Definition: The unlawful taking of any bicycle, tandem bicycle, unicycle, etc.

The category Theft of Bicycles includes all bicycle thefts reported to law enforcement agencies. 

The UCR Program classifies thefts of motorcycles, motor scooters, mopeds, etc., as Motor Vehicle 

Theft—Other Vehicles (7c).

Theft From Buildings (6Xg)

Definition: A theft from within a building that is open to the general public and where the 

offender has legal access.

The category Theft From Buildings includes thefts from such places as churches, restaurants, 

schools, libraries, public buildings, and other public and professional offices during the hours when 

such facilities are open to the public. This category does not include shoplifting and thefts from coinoperated devices or machines within open buildings; these offenses must be classified according to 

their separate larceny categories.

Agencies must report a theft from a structure accompanied by a breaking or unlawful entry 

without breaking (trespass) as burglary, not as larceny-theft.

Theft From Coin-operated Device or Machine (6Xh)

Definition: A theft from a device or machine which is operated or activated by the use of a coin.

Coin-operated or currency-operated devices or machines (operated through use of coins, paper 

money, tokens, etc.) include candy, cigarette, and food vending machines; telephone coin boxes; parking meters; pinball machines; video machines; and washers and dryers located in laundromats where 

no breaking or illegal entry of the building is involved.

Agencies must classify as burglary incidents in which a building is broken into or illegally entered 

and a coin-operated or currency-operated device or machine in the building is rifled for money and/or 

merchandise.

34 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
All Other Larceny-theft Not Specifically Classified (6Xi)

Definition: All thefts which do not fit the definition of the specific categories of larceny listed 

above.

The category All Other Larceny-theft includes:

• Theft from fenced enclosures

• Theft from boats and airplanes

• Theft of jet skis

• Theft of animals

• Theft of lawnmowers

• Theft of lawn furniture

• Theft of hand tools

• Theft of farm and construction equipment where no breaking or entering of a structure is

 involved

• Theft following illegal entry of a tent, tent trailer, or travel trailer used for recreational 

purposes

• Theft of airplanes, bulldozers, and motorboats 

• Theft of gasoline from a self-service gas station

NOTE: The UCR Program considers only incidents in which an individual leaves a self-service 

gas station without paying for gasoline as larceny-theft. Purchasing gasoline from a fullservice gas station implies a tacit agreement with the service attendant. Therefore, agencies 

must classify incidents in which a driver leaves a full-service gas station without paying the 

attendant as fraud, not larceny-theft.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as All Other Larceny-theft Not Specifically Classified (6Xi):

5. A local airport reported the theft of a single-engine airplane by a mechanic who did not have 

permission to take the plane. The police apprehended the subject.

6. Two 17-year-old boys boarded a rowboat at dockside and stole a fishing rod and reel. The 

police apprehended both boys, but no charges were formally filed.

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT (7)

• Autos

• Trucks and Buses

• Other Vehicles

Definition: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.

Motor Vehicle Theft includes the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle, which the UCR 

Program defines as a self-propelled vehicle that runs on land surface and not on rails; for example, 

sport utility vehicles, automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, all-terrain vehicles, 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 35
and snowmobiles are classified as motor vehicles. This category does not include farm equipment, 

bulldozers, airplanes, construction equipment, or water craft (motorboats, sailboats, houseboats, or jet 

skis). Taking a vehicle for temporary use when prior authority has been granted or can be assumed 

such as in family situations, rental car agreements, or unauthorized use by chauffeurs and others 

having lawful access to the vehicle must not be classified as motor vehicle thefts.

Reporting agencies must classify as Motor Vehicle Theft all cases where automobiles are taken by 

persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned. They should include 

joyriding in this category. If a vehicle is stolen in conjunction with another offense, the reporting 

agency must classify the crimes using the procedures for classifying multiple offenses (see page 10).

Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a)

The category Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a) includes the thefts of all sedans, station wagons, 

coupes, convertibles, sport utility vehicles, minivans, and other similar motor vehicles that serve the 

primary purpose of transporting people from one place to another. Automobiles used as taxis are 

also included. Some states allow a station wagon to be registered as a truck; however, licensing is 

not a determining factor. The UCR Program stipulates that a station wagon must be classified as an 

automobile.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a):

1. A juvenile took a sport utility vehicle from in front of the owner’s residence. Approximately 

3 hours later, the police found the vehicle on the other side of town, abandoned and out of 

gas. The juvenile was not apprehended.

2. An owner awoke to find his car several parking spaces north of where it had been parked 

the previous night. There was no damage. The vehicle had not been hot wired. The owner 

noticed that the gas tank was empty. He notified the police.

3. A woman stopped at a mailbox and left her minivan running while she got out to mail a letter. 

A 14-year-old boy jumped into the vehicle and drove away. The police recovered the auto 2 

hours later, wrecked against a tree. They arrested the boy.

4. A taxi was stolen from a parking lot. The police recovered it in another city.

Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b)

The category Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b) includes the theft of those vehicles 

specifically designed (but not necessarily used) to commercially transport people and cargo. Pickup 

trucks and cargo vans, regardless of their use, are included in this category. The UCR Program 

considers a self-propelled motor home to be a truck.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b):

5. A self-propelled motor home was stolen from the driveway of a citizen’s residence. The 

police later found the vehicle stripped of all removable parts.

36 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
6. Three 16-year-old students drove their school bus from the school’s property to a local shopping center to buy concert tickets. They had no permission to use the bus. Even though no 

charges were filed against the youths, all three were summoned to appear before the juvenile 

court. 

Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c)

The category Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c) includes all other motor vehicles that 

meet the UCR definition such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, motor scooters, trail bikes, mopeds, golf 

carts, all-terrain vehicles, and motorized wheelchairs. Obviously, all situations cannot be covered, so 

the classifier’s decision must be based on UCR standards and the results of law enforcement investigation.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c):

 7. A winter retreat lodge in a mountain area had numerous snowmobiles for the use of its 

guests. During the night, three of these vehicles were stolen.

ARSON (8)

• Arson—Structural

• Arson—Mobile

• Arson—Other

Definition: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to 

defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Agencies must report as arson only fires determined through investigation to have been willfully 

or maliciously set. Attempts to burn are included in this offense, but fires of suspicious or unknown 

origins are not. Agencies must classify one offense for each distinct arson operation originating 

within the reporting jurisdiction. If an arson is perpetrated in one locale and spreads to another, the 

jurisdiction in which the fire originated must report it.

Arson—Structural (8a–g)

• Single occupancy residential (houses, townhouses, duplexes, etc.)

• Other residential (apartments, tenements, flats, hotels, motels, inns, dormitories, boarding

 houses, etc.)

• Storage (barns, garages, warehouses, etc.)

• Industrial/manufacturing 

• Other commercial (stores, restaurants, offices, etc.)

• Community/public (churches, jails, schools, colleges, hospitals, etc.)

• All other structure (out buildings, monuments, buildings under constructions, etc.)

In classifying the object of an arson as structural, reporting agencies must use the guidelines for 

defining structures set forth in the discussion of burglary in this handbook (page 28). A house trailer 

or mobile unit that is permanently fixed as an office, residence, or storehouse must be considered 

structural property.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 37
Structures are further divided into two subcategories: residential and nonresidential. The UCR 

Program considers a residential structure to be any dwelling used for human habitation, including 

houses, townhouses, apartments, etc. In order to comply with the UCR definition of Arson—Single 

Occupancy Residential (8a) structures must meet all three of the following conditions:

• Private dwellings, duplexes, townhouses, etc. each occupied by a single family group

• Total sleeping accommodations for no more than 20 persons

• No more than two rooms per unit rented to outsiders

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Arson—Structural (8a–g):

1. As the result of fire, several condominiums were destroyed or damaged. Investigation 

revealed an arsonist had ignited a fire in one condominium; however, the fire spread to several 

adjacent buildings, causing $400,000 total damage.

Residential property not meeting the above-listed criteria are classified as Other Residential (8b). 

For the purpose of reporting arson, temporary living quarters such as hotels, motels, inns, are included 

in the Other Residential category. The remaining structural subcategories address nonresidential 

property and are self-explanatory.

Arson—Mobile (8h–i)

• Motor vehicle (automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, etc.)

• Other mobile property (trailers, recreational vehicles, airplanes, boats, etc.)

Motor vehicles by UCR definition must be self-propelled and run on land surface and not on rails; 

for example, sport utility vehicles, automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, all-terrain 

vehicles, and snowmobiles are classified as motor vehicles. 

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Arson—Mobile (8h–i):

2. Someone threw a firebomb at a parked vehicle; the device missed the car and burned harmlessly in the street.

3. The owner of an airplane willfully burned it to collect the insurance money. The fire also 

damaged the plane’s hangar; the estimated total loss was $450,000. The owner fled the area 

and could not be found.

Arson—Other (8j)

The category Arson—Other (8j) subcategory encompasses arson of all property not classified as 

structural or mobile. Willful or malicious burnings of property such as crops, timber, fences, signs, 

and merchandise stored outside structures are included in this category.

38 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify as Arson—Other (8j):

4. A 16-year-old boy, whose motive was revenge, burned the timber belonging to a local 

rancher, causing $200,000 in damage. The police arrested the juvenile.

Cautions In Classifying Arson

Key to properly classifying arson is establishing the point of origin of a fire. If an individual willfully burns a vehicle parked adjacent to a home and the fire subsequently spreads to and destroys the 

home, the appropriate arson subcategory would be Mobile—Motor Vehicle (8h). In cases where the 

point of origin is undetermined or in instances of multiple points of origin, the agency must report the 

structural, mobile, or other category of property that suffered the greatest fire damage.

Incidents in which persons are killed as a direct result of arson are classified as both criminal 

homicides and arson. Similarly, the number of persons severely injured during an arson must be 

reported as aggravated assaults along with the arson.

NOTE: The Hierarchy Rule does not apply to the offense of arson. In Key to properly cases in which an arson occurs in conjunction with another Part I classifying arson crime, the agency must report both crimes, the arson and the additional Part I offense. For multiple offenses, one of which is arson, is establishing the 

the reporting agency must report the arson and apply the Hierarchy point of origin of a 

Rule to the remaining Part I crimes to determine which one is the fire.

most serious and should also be reported.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must classify both as Arson—Structural (8a–g) and the appropriate Part I offense:

5. The police and fire investigators determined a fire was deliberately set in a single-family 

home valued at $165,000. Rescue workers assisted in helping the family escape; however, a 

child, aged 8, died at the scene from smoke inhalation. No arrests were made.

Explanation: Law enforcement must report arson and criminal homicide.

6. Three individuals broke into a warehouse. While inside, they spray painted the walls. They 

located the night watchman and kicked him into unconsciousness. The watchman sustained 

several broken ribs. Prior to leaving, the vandals sloshed gasoline around the premises. The 

police arrived on the scene and apprehended two of the three suspects as they were attempting to ignite the gasoline. Investigators estimated the damage at $4,000.

Explanation: Law enforcement must report arson and aggravated assault.

7. A fire was reported at the local college dormitory. Ten students were killed as a direct result 

of the flames and asphyxiation. Two more students died from internal injuries received when 

they attempted to jump to safety. Six people were hospitalized with second- and third-degree 

burns. Final investigative reports of the incident revealed that tennis balls soaked in alcohol 

had been ignited against a dormitory room door as a prank.

Explanation: Law enforcement must report arson and criminal homicide.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 39
40 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004

Notes
CHAPTER III

SCORING OFFENSES

Scoring is counting the number of offenses after they have been classified. The appropriate 

scoring of Part I crime is directly related to the two types of crimes involved, crimes against the 

person and crimes against property.

Generally, agencies score attempts to commit a crime as though the crimes were actually completed. The only exception to this rule applies to attempts or assaults to murder wherein the victim 

does not die; these offenses must be scored as aggravated assaults rather than attempted murders.

Crimes Against the Person Versus Crimes Against Property

Distinguishing between crimes committed against persons and those committed against property 

greatly facilitates the process of scoring offenses. In the UCR Program, the offenses of criminal

homicide, forcible rape, and aggravated assault are crimes against the person. For these crimes, one 

offense is counted for each victim. Robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson 

are crimes against property. For these crimes, one offense is counted for each distinct operation or 

attempt, except in the case of motor vehicle theft for which one offense is counted for each stolen 

vehicle and one offense for each attempt to steal a motor vehicle.

Scoring Offenses on the Return A

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

Number of clearances

involving only

(Include “unfounded” complaints minus Column 3) exceptional means persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

CRIMINAL HOMICIDE (1)

• Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

• Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence

Crime Against the Person

Score One Offense Per Victim

Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a):

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 41
1. A berserk gunman shot and killed three pedestrians. The police subdued the offender and 

placed him under arrest. (Three offenses, three offenses cleared by arrest.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 3 3 3

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

2. A neighbor discovered an infant who had been beaten. The neighbor rushed the infant to the 

hospital. The infant later died as a direct result of the injuries. Investigation revealed that the 

mother was responsible. The mother was not considered mentally competent, and the district 

attorney did not wish to prosecute. (One offense, one offense cleared by exceptional means.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

3. A man shot and killed his neighbor in an argument over the location of their property line. 

The police arrested the man and charged him with murder. (One offense, one offense cleared 

by arrest.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

4. A husband and wife had an argument. The wife shot the husband and severely wounded him. 

He grabbed the gun and shot and killed her. The husband survived his wounds. The police 

subsequently arrested him. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

42 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
5. A man was in a fight on the second floor of a building. During the fight, he was knocked 

through a window and fell to his death. No arrest was made. (One offense, one offense not 

cleared.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

6. While attempting to break up a fight, a man was struck over the head with an ashtray by one 

of the combatants. During the incident, a pre-existing aneurysm burst in the man’s head, 

causing his death. No arrest was made. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

7. A psychiatrist counseling a young female patient performed a criminal abortion on her. She 

died of peritonitis resulting from the operation. The psychiatrist fled the state and is still 

wanted for the crime. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

8. A teller chased a robber from a bank. The robber fired at him. His shot missed the teller but 

killed a woman walking on the street. The police did not locate the robber. (One offense, 

one offense not cleared.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 43
9. While playing cards, two men got into an argument. The first man attacked the second with 

a broken bottle. The second man pulled a gun and killed the first. The police arrested the 

shooter; he claimed self-defense. The police found no other witnesses. (One offense, one 

offense cleared by arrest.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

10. A felon fleeing in her car attempted to get through a police roadblock. As a result, she struck 

and killed two police officers. (Two offenses, two offenses not cleared.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 2 2

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

NOTE: For each Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) reported on 

the Return A, the reporting agency must make an entry on the front of the Supplementary 

Homicide Report (SHR) form in order to provide additional required information. The UCR 

Program uses the SHR to provide more detailed information about the victim and offender in 

a homicide such as the relationship of victim to offender, the weapon used, and the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death. (Refer to pages 104–107 for a discussion of the SHR

form). Additionally, the agency to which the deceased officers were assigned must complete 

the applicable law enforcement officers killed and assaulted forms. (See pages 109–111 for 

a discussion of these forms.)

Justifiable Homicide

To report justifiable homicides on the Return A, agencies must score one offense for each victim 

in Column 2 on line 1a. Agencies must score that same number of offenses in Column 3, Unfounded. 

Finally, agencies must not score the number of actual offenses in Column 4 because a justifiable 

homicide is not an offense.

NOTE: A justifiable homicide, by definition, occurs in conjunction with other offenses. Therefore, 

the crime being committed when the justifiable homicide took place must be reported as a 

separate offense. Further, the crime being committed by the felon at the time of his or her 

death must be cleared by exceptional means. (See pages 80–81 for a discussion of cleared 

by exceptional means.) Reporting agencies must ensure that they do not classify a killing 

as justifiable or excusable solely on the claims of self-defense or on the action of a coroner, 

prosecutor, grand jury, or court.

44 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenario is an example of a justifiable homicide by a police officer that reporting 

agencies must score as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) and then 

score as Unfounded:

11. A police officer answered a bank alarm and surprised the robber coming out of the bank. 

The robber saw the responding officer and fired at him. The officer returned fire, killing the 

robber. The officer was charged in a court of record as a matter of routine in such cases. 

(One offense of criminal homicide, unfounded, and one offense of robbery, cleared by 

exceptional means.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 31 1 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

NOTE: In this situation, the general rule for classification does not apply. The activity of the robber 

is classified as robbery. The killing by the officer in the line of duty is classified as justifiable homicide and must be entered opposite the criminal homicide (1a) category in Column 

2 of the Return A and unfounded in Column 3. Therefore, the killing has been accounted 

for as murder, but also reported as unfounded. Additionally, this incident must be classified 

and scored as an assault on the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted form 1-701.

The following scenario is an example of a justifiable homicide by a private citizen that reporting 

agencies must score as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) and then 

score as Unfounded:

12. When a gunman entered a store and attempted to rob the proprietor, the storekeeper shot and 

killed the felon. (One offense of murder, unfounded, and one offense of robbery, cleared by 

exceptional means.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 31 1 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 45
Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b)

As a general rule, one offense is counted for each death caused by the gross negligence of another. 

Deaths of persons due to their own negligence, accidental deaths not resulting from gross negligence, 

and traffic fatalities are not included in the category Manslaughter by Negligence (1b). However, 

arrests in connection with traffic fatalities must be counted on the Age, Sex, and Race of Persons 

Arrested (ASR) form opposite “Manslaughter by Negligence.” The findings of a court, coroner’s 

inquest, etc., do not affect classifying or scoring; these are law enforcement statistics.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Criminal Homicide—Manslaughter by Negligence (1b).

13. While two juveniles were playing with a gun, one playfully pointed it at the other. The youth 

pointing the gun fired it and killed the other. At the time of arrest, the juvenile claimed no 

knowledge of the gun being loaded. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12 1 1 1 1

14. A target shooter was practicing in an unicorporated wooded area near some houses. One shot 

missed the target and killed a resident. The police arrested the shooter. (One offense, one 

offense cleared by arrest.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12 1 1 1

NOTE: For each Manslaughter by Negligence (1b) reported on the Return A, the reporting agency 

must make an entry on the back of the SHR form in order to provide additional required 

information.

FORCIBLE RAPE (2)

• Rape by Force

• Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape

Crime Against the Person

Score One Offense Per Victim

46 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Forcible Rape—Rape by Force (2a)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Forcible Rape—Rape by Force (2a):

1. Law enforcement received a complaint from a victim who claimed that when she was leaving 

work late one night, she was attacked in the company parking lot by an unidentified male and 

forcibly raped. The offender was not apprehended. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

2. FORCIBLE RAPE TOTAL 20

1 1

 a. Rape by Force 21 1 1

 b. Attempts to commit Forcible Rape 22

2. Two men lured a woman to their motel room with the promise of discussing a job 

opportunity. They threatened her with a knife and both forcibly raped her. On complaint by 

the woman, the police arrested both men. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

2. FORCIBLE RAPE TOTAL 20

1 1 1

 a. Rape by Force 21 1 1 1

 b. Attempts to commit Forcible Rape 22

NOTE: In cases where several males attack one female, agencies must count the number of victims, 

not the number of offenders nor the number of times the female was raped.

3. Three girls were attacked, assaulted, and raped by four boys. Each boy raped each of the 

girls. No arrests were made. (Three offenses, three offenses not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

2. FORCIBLE RAPE TOTAL 20

3 3

 a. Rape by Force 21 3 3

 b. Attempts to commit Forcible Rape 22

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 47
Forcible Rape—Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Forcible Rape—Attempts to Commit Forcible Rape (2b):

4. A man attacked a woman on the street, knocked her down, and attempted to rape her. A 

pedestrian frightened the man away before he could complete the attack. The police were 

notified. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

2. FORCIBLE RAPE TOTAL 20

1 1

 a. Rape by Force 21

 b. Attempts to commit Forcible Rape 22 1 1

Actual offenses of forcible rape are scored opposite item 2a, and assaults or attempts to forcibly 

rape are scored opposite item 2b. Both subtotals, 2a and 2b, are added for forcible rape total. 

5. At a local bar, a man slipped gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB), a date rape drug, into a 

woman’s drink. However, the man was unable to lure the woman away from her friends. 

Investigators concluded that the man intended to have intercourse with the woman and 

arrested him. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearance

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

2. FORCIBLE RAPE TOTAL 20

1 1 1

 a. Rape by Force 21

 b. Attempts to commit Forcible Rape 22 1 1 1

ROBBERY (3)

• Firearm

• Knife or Cutting Instrument

• Other Dangerous Weapon

• Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. 

Crime Against Property

Score One Offense Per Distinct Operation

Agencies must not count the number of victims robbed, those present at the robbery, or the number of offenders when scoring this crime.

48 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Robbery—Firearm (3a)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Robbery—Firearm (3a):

1. A man came to a victim’s door and asked to use the phone. After being admitted to the 

residence, he pulled a gun and demanded money. He took the victim’s money and fled. The 

police have yet to apprehend the suspect. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

2. A lone male with a gun appeared in a tavern and ordered ten patrons and the owner to hand 

over their cash and jewelry. After obtaining their possessions, the man left. (One offense, 

one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

3. Four individuals planned to rob a local supermarket. One of the group informed the police. 

On the appointed day, the four walked in the front door of the market armed with handguns. 

They all were arrested. The informant was later released for cooperating. (One offense, one 

offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 31 1 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 49
4. A person with a shotgun entered a rural grocery store and ordered the clerk to hand over 

the cash. The clerk complied. The suspect ran out of the store to a waiting car. The clerk 

notified the police. The police spotted the suspect’s vehicle and engaged in a high-speed 

chase. They apprehended a 17-year-old suspect. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest 

of a person under 18.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 31 1 1 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Robbery—Knife or Cutting Instrument (3b):

5. A lone male approached a car stopped at a traffic light. The male brandished a knife and 

ordered the driver of the car to get out of the vehicle. She complied, and the male then 

jumped into the car and drove away, leaving the car owner frightened but unhurt. The woman 

called the police. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32 1 1

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

50 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
6. A man was walking down the street when an assailant grabbed him and held a broken bottle 

to his throat. While the assailant was attempting to remove the victim’s wallet from his 

pocket, the police arrived and arrested the assailant. (One offense, one offense cleared by 

arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32 1 1 1

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Robbery—Other Dangerous Weapon (3c):

7. Two men accosted a third, an acquaintance, in an alley near a bar. They beat him severely 

with a club and took his wallet containing several hundred dollars. The victim reported the 

incident to the police. No arrest was made. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33 1 1

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

8. A woman robbed a jewelry store by threatening to detonate a bomb. Two store employees 

managed to detain the suspect until the police arrrived. The subject was arrested. (One 

offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33 1 1 1

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 51
9. While a motorist was stopped at an intersection, a man armed with a canister of Mace 

forcibly removed her from her convertible. The man got into the vehicle and drove away. 

The motorist suffered several cuts and bruises in the confrontation. The police were unable 

to locate the offender or the vehicle. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33 1 1

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Robbery—Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc. (3d)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Robbery—Strong-arm—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. (3d):

10. During a purse-snatching, a thief shoved a woman to the ground and took her purse. The 

thief escaped. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34 1 1

11. A juvenile was observed by a store security guard concealing compact discs under his shirt. 

When he was confronted, the youth punched the security guard and fled the store, leaving the 

compact discs behind. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 1 1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34 1 1

52 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
ASSAULT (4)

• Firearm

• Knife or Cutting Instrument

• Other Dangerous Weapon

• Strong-arm—Hands, Fist, Feet, etc.—Aggravated Injury

• Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated

Crime Against the Person

Score One Offense Per Victim

Attempts and assaults to murder must be classified as aggravated assault.

NOTE: Aggravated assault is a troublesome crime to score. If a number of persons are involved in 

a dispute or disturbance and law enforcement investigation cannot distinguish the aggressors from the victims, reporting agencies must count the number of persons assaulted as the 

number of offenses.

Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Aggravated Assault—Firearm (4a):

1. A man had an argument with his girlfriend. She left and later returned with a gun and shot 

the man, attempting to kill him. He recovered from his gunshot wound. The police arrested 

the woman. She was prosecuted for attempted murder. (One offense, one offense cleared by 

arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41 1 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 53
2. While an officer was attempting to serve a warrant, the individual ran from her. The subject 

turned and fired on the officer, wounding her. Assisting officers caught and arrested the 

individual. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41 1 1 1

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

NOTE: Additionally, this incident must be classified and scored as an assault on the Law 

Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted form 1-701.

Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument (4b):

3. During a dice game, a heated argument erupted and one man stabbed another with a 

hypodermic needle. The victim recovered but refused to press charges against his attacker. 

(One offense, one offense cleared by exceptional means.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42 1 1 1

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

54 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
4. During an argument, a man cut a woman with a razor. The police were unable to locate the 

suspect. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42 1 1

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon (4c):

5. At the scene of a riot, three police officers were attacked by 20 rioters who were armed with 

clubs and rocks. The police officers sustained injuries that caused them to be hospitalized. 

A total of 45 rioters, including 18 of those participating in the assaults, were arrested for 

disorderly conduct. (Three offenses, three offenses cleared by arrest).

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

3 3 3

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43 3 3 3

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

NOTE: Additionally, this incident must be classified and scored as an assault on the Law 

Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted form 1-701.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 55
6. During an argument, a man picked up a tire iron and hit his neighbors, a man and his wife. 

The man suffered a minor bruise, but the wife had a concussion from a blow to the head. The 

police arrested the attacker. (Two offenses, two offenses cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

2 2 2

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43 2 2 2

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

7. During a physical altercation between two patrons at a local tavern, one of the men displayed 

a vial filled with a biological contaminant in a threatening manner. The police arrived at the 

tavern and arrested the individual. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43 1 1 1

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

8. The police responded to a fight-in-progress call. They found the offender beating a victim 

about the face and head with a shoe. The victim suffered a cut that required several stitches. 

The offender was arrested at the scene. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43 1 1 1

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

56 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, Etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Aggravated Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.—Aggravated Injury (4d):

9. A man came home drunk. During an argument with his wife, he slapped her with an open 

hand and broke her jaw. The police arrested the husband, but his wife refused to prosecute. 

(One offense, one offense cleared by exceptional means.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44 1 1 1

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

10. During an argument over a parking space, one man pushed another to the ground. The man 

on the ground suffered an abrasion and a broken wrist. The individual who pushed him was 

later arrested for assault. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44 1 1 1

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 57
Assault—Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Assault—Other Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated (4e):

11. Several bar patrons were watching a football game on television. The supporters of the two 

teams exchanged heated words that led to a fist fight. The bartender called the police. None 

of the participants cooperated, so the police could not determine who started the fight. The 

police arrested six patrons, who had suffered bruises and minor cuts, and charged them with 

affray. (Six offenses, six offenses cleared by arrest.) 

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearance

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

6 6 6

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45 6 6 6

12. A married couple was arguing about financial problems. The husband slapped his wife and left

the house. The wife followed him, and they continued their argument. The police responded to

a call by a neighbor. The wife told them that her husband slapped her. The police arrested the

husband for domestic violence. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45 1 1 1

58 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
13. An employee of a local retail establishment received numerous e-mail messages at work from 

her ex-boyfriend, against whom she had a restraining order. The e-mail messages contained 

sexually offensive material and threats of violence to the employee, so she turned them over 

to the police. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45 1 1

14. The police responded to a reported fight at a residence. Upon arrival, they discovered a man 

with a bruise around one eye. The man said that his son, aged 17, had struck him during an 

argument. The boy admitted to striking his father and apologized. The police documented 

the incident but did not arrest anyone at the scene because the father did not wish to press 

charges. (One offense, one offense cleared by exceptional means.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45 1 1 1 1

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 59
15. Two men were waiting in a line to enter a nightclub. One man tried to bully the other man 

into giving up his place in line by threatening to punch him in the face. Refusing to be 

intimidated, the man reported the threat to the nightclub’s bouncer who called the police. 

The police cited the bully but did not arrest anyone at the scene. (One offense, one offense 

cleared by exceptional means.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45 1 1 1

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting 

agencies must score as simple assaults and as aggravated assaults:

16. During a confrontation between two groups of people, a fight occurred during which several 

of the participants were injured. None of the combatants were cooperative, and all claimed to 

be innocent. It was unclear to the police who was responsible for which assault. The police 

arrested eight persons, five of whom were severely beaten and in need of emergency medical 

treatment. (A total of eight offenses must be reported: five offenses classified as Aggravated 

Assault—Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. [4d] and three offenses classified as Other Assaults—

Simple, Not Aggravated [4e]. Eight offenses cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

8 8 8

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44 5 5 5

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45 3 3 3

60 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score in two aggravated assault subcategories:

17. Police responding to a disturbance call found a juvenile gang fight in progress. The 

participants escaped, except for seven youths who suffered injuries. None would cooperate, 

and the police could not determine who started the fight. Three gang members had been 

cut severely with knives. The remaining four suffered broken bones from being beaten 

with clubs. The police arrested the combatants who were under the age of 18 on felonious 

assault charges. (A total of seven assault offenses must be reported: three offenses classified 

as Aggravated Assault—Knife or Cutting Instrument [4b] and four offenses classified as 

Aggravated Assault—Other Dangerous Weapon [4c]. Seven offenses cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

7 7 7 7

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42 3 3 3 3

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43 4 4 4 4

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 61
BURGLARY—BREAKING OR ENTERING (5)

• Forcible Entry

• Unlawful Entry—No Force

• Attempted Forcible Entry

Crime Against Property

Score One Offense Per Distinct Operation

The UCR Program scores as burglary those offenses locally known as burglary (any degree), 

unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony, breaking and entering with intent to commit 

a larceny, housebreaking, safecracking, and all attempts at these offenses.

Hotel Rule

Burglaries of hotels, motels, lodging houses, and other places where lodging of transients is the 

main purpose are scored under provisions of the Hotel Rule. This principle of scoring dictates that 

if a number of dwelling units under a single manager are burglarized and the offenses are most likely 

to be reported to the police by the manager rather than the individual tenants, the burglary must be 

scored as one offense.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score under the provisions of the Hotel Rule:

1. A thief entered a hotel, forcibly entered seven unoccupied guests’ rooms and stole cash, 

jewelry, and other personal belongings from each room. Subsequent police investigation 

eliminated hotel employees and others who had lawful access to the rooms. (One offense, 

one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51 1 1

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

However, if the individual living areas in a building are rented or leased to the occupants for a 

period of time, which would preclude the tenancy from being classified as transient, then the occupants would probably report the burglaries separately. Reporting agencies must score these burglaries 

as separate offenses. Examples of this latter type of multiple burglary include burglaries of a number 

of apartments in an apartment house, the offices of a number of commercial firms in a business building, or the offices of separate professionals within one building.

62 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as multiple offenses of Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a):

2. The manager of a self-storage facility called the police to investigate a possible burglary. 

Once on the scene, the police determined that six storage facilities had been forced open and 

that items had been stolen from each facility. No arrest has been made. (Six offenses, six 

offenses not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

6 6

 a. Forcible Entry 51 6 6

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a):

1. A liquor store was broken into on a holiday when the store was closed. The next day, the 

manager found alcoholic beverages and money were missing and called the police. (One 

offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51 1 1

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 63
2. A burglar used a key to enter four units in a condominium complex and stole numerous 

articles from each residence. The resident in each condominium called the police. The 

police made no arrest. (Four offenses, four offenses not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

4 4

 a. Forcible Entry 51 4 4

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

3. A man hid in a theater. After it closed, he stole money from the cash register and left 

the premises during the night. The police made no arrest. (One offense, one offense not 

cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51 1 1

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b):

4. While a housewife was in the backyard hanging clothes, a 14-year-old boy entered her house 

through the unlocked front door and took her purse. When the woman realized her purse was 

missing, she called the police. The police subsequently located the boy and charged him with 

juvenile delinquency. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest of a person under age 18.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1 1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52 1 1 1 1

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

64 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
5. A woman posing as a maintenance employee entered an unlock ed office and stole a wallet 

from a cabinet. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52 1 1

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

6. During the night, someone stole a $24,000 car out of an unlocked, but closed, private garage. 

Two days later, police found the car abandoned in a nearby town. No suspect was identified. 

(One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52 1 1

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

In certain circumstances involving burglary, the reporting agency may be required to classify 

and score both Forcible Entry (5a) and Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b) within the same incident. 

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as both Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) and Burglary—Unlawful Entry—No Force (5b):

7. After closing hours, a thief entered an unlocked door of a warehouse. The warehouse 

contained a number of offices of individual shipping companies. The subject broke into eight 

of the company offices, rifled the office desks, and stole some items from each office. (Eight 

offenses of Burglary—Forcible Entry [5a], not cleared; one offense of Burglary—Unlawful 

Entry—No Force [5b], not cleared, for a total of nine offenses. Nine offenses not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

9 9

 a. Forcible Entry 51 8 8

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52 1 1

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 65
Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c)

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Burglary—Attempted Forcible Entry (5c):

8. Police investigation verified an attempted break-in at the local bank. There were no suspects 

in the incident. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53 1 1

LARCENY-THEFT (6)

Crime Against Property

Score One Offense Per Distinct Operation

In larceny-theft situations, whether a single article or several articles are stolen from one place on 

the same occasion, only one distinct operation has occurred, and reporting agencies must score one 

offense. The number of offenses reported would be one even if several items belonging to different 

people were stolen at the same time from one place. (See the Separation of Time and Place Rule, 

page 12.)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Larceny-theft (6):

1. While standing in a crowd watching a parade, a man was jostled by someone who stole his 

billfold containing over $200. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

6. 60 LARCENY - THEFT TOTAL 1 1

 (Except Motor Vehicle Theft)

66 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
2. Two persons entered a hardware store together. While one engaged the clerk in a discussion 

in the back of the store, the other stole a power saw valued at $125. (One offense, one 

offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

6. 60 LARCENY - THEFT TOTAL 1 1

 (Except Motor Vehicle Theft)

3. A tractor trailer parked in the company parking lot was broken into, and 20 cases of canned 

food were taken. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

6. 60 LARCENY - THEFT TOTAL 1 1

 (Except Motor Vehicle Theft)

4. A thief broke into a locked car and was attempting to remove an expensive compact disc 

player when the owner of the car returned. The owner called the police, who arrested the 

man. (One offense, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

6. 60 LARCENY - THEFT TOTAL 1 1 1

 (Except Motor Vehicle Theft)

5. A local airport reported the theft of a single-engine airplane by a mechanic who did not have 

permission to take the plane. The police apprehended the subject. (One offense, one offense 

cleared by arrest.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

6. 60 LARCENY - THEFT TOTAL 1 1 1

 (Except Motor Vehicle Theft)

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 67
6. Two 17-year-old boys boarded a rowboat at dockside and stole a fishing rod and reel. The 

police apprehended both boys, but no charges were formally filed. (One offense, one offense 

cleared by arrest of a person under age 18.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

6. 60 LARCENY - THEFT TOTAL 1 1 1 1

 (Except Motor Vehicle Theft)

MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT (7)

• Autos

• Trucks and Buses

• Other Vehicles

Crime Against Property

Score One Offense For Each Stolen Vehicle

To score thefts of motor vehicles, reporting agencies must score one offense for each vehicle 

stolen and one offense for each attempt to steal a motor vehicle. The theft of a vehicle must be scored 

as such even though the vehicle was recovered very soon after the theft occured. 

Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Motor Vehicle Theft—Autos (7a):

1. A juvenile took a sport utility vehicle from in front of the owner’s residence. Approximately 

3 hours later, the police found the vehicle on the other side of town, abandoned and out of 

gas. The juvenile was not apprehended. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

1 1

 a. Autos 71 1 1

 b. Trucks and Buses 72

 c. Other Vehicles 73

68 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
2. An owner awoke to find his car several parking spaces north of where it had been parked 

the previous night. There was no damage. The vehicle had not been hot wired. The owner 

noticed that the gas tank was empty. He notified the police. (One offense, one offense not 

cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

1 1

 a. Autos 71 1 1

 b. Trucks and Buses 72

 c. Other Vehicles 73

3. A woman stopped at a mailbox and left her minivan running while she got out to mail a letter. 

A 14-year-old boy jumped into the vehicle and drove away. The police recovered the auto 2 

hours later, wrecked against a tree. They arrested the boy. (One offense, one offense cleared 

by arrest of a person under age 18.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

1 1 1 1

 a. Autos 71 1 1 1 1

 b. Trucks and Buses 72

 c. Other Vehicles 73

4. A taxi was stolen from a parking lot. The police recovered it in another city. (One offense, 

one offense not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

1 1

 a. Autos 71 1 1

 b. Trucks and Buses 72

 c. Other Vehicles 73

Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Motor Vehicle Theft—Trucks and Buses (7b):

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 69
5. A self-propelled motor home was stolen from the driveway of a citizen’s residence. The 

police later found the vehicle stripped of all removable parts. (One offense, one offense not 

cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

1 1

 a. Autos 71

 b. Trucks and Buses 72 1 1

 c. Other Vehicles 73

6. Three 16-year-old students drove their school bus from the school’s property to a local shopping center to buy concert tickets. They had no permission to use the bus. Even though no 

charges were filed against the youths, all three were summoned to appear before the juvenile 

court. (One offense, one offense cleared by exceptional means of a person under age 18.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

1 1 1 1

 a. Autos 71

 b. Trucks and Buses 72 1 1 1 1

 c. Other Vehicles 73

Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c)

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Motor Vehicle Theft—Other Vehicles (7c):

7. A winter retreat lodge in a mountain area had numerous snowmobiles for the use of its 

guests. During the night, three of these vehicles were stolen. (Three offenses, three offenses 

not cleared.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT TOTAL 70

3 3

 a. Autos 71

 b. Trucks and Buses 72

 c. Other Vehicles 73 3 3

70 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
ARSON (8)

• Structural

• Mobile

• Other

Crime Against Property

Score One Offense Per Distinct Operation

Because of the unique nature of the crime of arson, the UCR Program provides a separate 

reporting form (Monthly Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement) for collecting arson 

data. On the form, the various property types appear in Column l. Columns 2 through 6 are identical to those on the Return A, but two additional columns are included on the arson form. Reporting 

agencies must use Column 7 to enter the number of arson offenses that involved structures (a–g only) 

that were uninhabited, abandoned, deserted, or not normally in use. In Column 8, the agency must 

enter the estimated value of property damage for all arson offenses entered in Column 4. These two 

additional columns are discussed further in Chapter IV of this handbook. (See pages 94–96.)

Arson—Structural (8a–g)

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Arson on the Monthly Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement:

1. As the result of fire, several condominiums were destroyed or damaged. Investigation 

revealed an arsonist had ignited a fire in one condominium; however, the fire spread to several 

adjacent buildings, causing $400,000 total damage. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

A. Single Occupancy Residential:

 Houses, Townhouses, Duplexes, etc.

1 1 $400,000

2. The police and fire investigators determined a fire was deliberately set in a single-family 

home valued at $165,000. Rescue workers assisted in helping the family escape; however, a 

child, aged 8, died at the scene from smoke inhalation. No arrests were made. (One offense 

of arson, one offense of criminal homicide, not cleared.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

A. Single Occupancy Residential:

 Houses, Townhouses, Duplexes, etc.

1 1 $165,000

NOTE: The criminal homicide must also be reported on the Return A form and on the SHR form. 

See NOTE on page 39 for further explanation.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 71
1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

3. A fire was reported at the local college dormitory. Ten students were killed as a direct result 

of the flames and asphyxiation. Two more students died from internal injuries received 

when they attempted to jump to safety. Six people were hospitalized with second- and thirddegree burns. Final investigative reports of the incident revealed that tennis balls soaked in 

alcohol had been ignited against a dormitory room door as a prank. No arrests were made. 

Investigators estimated the damage at $1.5 million. (One offense of arson, one offense not 

cleared; 12 offenses of criminal homicide, 12 offenses not cleared.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

B. Other Residential:

Apartments, Tenements, Flats, Hotels, 

Motels, Inns, Dormitories, Boarding 

Houses, etc.

1 1 $1,500,000

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

 a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 12 12

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

4. Three individuals broke into a warehouse. While inside, they spray painted the walls. They 

located the night watchman and kicked him into unconsciousness. The watchman sustained 

several broken ribs. Prior to leaving, the vandals sloshed gasoline around the premises. 

The police arrived on the scene and apprehended two of the three suspects as they were 

attempting to ignite the gasoline. Investigators estimated the damage at $4,000. (One offense 

of arson, one offense of aggravated assault, one offense cleared by arrest.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

C. Storage

Barns, Garages, Warehouses, etc.

1 1 1 $4,000

72 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
NOTE: The aggravated assault must also be reported on the Return A form. 

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearance

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40

1 1 1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44 1 1 1

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

Arson—Mobile (8h–i)

5. Someone threw a firebomb at a parked vehicle; the device missed the car and burned 

harmlessly in the street. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

H. 1 1 $0

UCR Definition

 Motor Vehicles:

Automobiles, Trucks, Buses, 

Motorcycles, etc.

6. The owner of an airplane willfully burned it to collect the insurance money. The fire also 

damaged the plane’s hangar; the estimated total loss was $450,000. The owner fled the area 

and could not be found. (One offense, one offense not cleared.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

I. Other Mobile Property:

Trailers, Recreational Vehicles, 

Airplanes, Boats, etc.

1 1 $450,000

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 73
Arson—Other (8j)

7. A 16-year-old boy, whose motive was revenge, burned the timber belonging to a local 

rancher, causing $200,000 damage. The police arrested the juvenile. (One offense, one 

offense cleared by arrest of a person under age 18.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

J. TOTAL OTHER

Crops, Timber, Fences, Signs, etc.

1 1 1 1 $200,000

Because of the hazardous nature of the professions of police officers and firefighters, arson-related 

deaths and injuries of these individuals are excluded from the Return A and SHR but law enforcement 

officer deaths and injuries should be reported on the appropriate LEOKA forms (see pages 109–111).

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Arson, but not murder.

8. The police and fire officials responded to a report of a car, valued at $15,000, burning parked 

along an interstate highway. As two firefighters approached the car, it exploded, killing the 

two firefighters. Debris from the explosion struck a police officer causing a laceration that 

required stitches. Investigation determined that an incendiary device caused the fire. (One 

offense, one offense not cleared.)

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded)

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

H. 1 1 $15,000

UCR Definition

 Motor Vehicles:

Automobiles, Trucks, Buses, 

Motorcycles, etc.

74 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
CHAPTER IV

MONTHLY REPORTING FORMS AND THEIR PREPARATION

RETURN A—MONTHLY RETURN OF OFFENSES KNOWN TO THE 

POLICE

The Return A is the form local, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement agencies use 

monthly for the UCR Program to collect data on offenses that become known to them. It is important 

that contributing agencies report on the Return A all of the Part I offenses occurring in their jurisdictions each month. If no offenses have occurred during the month, the reporting agency must submit 

the Return A with zeros in the Grand Total row. Agencies must also count and include on the Return 

A the offenses cleared by arrest or exceptional means as defined in this handbook (see pages 80–81).

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 75
76 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 
The UCR Program suggests that agencies preparing to submit information on the Return A use 

a tally book to aid in classifying and scoring the Part I offenses during the month. Available free of 

charge from the UCR Program, these books have the same format as the Return A. During the month, 

reporting agencies can make tallies from their offense reports and then easily transfer the data in total 

to the reporting form. Agencies should not send the tally book to the national or state Programs but 

maintain it in their own files.

The following explains each column on the Return A:

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

Column 1: CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

The Part I criminal offenses to be scored on the Return A are listed in Column 1. (Definitions for 

Part I offenses can be found in Chapter II.) They include:

1. Criminal Homicide

2. Forcible Rape

3. Robbery

4. Aggravated Assault

5. Burglary

6. Larceny-theft

7. Motor Vehicle Theft

NOTE: There is a separate form on which to report arson offenses.

Column 2: OFFENSES REPORTED OR KNOWN TO POLICE (INCLUDE 

UNFOUNDED AND ATTEMPTS)

Reporting agencies must indicate in Column 2 all actual and attempted offenses reported within 

their jurisdictions for the month. Agencies must also include in this column any crimes committed in 

previous months but not reported until the current month. It is important that agencies enter into this 

column all known offenses, including those subsequently determined to be unfounded. Each entry 

made on the Return A and tally book must be classified according to the standard UCR definition. 

(Attempted murder is scored as an aggravated assault.)

Column 3: UNFOUNDED, I.E., FALSE OR BASELESS COMPLAINTS

Occasionally, an agency will receive a complaint that is determined through investigation to 

be false or baseless. In other words, no crime occurred. If the investigation shows that no offense 

occurred nor was attempted, UCR Program procedures dictate that the reported offense must be 

unfounded in Column 3. Agencies must still record all such Part I offenses and then score them as 

unfounded on the current month’s Return A.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 77
NOTE: The recovery of stolen property, the low value of stolen property, the refusal of the victim 

to cooperate with prosecution, or the failure to make an arrest does not unfound a legitimate 

offense. Also, the findings of a coroner, court, jury, or prosecutor do not unfound offenses 

or attempts that law enforcement investigations establish to be legitimate. If, after scoring 

an actual offense in one of the Part I categories, new information is developed through investigation that shows that the offense in fact did not occur, an agency must unfound it on the 

next monthly Return A the agency submits. Additionally, if the offense the agency unfounds 

has a property value, the agency must unfound the value as well.

The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must report as unfounded complaints:

1. A woman claimed that a man attempted to rape her in his 

The recovery of automobile. When law enforcement personnel talked to both 

stolen property, individuals, the complainant admitted that she had exaggerated and 

the low value of that the man did not attempt to rape her.

stolen property, 2. Law enforcement received a report of a burglary. Upon 

the refusal of the investigation, officers determined that a man climbed through the

victim to cooperate window of his own home after having locked himself out of his 

house by mistake. A neighbor had thought he was a burglar with prosecution, or and called the police. the failure to make 

an arrest does not 3. While attending a convention, a man reported to the police that his 

unfound a legitimate wallet was stolen by a pickpocket. It was later recovered at the 

offense. convention’s lost and found department. The police concluded that 

he had dropped his wallet.

Column 4: NUMBER OF ACTUAL OFFENSES (COLUMN 2 MINUS COLUMN 3) 

(INCLUDE ATTEMPTS)

To complete Column 4, for each offense in Column 1, reporting agencies must subtract the 

number in Column 3 from that in Column 2 in order to delete the unfounded offenses. The difference 

is the number of actual offenses that occurred in the jurisdiction for the month in question.

Column 5: TOTAL OFFENSES CLEARED BY ARREST OR EXCEPTIONAL 

MEANS (INCLUDE COLUMN 6)

Part I offenses in the UCR Program are cleared either by arrest or exceptional means. In 

Column 5, reporting agencies must make one entry for each offense that they clear. Column 5 shows 

the total number of offenses cleared and includes the number of offenses cleared by the handling of 

juveniles, adults, or both. Column 5 does NOT show the number of persons arrested.

Clearances

Part I offenses reported on the Return A can be cleared either by arrest or exceptional means. However, no distinction between cleared by arrest and cleared by exceptional means is made on the report 

when filling out Column 5.

78 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Cleared by Arrest. An offense is cleared by arrest, or solved for crime reporting purposes, 

when at least one person is (1) arrested, (2) charged with the commission of the offense, and (3) 

turned over to the court for prosecution (whether following arrest, court summons, or police notice).

Although it makes no physical arrest, an agency can claim an offense is cleared by arrest when 

the offender is a person under 18 years of age and is cited to appear in juvenile court or before other 

juvenile authorities.

Reporting agencies must remember that the number of offenses and not the number of persons 

arrested are counted in the clearances that they record on the Return A. Agencies cannot report more 

clearances than offenses in a given month unless they are scoring clearances of offenses that were 

reported in previous months.

Several crimes may be cleared by the arrest of one person, or the arrest of many persons may clear 

only one crime. Further, if several persons are involved in the commission of a crime and only one is 

arrested and charged, the agency must list the crime on the Return A as cleared by arrest. When the 

other persons involved in the crime are arrested at a later date, the agency must not record another 

clearance because the offense was already cleared following the arrest of the first person.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as cleared by the arrest of one person:

1. A murder was committed. The police subsequently arrested a suspect whom they charged 

and turned over to the court.

On the Return A, agencies must score one offense of Criminal Homicide—Murder and 

Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) (Columns 2 and 4) and one offense of Criminal Homicide—Murder 

and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) cleared (Column 5). The agency must also enter information 

on the SHR (see pages 104–108) and one arrest for Criminal Homicide on the ASR form. (See pages 

96–102.)

1

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

2

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

4

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

(Include attempts)

5

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

(Include column 6)

6

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

a. Murder/Nonnegligent Homicide 11 1 1 1

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as one offense cleared by the arrest of only one of several individuals involved in the 

crime:

2. Five thieves broke into a warehouse; law enforcement arrested and charged one of the thieves.

On the Return A, the reporting agency must score one offense of Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) 

(Columns 2 and 4) and one offense of Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a) cleared by arrest. The agency 

must also enter one arrest on the ASR form.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 79
1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50 1 1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51 1 1 1

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

Later, the agency arrested and charged the other four thieves.

The agency must make no further entry on the Return A because the offense has already been 

listed as cleared by arrest; however, it must record four additional burglary arrests on the ASR form.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as cleared by the arrest of one person:

3. The police arrested one suspect identified in connection with five separate forcible entry 

burglaries and charged him with the five offenses.

The contributing agency must report all five previously reported offenses as cleared by arrest 

(Column 5) even though only one person was involved. The agency also must record one burglary 

arrest on the ASR form.

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50 5 5 5

 a. Forcible Entry 51 5 5 5

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

Cleared by Exceptional Means. In certain situations, law enforcement is not able to follow 

the three steps outlined under “Cleared by Arrest” to clear offenses known to them. Often they have 

exhausted all leads and have done everything possible in order to clear a case. If agencies can answer 

all of the following questions in the affirmative, they can clear the offense exceptionally for the purpose of reporting to UCR.

1. Has the investigation definitely established the identity of the offender?

2. Is there enough information to support an arrest, charge, and turning over to the court for 

prosecution?

80 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
3. Is the exact location of the offender known so that the subject could be taken into custody 

now?

4. Is there some reason outside law enforcement control that precludes arresting, charging, 

and prosecuting the offender?

Examples of Exceptional Clearances. Generally, an offense can be exceptionally cleared when 

it falls into one of the following categories. The list is not all-inclusive; there may be other circumstances in which a law enforcement agency is entitled to an exceptional clearance.

1. Suicide of the offender. (The person who committed the offense is dead.)

2. Double murder. (Two persons kill each other.)

3. Deathbed confession. (The person who committed the offense dies after making the 

confession.)

4. Offender killed by police or citizen.

5. Confession by an offender who is already in law enforcement custody or serving a sentence. 

(This is actually a variation of a true clearance by arrest—the offender would not be 

“apprehended” but in most situations would be prosecuted on the new charge.)

6. Offender is prosecuted by state or local authorities in another city for a different offense 

or is prosecuted in another city or state by the federal government for an offense which may 

be the same. (Law enforcement makes an attempt to return the offender for prosecution, but 

the other jurisdiction will not allow the release.)

7. Extradition denied.

8. Victim refuses to cooperate in the prosecution. (This action alone does not unfound the 

offense. The answer must also be yes to questions 1, 2, and 3 in the section Cleared by 

Exceptional Means.)

9. Warrant is outstanding for felon but before being arrested the offender dies. (The method 

of death is irrelevant.) 

10. The handling of a juvenile offender either orally or by written notice to parents in instances 

involving minor offenses such as petty larceny. No referral is made to juvenile court as a 

matter of publicly accepted law enforcement policy.

The UCR Program recognizes that departmental policy in various law enforcement agencies 

permits discontinuing an investigation and administratively closing cases for which all investigation 

has been completed. The administrative closing of a case or the clearing of it by departmental policy 

does not permit exceptionally clearing the offense for UCR unless all four questions mentioned earlier 

can be answered yes. Additionally, the recovery of property does not clear a case. Clearances in 

accordance with UCR procedures should have no effect on whether an agency has internal policies as 

to closing a case or discontinuing active investigation. 

Column 6: NUMBER OF CLEARANCES INVOLVING ONLY PERSONS UNDER 

 18 YEARS OF AGE

To complete Column 6, reporting agencies must enter the number of offenses cleared involving 

offenders under 18 years of age only. The number in Column 6 must never be greater than the number in Column 5. If an offense is cleared by arrest or exceptional means and the offenders include 

both adults and persons under 18 years of age, reporting agencies must score the clearance only in 

Column 5. If a clearance involves only persons under age 18, reporting agencies must score the 

clearance in both Columns 5 and 6. Reporting agencies must remember that the number of persons 

arrested is not being counted in Columns 5 and 6. Agencies must count only the number of offenses 

cleared.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 81
NOTE: Agencies also must score clearances in Columns 5 and 6 for crimes that were reported in 

previous months but not cleared until the current month.

Grand Total

The GRAND TOTAL row at the bottom of the Return A must show a sum for each column. 

Agencies must remember that the grand total of Column 2 minus that of Column 3 must equal the 

grand total of Column 4.

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

 GRAND TOTAL 77

In the event that an agency has no offenses or arrests to report (zero reports) for the month, the 

agency must check the appropriate boxes at the bottom of the Return A. 

For example, if no arson offenses occurred during the month, the agency must simply mark the 

NO ARSON REPORT box. In this case, the agency need not submit the Monthly Return of Arson 

Offenses Known to Law Enforcement form.

After the reporting agency has completed the Return A, the person who prepared it must sign and 

date the form. The chief, commissioner, sheriff, or superintendent of the agency must then sign the 

form in the appropriate space. Even if no offenses have occurred during the reporting month, the 

agency must submit the Return A by forwarding it to the state UCR Program or the FBI (for nonProgram states) by the seventh day after the close of each month.

Any questions regarding the completion of the Return A can be directed to the Uniform Crime 

Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, 

WV 26306 or by calling (888) UCR-NIBR/(888) 827-6427.

Adjustments of Previous Returns

Law enforcement investigation in the current month may show that actual offenses the agency 

recorded on a previous month’s report require adjustment; that is, an offense might be (1) unfounded, 

(2) reclassified, or (3) subtracted from previous totals. It may be necessary for the agency to adjust 

the totals reported to the UCR Program for the past month or prior months. Agencies can make 

needed adjustments on the current month’s report; these do not affect the reliability of the figures 

because such adjustments tend to offset one another from month to month over a period of time.

82 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following scenarios illustrate incidents known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as unfounded the next month:

1. In March, an agency scored an offense of Robbery—Strong-arm (3d). Investigation in April 

showed the offense was unfounded or false. Therefore, the reporting agency must add 1 to 

April’s figures in Column 3 of the Return A. (The agency must make no entry in Column 2 to 

adjust the figure.)

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 *1 -1

 a. Firearm 31

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34 *1 -1

If a finished report looks like the above (no robberies reported in the current month), a note on the 

form will help flag this entry for special attention. If the agency uses a marking such as an asterisk 

or minus sign on any such entry on the current Return A, the national UCR Program suggests that the 

agency include a short note explaining its use of the symbol.

For example: * Offense reported last month, unfounded this month.

Further, if the agency received five complaints of robbery (three by firearm, two strong-arm) in 

April and none were unfounded, the entry in example 1 would result in the agency’s reducing the five 

robberies to four actual offenses, as shown below.

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 5 1 4

 a. Firearm 31 3 3

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34 2 1 1

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 83
2. A police department reported seven actual robberies in June and reported five robberies 

(three by firearm, one by knife or cutting instrument, and one by other dangerous weapon) 

in July. Through investigation in July, the department determined one of the offenses, 

Robbery—Firearm (3a), reported in June to be unfounded. 

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

3. ROBBERY TOTAL 30 5 1 4

 a. Firearm 31 3 1 2

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 32 1 1

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 33 1 1

 d. Strong-arm (Hands, Fists, Feet, etc.) 34

Explanation: The department must record a 1 in the unfounded column in July, resulting in a total 

of four robberies for the current month’s report. The department must also subtract 

the unfounded offense from the correct robbery category (in this example, Robbery—

Firearm [3a]) so that the correct number will appear in each of the other robbery categories.

3. In February, a police department reported an actual offense of Aggravated Assault—Knife 

or Cutting Instrument (4b). Two months later, the victim died as a result of injuries received 

during the assault, so the department must classify the offense as Criminal Homicide—Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a) and prepare the Return A for April as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

1. CRIMINAL HOMICIDE

a. Murder and Nonnegligent Homicide (score attempts 1 1

 as aggravated assault) if homicide reported.

 Submit Supplementary Homicide Report. 11

 b. Manslaughter by Negligence 12

4. ASSAULT TOTAL 40 -1 -1

 a. Firearm 41

 b. Knife or Cutting Instrument 42 -1 -1

 c. Other Dangerous Weapon 43

 d. Hands, Fists, Feet, etc. - Aggravated injury 44

 e. Other Assaults - Simple, Not Aggravated 45

Explanation: The above procedure subtracts an aggravated assault offense from Columns 2 and 4 

and adds a murder. If a clearance was previously shown for the aggravated assault, the 

reporting agency must deduct one clearance (Column 5) from the aggravated assault 

and then add one to the murder category.

84 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
4. Police questioned a suspect about forcible entry burglaries. The suspect admitted to two burglaries that police had recorded on crime reports in previous months, as well as five others 

during prior months that had not been reported by the victims.

Explanation: The reporting agency has cleared seven forcible entry burglaries, but has listed only 

two on the Return A. (It is the law enforcement agency’s responsibility to verify 

offenses that come to their attention through confession of subjects.) The entries on 

the current month’s Return A for this situation would be:

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50 5 5 7

 a. Forcible Entry 51 5 5 7

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

5. In September, a couple returned from a month-long vacation and discovered their house had 

been broken into. Police investigation determined that the burglary most likely occurred 

in August just after the couple had left. The reporting agency must include the offense on 

September’s Return A as follows:

1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50 1 1

 a. Forcible Entry 51 1 1

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

SUPPLEMENT TO RETURN A

All agencies reporting data to the UCR Program are asked to prepare the Supplement to Return 

A (Supplement), which is a monthly reporting of the nature of crime and the type and value of property stolen and recovered. The Supplement requires that a value be established for property stolen and 

recovered in each Part I crime except aggravated assault. (Arson is reported on a separate form.) The 

determination of the value of property stolen is an obligation of the investigating officer; such information is essential to ensure the completeness of a law enforcement investigative report on stolen 

property.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 85
Valuation of Stolen Property

Questions frequently arise as to the method most commonly used by law enforcement to determine the value of stolen property. To answer these questions, the national UCR Program suggests that 

reporting agencies:

1. Use the fair market value for articles that are subject to depreciation because of wear and tear, 

age, or other factors that cause the value to decrease with use.

2. Use the cost to the merchant (wholesale cost) of goods stolen from retail establishments, 

warehouses, etc. In other words, use the dollar value representing the actual cash loss to the 

victim without any markup or profit added.

3. Use the victim’s evaluation of items such as jewelry, watches, and other similar goods that 

decrease in value slightly or not at all with use or age.

4. Use the replacement cost or actual cash cost to the victim for new or almost new clothes, auto 

accessories, bicycles, etc.

5. Use common sense and good judgment to dictate a fair market value of the stolen items when 

the victim obviously exaggerates the value of stolen property for insurance or other purposes.

In most instances, the reporting agency can accept the victim’s evaluation. The reporting agency 

must score the theft of nonnegotiable instruments, such as traveler’s checks, personal checks, credit 

cards, debit cards, money orders, stocks, bonds, and food stamps, but 

record no value. Negotiable instruments, such as bonds payable to the 

An agency must bearer, must be valued at the current market price at the time of theft. 

record only the Values must be rounded to the nearest whole dollar.

value of property 

stolen in its Often the condition of property is different at recovery than it was 

jurisdiction. when stolen. The market value at the time of recovery must be used even 

if it is less than the value reported at the time of the theft.

An agency must record only the value of property stolen in its jurisdiction. Likewise, the agency 

must record only the monetary value of recovered property that was originally stolen from its jurisdiction regardless of who recovers the property or where it was recovered. In other words, even if 

another law enforcement agency recovers the stolen property, the jurisdiction from which the property 

was stolen must report the value of the recovered property on its Supplement to Return A. This procedure applies to all stolen property including automobiles. Some agencies find it valuable, of course, 

to maintain separate records on property recovered by them for another jurisdiction.

86 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
There are two sides of the Supplement. The front is entitled Property by Type and Value and 

the back is entitled Property Stolen by Classification. The following explains each side of the 

Supplement.

SUPPLEMENT TO RETURN A 

 MONTHLY OFFENSES KNOWN TO THE POLICE

This form deals with the nature of crime and the monetary value of property stolen and recovered. The total offenses recorded on the 

form should be the same as the number of actual offenses listed in Column 4 of the Return A for each crime class. Include attempted crimes 

on this form, but do not include unfounded offenses. If you cannot complete the report in all areas, please record as much information as is 

available. Tally sheets will be sent upon request.

 PROPERTY BY TYPE AND VALUE

Type of Property

Data Entry

Monetary Value of Property Stolen in Your Jurisdiction

(1)

Stolen

(2)

Recovered

(3)

(A) Currency, Notes, Etc. 01

(B) Jewelry and Precious Metals 02

(C) Clothing and Furs 03

(D) Locally Stolen Motor Vehicles 04

(E) Office Equipment 05

(F) Televisions, Radios, Stereos, Etc. 06

(G) Firearms 07

(H) Household Goods 08

( I ) Consumable Goods 09

(J) Livestock 10

(K) Miscellaneous 11

TOTAL 00 $ $

The total of this column should Include in this column all property 

agree with the grand total (data recovered even though stolen in prior 

entry 77) shown on page 2. months. The above is an accounting 

for only that property stolen in your 

jurisdiction. This will include property 

recovered for you by other jurisdictions, 

Property by Type and Value

but not property you recover for them.

The front of the Supplement asks for the type of property stolen and the monetary value of property stolen and recovered. In recording the monetary value, agencies must record amounts rounded 

to the nearest dollar. Agencies should consider the primary use of the stolen item when recording the 

item in one of the 11 classifications provided on the Supplement. The location of the theft is not necessarily a consideration for identifying an item’s classification since items may be stolen from a truck, 

a residence, a business establishment, or other location. Using the following guidelines, the reporting 

agency can classify all property in one of these property types:

(A) Currency, Notes, Etc. Property stolen in this category includes currency and legal documents 

that are considered negotiable (payable without restriction) in the open market. Examples 

are legal tender, i.e., coins and paper currency, endorsed checks, endorsed money orders, 

endorsed traveler’s checks, bearer checks and bonds, and stamp and coin collections. Checks 

that are not negotiable because they have not been properly countersigned and stolen credit/

debit cards are not included in this classification; they must be included in Miscellaneous (K).

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 87
(B) Jewelry and Precious Metals. Items to be considered in this category are watches, bracelets, 

rings, necklaces, and other articles that have real value and are generally used for personal 

adornment. Metals that, in and of themselves, have a high intrinsic value such as gold, silver, 

and platinum are also included. Common metals such as iron, aluminum, and copper are not 

considered precious metals.

(C) Clothing and Furs. All items of wearing apparel for human use, including pelts or skins to be 

used as wearing apparel, must be counted in this category. Accessories such as purses, handbags, belts, wallets, shoes, scarves, and ties are also included.

(D) Locally Stolen Motor Vehicles. A motor vehicle is defined as a self-propelled vehicle that 

runs on the land surface and not on rails. Vehicles in this category will include automobiles, 

sport utility vehicles, trucks, minivans, buses, motorcycles, snowmobiles, golf carts, motor 

scooters, mopeds, all-terrain vehicles, trail bikes, motor homes, etc. (See page 36 for further 

explanation.)

(E) Office Equipment. In this category are included such devices as typewriters; calculators; cash 

registers; copying machines; facsimile machines; computer hardware or software; computers, 

computer peripherals, e.g., tape and disk drives and printers; and storage media, e.g., magnetic tapes, magnetic, and optical disks.

(F) Televisions, Radios, Stereos, Etc. All items that are designed for the specific purpose of reproducing photographic images or sound are included in this category, e.g., television cameras 

and receivers, still picture cameras, motion picture cameras and projectors, radios (receiving 

and sending), digital video disc players, MP3 players, camcorders, tape recorders, cassettes 

(tape or video), videotape recorders, stereo equipment, compact disc players, and compact 

discs.

(G) Firearms. Items in this category are weapons that fire a shot by the force of an explosion, 

e.g., all handguns, rifles, shotguns, and other such devices commonly referred to as firearms. 

Notable exceptions to this category are BB, pellet, air, or gas-powered guns.

(H) Household Goods. This category includes general household items, such as beds, sofas, 

chairs, washers, dryers, furnaces, desks, tables, bookcases, air conditioners, and antique furniture. Agencies must classify electronic equipment such as computers, scanners, and printers stolen from home offices or dens as Office Equipment (E).

(I) Consumable Goods. Items such as alcoholic beverages (e.g., beer, wine, and liquor); foods; 

cigarettes; gasoline; grooming products (e.g., deodorants, aftershave lotion, and perfume); 

beverages; firewood; and drugs/narcotics are listed in this category. Consumable should be 

defined broadly as expendable items that are used up or consumed by humans for nutrition, 

enjoyment, or hygiene.

(J) Livestock. Such animals as live cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, goats, chickens, turkeys, and other 

animals commonly raised as farm stock are included in this category. Common household 

pets, such as dogs, cats, and birds, are excluded; they must be included in Miscellaneous (K).

(K) Miscellaneous. Items that are not accounted for in the above listing would fall into this 

category. Some general examples are shrubbery; vehicle parts/accessories; watercraft, e.g., 

motorboats, sailboats, houseboats, jet skis; trailers; aircraft; books; household pets; credit/

debit cards; cellular phones; farm equipment; tools; bicycles; and air rifles.

88 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Property Stolen by Classification

CLASSIFICATION

DATA ENTRY 

Number of Actual

Offenses (Column 4

Return A)

Monetary 

Value of Property Stolen

1. MURDER AND NONNEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER 12 $

2. FORCIBLE RAPE 20 $

3. ROBBERY

 (a) HIGHWAY (streets, alleys, etc.) 31

 (b) COMMERCIAL HOUSE (except c, d, and f) 32

 (c) GAS OR SERVICE STATION 33

 (d) CONVENIENCE STORE 34

 (e) RESIDENCE (anywhere on premises) 35

 (f) BANK 36

 (g) MISCELLANEOUS 37

TOTAL ROBBERY 30 $

The Property Stolen by Classification side of the Supplement requires the reporting agency to provide the total number of actual offenses from Column 4 of the Return A and the monetary value of the 

property stolen for six of the eight Part I offenses. (Aggravated assault is omitted since UCR standard 

definitions stipulate that when property is taken through the use of force or threat of force, the offense 

is classified as robbery. Arson is excluded because information about this offense is collected on a 

separate form.)

1. Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter requires the number of offenses from Column 4 of 

the Return A and the value of property stolen incidental to the offense. If no property was 

stolen, the reporting agency must enter a zero (0) in the value column.

2. Forcible Rape must be completed in the same manner as Classification 1 (murder and nonnegligent manslaughter).

3. Robbery includes seven general locations that describe where the offense took place.

(a) Highway—includes robberies that occur on streets, in alleys, and generally in view of law

enforcement patrol but outside structures.

(b) Commercial house—includes robberies that occur within commercial establishments, 

such as supermarkets, department stores, restaurants, taverns, finance companies, motels, 

and hotels. Gas stations, convenience stores, and banking institutions are excluded 

because separate categories for each are provided. 

(c) Gas or service station—includes robberies that occur in all gas stations with the primary 

function of selling gasoline, petroleum, and related products.

(d) Convenience store—includes robberies that occur in a neighborhood store that specializes 

in the sale of consumable items, is easily accessible, and generally has extended hours of 

operation.

(e) Residence—includes robberies of dwellings used for human habitation. The reporting 

agency must include robberies occurring anywhere on the dwelling premises as residential, but exclude those that occur at hotels, motels, lodging houses, and other places where 

lodging of transients is the main purpose. The reporting agency must score robberies in 

these excluded locations as robbery in commercial houses.

(f) Bank—includes robberies of banks, savings and loan associations, building and loan 

associations, credit unions, and other such institutions. The responding agency must not 

include lending institutions and finance companies where the function is lending money 

only. These must be included as robberies in commercial houses. 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 89
(g) Miscellaneous—encompasses robberies that are not included in categories (a) through (f).

The reporting agency must include robberies that occur on or at waterways, houses of 

worship, union halls, schools, government buildings, subways, trains, airplanes, professional offices such as doctors’ or lawyers’ offices, and wooded areas.

The reporting agency must enter the monetary value of the property stolen and the actual number 

of robberies in the appropriate corresponding areas on the Property Stolen by Classification side of 

the Supplement. The total number of actual robberies must be the same as the total number of actual 

robberies in Column 4 on the Return A.

Number of Actual

DATA ENTRY 

Monetary 

CLASSIFICATION Offenses (Column 4 Value of Property Stolen

Return A)

5. BURGLARY - BREAKING OR ENTERING

 (a) RESIDENCE (dwelling)

 (1) NIGHT (6 p.m. - 6 a.m.) 51

 (2) DAY (6 a.m. - 6 p.m.) 52

 (3) UNKNOWN 53

 (b) NONRESIDENCE (store, office, etc.)

 (1) NIGHT (6 p.m. - 6 a.m.) 54

 (2) DAY (6 a.m. - 6 p.m.) 55

 (3) UNKNOWN 56

TOTAL BURGLARY 50 $

5. Burglary—Breaking or Entering includes breakdowns for residence and nonresidence and 

time of day:

(a) Residence (dwelling)

(1) Night (6 p.m. - 6 a.m.)

(2) Day (6 a.m. - 6 p.m.)

(3) Unknown

(b) Nonresidence (store, office, etc.)

(1) Night (6 p.m. - 6 a.m.)

(2) Day (6 a.m. - 6 p.m.)

(3) Unknown

As a general guideline, agencies can consider any burglary occurring exactly at 6 a.m. as (2) Day 

and exactly at 6 p.m. as (1) Night. In some instances, it is difficult for law enforcement to determine 

the time a burglary occurred. For example, a burglary discovered in a mountain cabin after the snow 

has melted could have occurred at any time during the owner’s absence of several months. In this 

instance, the reporting agency must score the burglary as (a) Residence, (3) Unknown.

The total number of actual burglary offenses on the Supplement must be the same as the total in 

Column 4 on the Return A.

90 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Number of Actual

DATA ENTRY

Monetary 

CLASSIFICATION Offenses (Column 4 Value of Property Stolen

Return A)

6. LARCENY - THEFT (except Motor Vehicle Theft)

 (a) $200 AND OVER 61

 (b) $50 TO $200 62

 (c) Under $50 63

TOTAL LARCENY (Same as Item 6X) 60 $

6. Larceny-theft includes breakdowns for the estimated value of the stolen items:

(a) $200 and over

(b) $50 to $200

(c) Under $50 (Reporting agencies must include attempted larceny-thefts in this 

breakdown.)

As a general guideline, agencies can consider any item valued at exactly $200 as (a) $200 and 

over.

Number of Actual

DATA ENTRY

 Monetary

CLASSIFICATION Offenses (Column 4 Value of Property Stolen

Return A)

ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS OF LARCENY AND MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT

6X. NATURE OF LARCENIES UNDER ITEM 6

 (a) POCKET-PICKING 81

 (b) PURSE-SNATCHING 82

 (c) SHOPLIFTING 83

 (d) FROM MOTOR VEHICLES (except e) 84

 (e) MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS AND ACCESSORIES 85

 (f ) BICYCLES 86

 (g) FROM BUILDING (except c and h) 87

(h) FROM ANY COIN-OPERATED MACHINES (parking meters, etc.) 88

 (i ) ALL OTHER 89

TOTAL LARCENIES (Same as Item 6) 80 $

6X. Nature of larcenies includes breakdowns for the types of larceny-thefts scored under 

 Classification 6 and their associated values:

(a) Pocket-picking

(b) Purse-snatching

(c) Shoplifting

(d) From Motor Vehicles (includes suitcases, cameras, clothing, etc., and excludes those 

items in [e])

(e) Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories (includes batteries, hubcaps, tires, gasoline, etc.)

(f) Bicycles

(g) From Building (includes structures with free access and excludes those items in 

[c] and [h])

(h) From Any Coin-operated Machines (parking meters, vending machines, etc.)

(i) All Other

The total number of actual larceny-thefts recorded in Classification 6 and Classification 6X must 

be the same as the total number of actual larceny-thefts reported in Column 4 on the Return A.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 91
Number of Actual

DATA ENTRY

Monetary 

CLASSIFICATION Offenses (Column 4 Value of Property Stolen

Return A)

7. MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT (Includes Alleged Joy Ride) 70 $

 GRAND TOTAL - ALL ITEMS 77 $

7. Motor Vehicle Theft includes the number of actual motor vehicles stolen and their value. 

A common occurrence is the theft of a motor vehicle containing personal property. The reporting agency must record only the vehicle theft but combine the value of the vehicle and the value of 

stolen personal property into one total and record the figure under Classification 7. When a stolen 

motor vehicle is recovered with personal property or accessories missing, the reporting agency must 

record the value of the vehicle, less the value of the missing items.

For example, if a motor vehicle containing a coat was stolen, the reporting agency must record 

one actual motor vehicle theft and the values of the car and coat combined in Classification 7. These 

values must be recorded separately on the front of the Supplement. The value of the stolen car must 

be included on line (d) Locally Stolen Motor Vehicles, and the value of the coat must be included on 

line (c) Clothing and Furs. If that motor vehicle was recovered, but the coat was missing from it, the 

reporting agency must record the value of the vehicle less the value of the missing coat.

NOTE: If a building is forcibly or unlawfully entered to steal a motor vehicle, agencies must score 

the offense and the value of the vehicle under burglary, not motor vehicle theft. The value of 

motor vehicles stolen during burglaries must be recorded on the front of Supplement, line (d) 

Locally Stolen Motor Vehicles.

When multiple types of theft occur in one distinct operation (one offense), e.g., theft of motor 

vehicle parts and accessories and theft of property within a motor vehicle, the reporting agency 

must score the total theft value under the category that represents the greatest loss. For example, the 

theft of a $70 automobile radio and a $20 gym bag from a motor vehicle would be recorded on the 

Property Stolen by Classification under item 6Xe as motor vehicle parts and accessories with a total 

value of $90. 

92 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
7X. MOTOR VEHICLES RECOVERED

 (a) STOLEN LOCALLY AND RECOVERED LOCALLY 91

 (b) STOLEN LOCALLY AND RECOVERED BY OTHER JURISDICTIONS 92

 (c) TOTAL LOCALLY STOLEN MOTOR VEHICLES RECOVERED (a & b) 93

 (d) STOLEN IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS AND RECOVERED LOCALLY 94

Number of Actual

CLASSIFICATION Offenses (Column 4

Return A)

7X. Motor Vehicles Recovered includes breakdowns to indicate the location of recovered motor 

vehicles:

(a) Stolen locally and recovered locally

(b) Stolen locally and recovered by other jurisdictions

(c) Total locally stolen motor vehicles recovered (subtotal of [a] and [b])

(d) Stolen in other jurisdictions and recovered locally

Reporting agencies must record all motor vehicles recovered regardless of the type of Part I 

offense committed when the vehicle was stolen.

Reconciling the Supplement to Return A

DATA ENTRY

Agencies should note that the total number of actual larceny offenses for all the breakdowns under 

Classification 6X must be the same as the total number of larceny-thefts recorded on the Return A and 

in Classification 6, Larceny-theft on the Property Stolen by Classification side of the Supplement.

Agencies must record the sum of the value of property stolen in the murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft categories on the 

Grand Total—All Items line of the Property Stolen by Classification side of the Supplement. The 

total of property stolen listed on the front (Property Type and Value) of the Supplement must be the 

same as the Grand Total on the reverse side of the form (Property Stolen by Classification).

The information recorded on the Supplement is important for crime analysis. If all the information requested is not available, the reporting agency should accurately record what it can provide and 

attach a note to the Supplement advising that the form is incomplete.

Agencies can obtain a tally book to aid them in completing of the Supplement by contacting the

Crime Statistics Management Unit, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation,

Module E-3, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone (304) 625-4830 or facsimile

(304) 625-3566.

NOTE: A multipage pullout to aid with reconciliation of the Return A with the Supplement can be 

found at the end of this chapter on page 129.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 93
_____________________________________________

_____________________________________

MONTHLY RETURN OF ARSON OFFENSES KNOWN TO 

LAW ENFORCEMENT

The Monthly Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement solicits data on all arson 

offenses reported to law enforcement. As has been previously discussed in Chapter I, the Hierarchy 

Rule does not apply to arson. This crime is always reported, even in multiple-offense situations. 

When there are no arsons or attempted arsons to be reported during a particular month, the reporting agency must check the NO ARSON REPORT box on the Return A. There is no need to return the 

arson report itself.

The following explains each column on the monthly arson report.

Column 1 of the arson report contains a listing of the various property classifications, which were 

discussed in Chapter III. Columns 2 through 6 are identical to those on the Return A; instructions for 

completing those columns can be found on pages 77–82. In Column 7, the agency must record the 

number of arsons occurring in structures that were uninhabited, abandoned, or not normally in use at 

the time of the incident. Finally, the agency must record in Column 8 the estimated dollar value of 

property damage resulting from arson.

MONTHLY RETURN OF ARSON OFFENSES KNOWN TO LAW ENFORCEMENT

This report is authorized by law Title 28, Section 534, United States Code, and the enactment of the fiscal year 1979, Department of Justice Authorization Bill S. 3151.

While you are not required to respond, your cooperation in using this form to report all incidents of arson which become known to your department during the month will 

assist the FBI in compiling comprehensive, accurate data on a timely basis. Instructions appear on reverse side.

S

T

R

U

C

T

U

R

A

L

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded)

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

A. Single Occupancy Residential:

 Houses, Townhouses, Duplexes, etc. $

B. Other Residential:

 Apartments, Tenements, Flats, Hotels, Motels, 

 Inns, Dormitories, Boarding Houses, etc. $

C. Storage:

 Barns, Garages, Warehouses, etc. $

D. Industrial/Manufacturing: $

E. Other Commercial:

 Stores, Restaurants, Offices, etc. $

F. Community/Public:

 Churches, Jails, Schools, Colleges, Hospitals, etc. $

G. All Other Structure:

 Out Buildings, Monuments, Buildings Under

 Construction, etc. $

TOTAL STRUCTURE $

M

O

B

I

L

E

H. Motor Vehicles:

 Automobiles, Trucks, Buses, Motorcycles, etc.

 UCR Definition $

I. Other Mobile Property:

Trailers, Recreational Vehicles, Airplanes, Boats, etc. $

TOTAL MOBILE $

J. TOTAL OTHER

Crops, Timber, Fences, Signs, etc. $

 GRAND TOTAL $

Agency Identifier ________________________ Month_________

Agency_______________________________ State__________

Prepared by____________________________________

Chief, Commissioner, Sheriff, or Superintendent

 DO NOT WRITE HERE

Recorded

Edited

Entered

Adjusted

Corres.

94 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Whenever arson is committed in conjunction with another Part I offense involving the theft of 

money or property, the reporting agency must enter the value of property stolen on the Supplement in 

the appropriate categories. The reporting agency must enter the value of property damaged because 

of the arson on the arson report opposite the correct property classification.

The following scenario illustrates an incident known to law enforcement that reporting agencies 

must score as Arson (8e) and Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a): 

A man forcibly entered a restaurant, opened the safe, and removed its contents. He then poured 

gasoline on the floor and ignited it. The fire department extinguished the blaze. Investigation disclosed $2,000 in currency had been taken from the safe. Damage to the restaurant and property 

totaled $50,000 as a result of the arson.

S

T

1

PROPERTY CLASSIFICATION

2

Offenses Reported

or Known to Police

(Include Unfounded)

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

False or Baseless

Complaints

4

Number of

Actual Offenses

(Column 2 Minus

Column 3)

(Include Attempts)

5

Total Offenses Cleared

by Arrest or

Exceptional Means

(Include Column 6)

6

Number of

Clearances

Involving Only

Persons Under

18 Years of Age

7

Offenses Where

Structures

Uninhabited,

Abandoned, or not

Normally in Use

8

Estimated Value of

Property Damage

A. Single Occupancy Residential:

 Houses, Townhouses, Duplexes, etc. $

R

U

C

T

U

R

B. Other Residential:

 Apartments, Tenements, Flats, Hotels, Motels, 

 Inns, Dormitories, Boarding Houses, etc. $

C. Storage:

 Barns, Garages, Warehouses, etc. $

D. Industrial/Manufacturing: $

A E. Other Commercial:

 Stores, Restaurants, Offices, etc. 1 1 $ 50,000

L F. Community/Public:

Churches, Jails, Schools, Colleges, Hospitals, etc. $

G. All Other Structure:

 Out Buildings, Monuments, Buildings Under

 Construction, etc. $

TOTAL STRUCTURE $

J. TOTAL OTHER

Crops, Timber, Fences, Signs, etc. $

 GRAND TOTAL 1 1 $50,000

The reporting agency must record the information concerning the arson on the Monthly Return of 

Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement opposite the property classification Other Commercial: 

Stores, Restaurants, Offices, etc. The agency must record a 1 in Columns 2 and 4 on line E and the 

estimated value of property damage to the restaurant ($50,000) in Column 8.

The Hierarchy Rule does not apply; therefore, the agency also must make an entry on the Return 

A showing one offense of Burglary—Forcible Entry (5a). In this case, property was both stolen in a 

burglary and destroyed as a result of the arson. On the front of the Supplement, opposite the category, 

Currency, Notes, Etc., the reporting agency must enter the value of currency stolen as $2,000. On the 

reverse of the Supplement under the section titled Property Stolen by Classification, the agency must 

record the offense in the Burglary—Breaking or Entering Non-Residence classification and indicate 

that the time is unknown.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 95
1 2 3 4 5 6

CLASSIFICATION OF OFFENSES

Data Entry

Offenses reported

or known to police

(Include “unfounded”

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless

complaints

Number of actual

Offenses (column 2

minus Column 3)

Total offenses

cleared by arrest or

exceptional means

Number of clearances

involving only

persons under 18

and attempts) (Include attempts) (Include column 6) years of age

5. BURGLARY TOTAL 50

 a. Forcible Entry 51 1 1

 b. Unlawful Entry - No Force 52

 c. Attempted Forcible Entry 53

 PROPERTY BY TYPE AND VALUE

Type of Property

Data Entry

Monetary Value of Property Stolen in Your Jurisdiction

(1)

Stolen

(2)

Recovered

(3)

(A) Currency, Notes, Etc. 01 $ 2,000

(B) Jewelry and Precious Metals 02

(C) Clothing and Furs 03

(D) Locally Stolen Motor Vehicles 04

(E) Office Equipment 05

(F) Televisions, Radios, Stereos, Etc. 06

(G) Firearms 07

(H) Household Goods 08

( I ) Consumable Goods 09

(J) Livestock 10

(K) Miscellaneous 11

TOTAL 00 $ 2,000 $

AGE, SEX, AND RACE (ASR) OF PERSONS ARRESTED

The UCR Program uses the ASR forms to collect arrest data monthly from the Nation’s law 

enforcement agencies. These forms provide a record of the total number of persons arrested, cited, or 

summoned for criminal acts in all Part I and Part II crimes. In addition, they furnish basic data concerning the personal characteristics—age, sex, race—of persons arrested in a particular month. (The 

OMB authorized the FBI to collect ethnic origin data regarding persons arrested beginning in 1980. 

The FBI collected ethnicity data until 1987, when the OMB’s authorization expired.)

There are two basic forms on which an agency can report arrests: Age, Sex, and Race of Persons

Arrested—Under 18 Years of Age (pink form) and Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested—18 Years 

of Age and Over (white form). The two forms are similar in content with the exception that the form 

for persons under 18 years of age includes two additional categories—curfew and loitering law violations and runaways.

These ASR forms are designed to collect data on the number of persons arrested, not the number of 

charges lodged. For example, a person may be arrested on several charges at one time; in this situation, the agency must score only one arrest. Likewise, one person may be arrested many times 

96 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
during a month for similar or different violations within a jurisdiction. Because of a separation of

time between arrests, the agency must score each arrest separately. More than one charge could be

lodged during each arrest, but the agency must score only one arrest for each instance. These forms

also require agencies to report the number of arrests by age, by sex, and by race. If an agency has no

juvenile or adult arrests to report in a given month, it must mark the appropriate boxes on the Return A

and should not submit the ASR form.

Racial Designations

The racial categories used in the UCR Program were adopted from the Statistical Policy 

Handbook (1978) published by the Office of Federal Statistical Policy and Standards, U.S. 

Department of Commerce. The racial designations are defined as follows:

White. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, North Africa, or the 

Middle East.

Black. A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.

American Indian or Alaskan Native. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of 

North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community 

recognition.

Asian or Pacific Islander. A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, 

Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent, or the Pacific Islands. This area includes, for example, 

China, India, Japan, Korea, the Philippine Islands, and Samoa.

Classifying and Scoring Arrests

To classify and score arrests, the UCR Program expands the scope of offenses to include both 

Part I and Part II crimes. (See pages 15–39 for an explanation of Part I offenses and pages 139–147 

for an explanation of Part II offenses.) The descriptive words and phrases listed under each of the 

Part II crime classifications were chosen from various state statute titles and/or common law and may 

aid the reporting agency in finding the proper classification. If an agency requires assistance in determining how to classify a certain offense, it may contact its state UCR Program. Direct contributors 

may contact the national UCR Program, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, 

Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone (888) UCR-NIBR/(888) 827-6427, or include a note when submitting the monthly returns.

The following guidelines are designed to help an agency properly classify and score arrests.

1. For each person arrested, reporting agencies must use only one crime classification. If a 

person was arrested for several offenses, both Part I and Part II, agencies must ignore the 

Part II crimes and score only the Part I crime appearing highest in the hierarchy. 

(See page 10 for an explanation of the Hierarchy Rule.)

2. If a person was arrested for several Part II offenses, the agency itself should determine which 

is the most serious offense and score only that one arrest.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 97
3. Persons arrested as aiders, abettors, conspirators, solicitors, and accessories must be included 

in the arrest for the offense classification in which they were involved.

4. Juvenile arrests must be scored in one of the specific crime classifications. The reporting 

agency must not consider any general formal charge requirement, such as juvenile 

delinquency, when completing the ASR.

5. The reporting agency must count one arrest for each separate occasion on which a person is 

arrested.

6. If two or more persons are arrested for committing one offense, the reporting agency must 

count each individual as a separate arrest.

7. If the reporting agency determines that an offender in custody has committed other crimes, 

it must not score additional arrests for those crimes. Agencies must score only the original 

arrest.

NOTE: Agencies must remember to count the number of persons arrested, not the number of 

charges placed against a person.

Preparing the ASR Forms

The reporting agency must record on the appropriate ASR (according to age) all persons processed 

by arrest, citation, or summons during the past month for committing an offense in its jurisdiction, 

including:

1. Those persons arrested and released without a formal charge being placed against them. 

(An arrest has occurred when a law enforcement officer detains an adult with the intention 

of seeking charges against the individual for a specific offense(s) and makes a record of the 

detention.)

NOTE: Agencies should exercise caution when determining how to classify each adult arrest. If 

the formal charges were filed, the agency would score the arrest in the appropriate crime 

category. However, if formal charges were not filed, the agency should score the arrest as 

the Part II offense, Suspicion (see page 147).

2. Juveniles taken into custody or arrested but merely warned and released without being 

charged.

The agency must enter opposite each offense the number of persons taken into custody, listing 

them according to age and sex. Then, the agency must enter opposite each offense the number of 

persons taken into custody according to race, without regard to sex.

An agency must not score on these forms persons arrested for other jurisdictions. The agency for 

which the arrest is made must count the arrest and, thus, avoid duplication in counting. Although 

most agencies probably maintain a separate record of such arrests for departmental administrative use, 

they must not include the arrest on these forms. Arrests for federal offenses must be included only 

when the arrest is for a federal crime that occurred in the agency’s jurisdiction and the offense is also 

a crime under the state penal code.

98 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 99
100 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 
Juveniles

The UCR Program considers a juvenile to be an individual under 18 years of age regardless of the 

state definition. An agency must score a juvenile arrest when the circumstances are such that if the 

individual were an adult, an arrest would have been counted. The reporting agency must score juvenile arrests opposite the classification of the offense for which the juvenile was taken into custody. 

For example, if police arrested a juvenile for committing an offense of larceny, the agency must score 

the arrest opposite the larceny-theft classification on this report, even though the technical charge is 

juvenile delinquency.

Agencies must not score as an arrest those incidents in which police contact a juvenile who has 

committed no offense or those situations in which police take a juvenile into custody for his or her 

own protection, e.g., neglect cases.

The juvenile arrest form (pink) provides for agencies to enter arrests for the juvenile offenses of 

runaways and curfew and loitering law violations. Agencies must score violations of local juvenile 

acts other than these two offenses in the All Other Offenses classification. Reporting agencies must 

score not only arrests in the usual sense, but also any situation where a young person, in lieu of an 

actual arrest, is summoned, cited, or notified to appear before the juvenile or youth court or similar 

official for a violation of the law.

Agencies must include on the form only violations by young persons where some police or official 

action is taken beyond a mere interview, warning, or admonishment. For example, children playing 

ball in the street who are instructed by an officer to go to the playground for such activity would not 

be counted as arrested any more than would an adult who is only warned against burning leaves on 

a windy day. Additionally, call backs or follow-up contacts with young offenders by officers for the 

purpose of determining their progress must not be counted as arrests. Reporting agencies should keep 

in mind that statistics are being gathered to measure criminal activity, not juvenile court activity.

The identities of individuals are not included on the ASR (or any UCR) 

form; the UCR Program uses the forms to gather statistics. Therefore, Agencies must rules or laws pertaining to the confidential treatment of the identity of include on the form juvenile offenders do not preclude the UCR Program or an agency from 

collecting data for administrative use. only violations by 

young persons 

where some police When juvenile records are not readily available because they are kept 

in a juvenile bureau, youth bureau, or other special office, the reporting or official action is 

agency can resolve statistical compilation problems involving juveniles in taken beyond a mere 

one of the following ways: interview, warning,

or admonishment.

1. Juvenile or youth officers can route the arrest report (or copy) 

through the main records operation so that the necessary count 

can be made.

2. Agencies can route a statistical slip with a juvenile processing number but no name to the 

employee who prepares statistical reports. The slip should include the crime or violation and 

the age, sex, and race of the youth.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 101
3. The juvenile office can develop a tally of all information needed for reporting to the UCR 

Program and periodically send it to the statistical employee for consolidation with the tally of 

adult arrests.

4. The juvenile or youth bureau can maintain the pink arrest forms separately and consolidate 

them with other returns at the end of the month.

Police Disposition Of Juveniles (Not Including Neglect Or Traffic Cases)

The block on the first page of the Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested—Under 18 Years of Age

form is for the purpose of collecting data concerning the law enforcement disposition of juveniles 

who are taken into custody or arrested. The reporting agency must use individual state age definitions 

of juveniles in completing the Police Disposition of Juveniles form.

An adult arrestee is usually held for prosecution for some charge or is released for future handling in court. However, depending on the seriousness of the offense and the offender’s prior criminal 

record, a juvenile may be warned by the police and released to parents, relatives, friends, or guardians. Juveniles may also be referred to the probation department or some other branch of the juvenile 

court, to welfare agencies, to other law enforcement agencies, or in the case of serious offenders, to 

criminal or adult court by waiver of the juvenile court.

As previously stated, the word arrest as it applies to juveniles is intended to mean the law enforcement handling of all juveniles who have committed a crime and are taken into custody under such circumstances that, if the juvenile were an adult, an arrest would have been counted. Agencies must not 

include as arrests police contacts with juveniles where no offense has been committed and instances 

wherein juveniles are taken into custody for their own protection. Agencies must also not include 

traffic cases.

POLICE DISPOSITION OF JUVENILES—NOT TO INCLUDE NEGLECT OR TRAFFIC CASES

(Follow your State age definition for juveniles)

TOTAL

1. Handled within Department and released.

(Warning, released to parents, etc.)

2. Referred to juvenile court or probation department.

3. Referred to welfare agency.

4. Referred to other police agency.

5. Referred to criminal or adult court.

102 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
The following specific guidelines are designed to help an agency complete each of the five entries 

in the Police Disposition of Juveniles section on the juvenile arrest form:

1. Handled within Department and released.

Police take many juveniles into custody or arrest them for committing a violation but make no 

referral to juvenile court and do not file formal charges. In most cases, the juvenile is warned by the 

police and released, frequently to parents, relatives, or friends. Reporting agencies must enter such 

cases on line 1—Handled within Department and released on the Police Disposition of Juveniles 

breakdown on the front page of the pink form. Agencies must also remember to score an arrest on the 

inside of this form.

2. Referred to juvenile court or probation department.

Reporting agencies must enter on line 2 the number of juveniles arrested and referred to the probation department or other individual, agency, or group working within the jurisdiction of the juvenile 

court. If a juvenile is arrested and referred more than once during the month, the agency must count 

each referral just as it would score each arrest for an adult.

3. Referred to welfare agency.

The rules for completing line 2 also apply to line 3 except that the police refer the youth to a 

welfare agency, either public or private, rather than to juvenile court or the probation department.

4. Referred to other police agency.

In most instances, entries opposite line 4 include (1) juveniles arrested by a department at the 

request of another law enforcement agency, (2) juveniles who committed crimes in one jurisdiction 

but reside in another and are turned over for handling to their home jurisdiction, or (3) juveniles who 

commit crimes in one jurisdiction but have also committed crimes in their home jurisdictions and are 

turned over to the latter for handling.

Although juveniles taken into custody for committing a crime in another jurisdiction must be 

included in the disposition portion of the form, Age, Sex, Race of Persons Arrested—Under 18 Years 

of Age, they must be excluded from the arrest figures on the inside of the form. Agencies must 

include in this category juveniles taken into custody as runaways, truants, curfew and loitering law 

violators, etc.

5. Referred to criminal or adult court.

Many jurisdictions have statutes that permit the waiving of juveniles for trial to criminal or adult 

court as adults. The reporting agency must enter the number of juveniles referred or waived to adult 

court opposite line 5 and not opposite line 2. 

Even if subsequent judicial actions transfer the case to another agency or court, the reporting 

agency must score the initial referral on this form.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 103
TOTAL

The total (the sum of the numbers entered on lines 1 through 5) includes all juvenile arrests by an 

agency for the month. The total on the Police Disposition of Juveniles may not equal the number of 

juveniles actually scored as arrested on the ASR form because juveniles who are picked up and turned 

over to another police agency are included, and only those youths who committed an offense in the 

reporting agency’s jurisdiction are scored in both the disposition portion and the inside arrest portion 

of the form.

SUPPLEMENTARY HOMICIDE REPORT

The SHR is a two-sided form designed to collect additional details regarding the murder victim 

and offender, their relationship to one another, the weapon used, and the circumstances in each criminal homicide. Detailed data regarding the criminal homicide category can only be as comprehensive 

as the input provided by the individual contributing agency.

Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

On the front of the form, the reporting agency must record details of all willful (nonnegligent) 

killings (Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter [1a]). The agency must include here any justifiable 

homicides as defined by the UCR Program. (See page 17 for further information on justifiable 

homicide.)

In the situation column, the reporting agency must indicate whether the homicide involved single 

or multiple victims and offenders. The following are the codes agencies must use to identify the type 

of situation:

A–Single Victim/Single Offender

B–Single Victim/Unknown Offender or Offenders 

C–Single Victim/Multiple Offenders

D–Multiple Victims/Single Offender

E–Multiple Victims/Multiple Offenders

F–Multiple Victims/Unknown Offender or Offenders

104 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
SUPPLEMENTARY HOMICIDE REPORT 

This report is authorized by law Title 28, Section 534, United States Code. While you are not required to respond, your cooperation in using this form to list data pertaining to all homicides reported on your Return A will 

assist the FBI in compiling comprehensive, accurate data regarding this important classification on a timely basis.

Incident

1a. Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

List below specific information for all offenses shown in item 1a of the monthly Return A. In addition, list all justifiable killings of felons by a citizen or by a peace officer in the line of duty. A brief explanation in the circumSituation* stances column regarding unfounded homicide offenses will aid the national Uniform Crime Reporting Program in editing the reports. Victim**

Age

Offender** Data Code

Sex

Relationship of Victim

Race

to Offender Circumstances

Age

Weapon Used (Husband, Wife, Son, (Victim shot by robber, robbery victim 

Do Not Write (Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun, Father, Acquaintance, shot robber, killed by patron during

Sex In These Spaces Club, Poison, etc.) Neighbor, Stranger, etc.) barroom brawl, etc.) Race

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 DO NOT WRITE HERE

Recorded 

 ** - See reverse side for explanation Edited

PunchedVerified

 Month and Year Agency Identifier Prepared By Title Adjusted 

Agency State Chief, Sheriff, Commissioner, Superintendent 

105
The reporting agency must use only one situation code per criminal homicide incident regardless 

of the number of victims. A new code signifies the beginning of a new murder situation.

The reporting agency must key the situation codes to the victim, i.e., list each victim only once. 

In single victim/single offender situations (Code A), the age, sex, and race of both the victim and 

offender must appear directly opposite each other on the same line. In those situations where a single 

victim is killed by two or more offenders (Code C), the reporting agency must record the age, sex, 

and race of the victim beside the same data for the first offender. The agency must enter information 

about the remaining offenders on separate lines under that of the first offender.

In those situations where two or more victims are killed by a single offender (Code D), the agency 

must record the age, sex, and race of each victim and also record opposite each victim the age, sex, 

and race of the offender. This practice will not result in the multiple counting of offenders inasmuch 

as the situation code employed indicates only one offender was involved. When multiple victims are 

killed by multiple offenders (Code E), the reporting agency must enter the age, sex, and race of each 

victim followed by the age, sex, and race of the offender.

If the offender or offenders are unknown (Codes B and F), all that is required is the appropriate 

data concerning the victim.

Age, Sex, and Race

Instructions for coding the age, sex, and race of both victims and offenders are provided on the 

SHR form. Agencies must record ages as 01 to 99 years, with those aged 100 or older entered as 99. 

Newborns up to one week old must be coded NB, and victims over one week old but less than one 

year must be coded as BB. Unknown ages must be shown as 00. Agencies must use only two characters in the age columns.

Reporting agencies must record the gender of both victims and offenders as M for male and F for 

female. If the gender is unknown, the agency must use the letter designation U. Agencies must use 

only one character in this column.

Race designations for both victims and offenders are White—W, Black—B, American Indian or 

Alaskan Native—I, Asian or Pacific Islander—A, and Unknown—U. Agencies must use only these 

race designations.

Weapon Used

When describing the weapon used in a criminal homicide, the reporting agency must give as 

complete a description of the weapon as is available. If a weapon was used that could be employed 

in several ways, the agency must state how it was used. For example, if a bottle was used in the 

commission of a murder, the agency must state whether the person was killed by beating, cutting, or 

stabbing. Where firearms are used, the report must indicate whether the firearm was a handgun, rifle, 

or shotgun.

106 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Relationship of Victim to Offender

The reporting agency must keep in mind that, in the UCR Program, the relationship to be reported 

for all homicides is that of the victims to the offenders, not the offenders to the victims. For 

example, in a murder incident where a wife is killed by her husband, the reported relationship must 

be wife. The relationship of the victim to each separate offender must be shown. That is, for each 

offender listed in the age, sex, and race columns, the reporting agency must also enter the relationship 

of the victim to that person.

Circumstances

In this portion of the SHR form, using as many lines as necessary, the reporting agency must 

furnish a brief statement as to the circumstances surrounding the victim’s death. For those killings 

that occur in conjunction with the commission of another felony such as a robbery or a rape, the 

agency must identify the specific offense involved. In other criminal homicides, the agency must 

provide as much information as possible so that murders resulting from lovers’ quarrels, drunkenness, 

arguments over money, revenge, narcotics, gangland killings, etc., can be identified. Vague descriptions such as, altercation, fight, and quarrel, do not provide sufficient information for analysis and will 

not be accepted by the national UCR Program.

Statements of circumstances must be based on information known to law enforcement following 

its investigation, not decisions of a grand jury, coroner’s inquest, or other agency outside law 

enforcement.

Manslaughter by Negligence

Reporting 

On the back of the SHR form, agencies must report deaths due to agencies must 

negligence (Manslaughter by Negligence [1b]). Agencies must use the same not include 

instructions to complete this side of the form (Manslaughter by Negligence) traffic fatalities, as they used to complete the front of the form (Murder and Nonnegligent 

Manslaughter) in order to provide the situation code; age, sex, and race of accidental 

both victim and offender; weapon used; and relationship of victim to offender deaths, or deaths 

information. The circumstances for the manslaughter by negligence segment of victims due 

of this form vary only in that, for obvious reasons, certain circumstances to their own employed in the murder and nonnegligent manslaughter section would 

not apply. Manslaughter by negligence offenses commonly result from negligence on 

circumstances such as the following: victim shot in hunting accident, gun the SHR.

cleaning, and children playing with gun.

NOTE: Reporting agencies must not include traffic fatalities, accidental deaths, or deaths of victims 

due to their own negligence on the SHR. Agencies must provide information regarding all 

other negligent manslaughters, however, regardless of prosecutorial action taken.

Refer to page 18 for examples of offenses that must be classified and scored on the Return A as 

Manslaughter by Negligence (1b).

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 107
Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 

SUPPLEMENTARY HOMICIDE REPORT (Continued) 

 1b. Manslaughter by Negligence

 Do not list traffic fatalities, accidental deaths, or death due to the negligence of the victim. List below all other negligent manslaughters, regardless of prosecutive action taken.

Circumstances

(Victim shot by robber, robbery victim 

shot robber, killed by patron during 

barroom brawl, etc.)

Relationship of Victim 

to Offender (Husband, Wife, Son, 

Father, Acquaintance,

 Neighbor, Stranger, etc.)

Weapon Used

(Handgun, Rifle, Shotgun,

Club, Poison, etc.)

Data Code

Do Not Write 

In These Spaces

 Offender** 

Race

Sex

Age

Victim**

Race

Sex

Age

Situation*

Incident

* - Situations A - Single Victim/Single Offender D - Multiple Victims/Single Offender

 B - Single Victim/Unknown Offender or Offenders E - Multiple Victims/Multiple Offenders C - Single Victim/Multiple Offenders F - Multiple Victims/Unknown Offender or Offenders

Use only one victim/offender situations code per set of information. The utilization of a new code will signify the beginning of a new murder situation.

** - Age - 01 to 99. If 100 or older use 99. New born up to one week old use NB. If over one week, but less than one year old use BB. Use two characters only in age column.

 Sex - M for Male and F for Female. Use one character only. Race - White - W, Black - B, American Indian or Alaskan Native - I, Asian or Pacific Islander - A, Unknown - U. Use only these as race designations.

108
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED AND ASSAULTED

The UCR Program collects data from all contributing agencies through a subprogram called Law 

Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, or simply LEOKA, on officer line-of-duty deaths and 

assaults. Reporting agencies must submit data on forms 1-701 and 1-705 (explained in this section 

of the manual) on their own duly sworn officers feloniously or accidentally killed or assaulted in the 

line of duty. The purpose of this data collection is to identify situations in which officers are killed or 

assaulted, describe the incidents statistically, and publish the data to aid agencies in developing policies to improve officer safety. 

The Program considers a line-of-duty death to have occurred when the officer is on or off duty and 

acting in an official capacity, that is, reacting to a situation that would ordinarily fall within the scope 

of his or her official duties as a law enforcement officer. Suicides and deaths caused by heart attacks 

or other natural causes as well as deaths occurring while the officer is acting in a military capacity are 

not included in this definition.

A felonious death occurs when an officer is killed because of or while performing his or her official duties and as a direct result of a criminal act by a subject. An accidental death occurs when 

an officer dies as a result of an accident he or she is involved in while performing his or her duties. 

Some examples of accidental deaths include an officer being struck by a vehicle while directing traffic; receiving fatal injuries in a motor vehicle, airplane, or helicopter accident while on patrol or 

involved in a pursuit; or drowning during a rescue attempt.

Agencies must report data on officers who are killed or assaulted and who meet all of the 

following criteria:

• Be working in an official capacity

• Have full arrest powers 

• Wear a badge (ordinarily)

• Carry a firearm (ordinarily)

• Be paid from governmental funds set aside specifically for payment of sworn law enforcement representatives

Normally, these officers are employed by local, county, state, tribal, or federal entities in occupations such as municipal or county police, constables, state police, highway patrol officers, sheriffs and 

deputies, marshals, and special agents. Individuals employed in local, state, tribal, or federal criminal 

justice agencies, but involved in protective, prosecutorial, or confinement activities, such as federal 

judges, U.S. attorneys, probation officers, corrections officers, jailers, and prison officials, are usually 

not included.

LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED OR ASSAULTED

(Form 1-705)

The form entitled Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted (LEOKA) should be used by 

agencies to report line-of-duty felonious or accidental killings and assaults on their officers for a 

given month. (See Form 1-705.) If no officers are killed or assaulted during a given month, reporting agencies should not submit this form. However, the reporting agency must mark the NO LAW 

ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED OR ASSAULTED REPORT . . . box on the Return A.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 109
When an officer is killed or assaulted in another jurisdiction, the agency where the death or assault 

occurred must report the crime, e.g., homicide or aggravated assault, on the Return A. The agency 

where the officer actually is employed must report the death or assault on the LEOKA Form 1-705.

In the section of the LEOKA Form 1-705 labeled OFFICERS KILLED, the reporting agency 

must enter the number of sworn officers with full arrest powers killed in the line of duty by felonious 

acts and those killed by accident or negligence while acting in an official capacity. Agencies must not 

include officers who are victims of nonfatal assaults on this section of the form. 

In the section of the LEOKA Form 1-705 labeled OFFICERS ASSAULTED, agencies must 

record assaults on sworn officers. Reporting agencies must count all assaults that resulted in serious 

injury or assaults in which a weapon was used that could have caused serious injury or death. They 

must include other assaults not causing injury if the assault involved more than mere verbal abuse or 

minor resistance to an arrest. In other words, agencies must include in this section all assaults on 

officers, whether or not the officers sustained injuries.

NOTE: Agencies must follow the Hierarchy Rule in reporting those incidents involving aggravated 

assaults on law enforcement officers while they are responding to or taking necessary action 

at the scene of a crime. For example, if an officer is assaulted at the scene of a robbery, the 

agency must score only the robbery on the Return A; the agency must record the assault on 

the LEOKA Form 1-705. However, if the officer is assaulted during a burglary incident, the 

agency, following the Hierarchy Rule, must score only the assault on both the Return A and 

the LEOKA forms. 

ANALYSIS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED AND 

ASSAULTED (Form 1-701)

When an agency submits a LEOKA Form 1-705 to the national UCR Program indicating that an 

officer sustained an injury as a result of an assault with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument, the national Program asks that the agency then complete and submit LEOKA Form 1-701, 

Analysis of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted. There are two instances for which an 

agency must complete this 8-page questionnaire (Form 1-701):

1. When an officer is killed

2. When an officer is assaulted and injured with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument

Guidelines for Completing the LEOKA Form 1-705

1. Each time an officer is assaulted in the line of duty, the reporting agency must locate the 

appropriate line (1-11) that corresponds to the type of activity in which the officer was 

engaged at the time of the assault and record the assault by making an entry on the line in one 

of the Columns (B–E) under Type of Weapon. If more than one type of weapon was used 

to commit a single assault, the reporting agency must select the weapon first encountered in 

moving from Column B to Column E. Agencies must not enter any other type of weapon that 

may have been used. 

2. Next, the agency must make an entry in one of the Columns (F–L) under Type of Assignment. 

Column F (Two-officer Vehicle) and Columns G and H (One-officer Vehicle) pertain to 

uniformed officers, Columns I and J (Detective or Special Assignment) to nonuniformed 

110 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
officers, and Columns K and L (Other) to officers assaulted while working in other capacities 

such as foot patrol, off duty, etc. The term Assisted refers to law enforcement assistance only.

3. If the assault has also been cleared, the agency must record the clearance in Column M 

(Officer Assaults Cleared).

4. Next, the agency must make an entry on either line 13 (Number With Personal Injury) or

line 14 (Number Without Personal Injury) in the appropriate column (B–E). Finally, it 

must mark the time of the assault in the appropriate AM or PM block of line 15. Reporting 

agencies must record each assault in the same manner. A tally sheet is available for agencies 

to report assaults of law enforcement officers and can be obtained by contacting the Crime 

Statistics Management Unit, Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Federal Bureau of 

Investigation, Module E-3, 1000 Custer Hollow Road, Clarksburg, WV 26306; telephone 

(304) 625-4830 or facsimile (304) 625-3566.

5. At the end of the month, reporting agencies must tabulate the totals for each category from 

the tally sheet or other work sheet and transfer the figures to the monthly LEOKA form 

(1-705). After recording the appropriate numbers on the monthly LEOKA form (1-705), 

the agency must add Columns B through L, lines 1 through 11, and enter each column’s 

total on line 12. Then, the agency must add Columns B–E for lines 1–12 across and record 

the totals in Column A (Total Assaults by Weapon). If the agency has scored all assaults 

correctly, the total in Column A, line 12, will equal the total of Columns F through L (Type of 

Assignment), line 12. These totals must equal the number of officers assaulted for the month.

6. To report the total number of assaults cleared, agencies must add lines 1 through 11 in 

Column M (Officer Assaults Cleared). Agencies must count the number of assaults on 

officers that have been cleared, including exceptional clearances as defined in this handbook. 

They must not count the number of persons arrested for such offenses.

7. For lines 13 and 14, agencies must add each line across and record the total in Column A 

(Total Assaults by Weapon). 

8. When an agency has completed the Form 1-705 correctly, the number in Column A, line 

12 should equal the total number of officers assaulted for the month. The sum of lines B–E 

(Type of Weapon) on line 12 is also the total number of officers assaulted, as is the sum of 

lines F–L (Type of Assignment). Additionally, the sum of the figures on lines 13 and 14 is the 

total number of assaults. As a final check, agencies should total the figures on line 15 (Time 

of Assaults), both AM and PM, to assure that these entries equal the total officer assaults.

9. If the information on line 13 indicates that an officer was assaulted and injured with a knife 

or other cutting instrument, the agency should provide the Incident or Case Number in the 

block on the bottom of the reverse side of the form.

It is important that agencies report all assaults whether the officer(s) sustained an injury or not. 

The importance of providing complete and correct information on the LEOKA form cannot be overemphasized. The data reported on this form are essential for analyzing assaults on law enforcement 

officers. Thus, the more complete the data, the better the analysis and the more valid the conclusions.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 111
112 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 
Scoring Scenarios for Completing the LEOKA Form 1-705

Scenario 1:

At about 10:20 p.m., a plainclothes detective driving alone in a police vehicle responded to a burglary in progress call. While attempting to arrest the offender, the detective was stabbed with a knife. 

Officers arrested the offender at the scene.

To score Scenario 1 on the LEOKA Form 1-705, the agency must begin by finding the column 

labeled Type of Activity. The appropriate activity can be found on line 2, Burglaries in Progress or 

Pursuing Burglary Suspects. Moving across this line, the agency must place a 1 in Column C, Knife 

or Other Cutting Instrument, and place a 1 in Column I, Alone, to show that the officer assaulted was 

unassisted. Also, the agency must enter a 1 in Column M, Officer Assaults Cleared, to show that the 

offender was arrested. No other entries are required. For each officer assaulted, the agency must 

select only one Type of Assignment (Columns F through L). 

Agencies must next complete line 13 or 14 and line 15. Because the detective was injured, line 

13, Number with Personal Injury, is the appropriate line to use. To score this scenario, the agency 

must enter a 1 on this line in Column C to indicate the injury was inflicted with a knife. 

On line 15, Time of Assaults, it is important that the agency record appropriately the time of 

occurrence. The detective in this scenario was assaulted at 10:20 p.m., so the agency must score the 

time of assault on the bottom half of line 15 in the block indicating the time period 10:00–12:00.

OFFICERS KILLED

killed in the line of duty this month.

Number of your law enforcement officers By felonious act

By accident or negligence

OFFICERS ASSAULTED (Do not include officers killed) - See other side for instructions.

Type of Activity

Total

Assaults

by

Weapon

A

Type of Weapon Type of Assignment

Officer

Assaults

Cleared

M

Firearm

B

Knife 

or

Other

Cutting

Instrument

C

Other

Dangerous

Weapon

D

Hands,

Fists,

Feet,

etc.

E

TwoOfficer

Vehicle

F

One - Officer

Vehicle

Detective or

Special Assign. Other

Alone 

G

Assisted

H

Alone 

I

Assisted

J

Alone 

K

Assisted

L

1. Responding to Disturbance

 calls (family quarrels, person

 with firearm, etc.) 

2. Burglaries in progress or

 pursuing burglary suspects 1 1 1

3. Robberies in progress or

 pursuing robbery suspects

 12. TOTAL (1 - 11)

 13. Number with personal injury* 1

 14. Number without personal injury

12:01 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00

 15. Time of assaults AM

 PM 1

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 113
NOTE: Whenever the information on Form 1-705, line 13, reveals that an officer was assaulted 

and injured with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument, the UCR Program sends

Form 1-701, the 8-page questionnaire to the agency. It is very important that agencies

reporting on hard copy forms complete the block on the reverse side of Form 1-705 YOUR 

AGENCY’S INCIDENT OR CASE NUMBER(S). When sending the questionnaire (Form 

1-701), the UCR Program references the incident number to help the agency locate the 

required information.

Because the officer in Scenario 1 was injured with a knife, the agency should record the Incident 

or Case Number in the block located at the bottom of the reverse side of Form 1-705.

YOUR AGENCY’S INCIDENT OR CASE NUMBER(S)

(Complete this block only if the assaulted officer was injured with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument.)

120300012345

Scenario 2:

Two uniformed officers on patrol in their cruiser responded to a robbery in progress at a bank two 

blocks away. They were the first unit to arrive at approximately 2:30 p.m. as three armed subjects 

with weapons drawn exited the bank. A brief exchange of gunfire ensued during which one officer 

was killed and the other shot in the leg. Although one subject was wounded and apprehended at the 

scene, the other two escaped in their getaway car.

To score Scenario 2 on the LEOKA Form 1-705, the agency must first complete the top 

portion, OFFICERS KILLED. The agency must enter a 1 on the line indicating By Felonious Act. 

FBI Special Agents will follow up with a request that the victim officer’s agency complete the 8-page 

questionnaire, Analysis of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, Form 1-701. Next, the 

agency must record in the lower portion of the form the assault occurring in the incident. 

In Scenario 2, the agency must score the assault on the partner who received the leg wound by 

first determining the Type of Activity, in this case, line 3, Robberies in Progress or Pursuing Robbery 

Suspects. The agency must enter a 1 on this line in Column B to show that the weapon used was a 

firearm; a 1 in Column F, Two-officer Vehicle, to show the Type of Assignment; and a 1 in Column M, 

indicating the assault has been cleared by the arrest of at least one offender. 

Since the officer was injured, the agency must enter a 1 on line 13 in Column B, again indicating 

the weapon used. The agency must record the time of the assault by placing a 1 in the PM portion of 

line 15 in the block between 2:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

114 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
OFFICERS KILLED

1

killed in the line of duty this month.

Number of your law enforcement officers By felonious act

By accident or negligence

OFFICERS ASSAULTED (Do not include officers killed) - See other side for instructions.

Type of Activity

Total

Assaults

by

Weapon

A

Type of Weapon Type of Assignment

Officer

Assaults

Cleared

M

Firearm

B

Knife 

or

Other

Cutting

Instrument

C

Other

Dangerous

Weapon

D

Hands,

Fists,

Feet,

etc.

E

TwoOfficer

Vehicle

F

One - Officer

Vehicle

Detective or

Special Assign. Other

Alone 

G

Assisted

H

Alone 

I

Assisted

J

Alone 

K

Assisted

L

1. Responding to Disturbance

 calls (family quarrels, person

 with firearm, etc.) 

2. Burglaries in progress or

 pursuing burglary suspects

3. Robberies in progress or

 pursuing robbery suspects 1 1 1

 12. TOTAL (1 - 11)

 13. Number with personal injury* 1

 14. Number without personal injury

12:01 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00

15. Time of assaults AM

 PM 1 

Since one of the officers in Scenario 2 was injured with a firearm, the agency should record the 

Incident or Case Number in the block located at the bottom of the reverse side of Form 1-705.

YOUR AGENCY’S INCIDENT OR CASE NUMBER(S)

(Complete this block only if the assaulted officer was injured with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument.)

120300012346

Scenario 3:

At 10:17 a.m., an officer alone in a patrol car answered a call from a woman threatened by her 

husband. An off-duty officer who lived nearby went to assist the responding officer. As the two 

officers attempted to talk to the man, he became enraged, and wielding a hammer and a knife, he 

attacked both officers. While subduing the individual and wrestling the weapons from him, one of the 

officers suffered a serious knife wound. The man was subsequently arrested.

To score Scenario 3 in which two officers were assaulted, the agency must select the Type of 

Activity, Responding to Disturbance Calls, line 1 and place a 2 in Column C. (Although the offender 

employed more than one weapon, the agency must record the knife as the weapon since it is the first 

weapon listed when moving from Column B to Column E.) Continuing on line 1, the agency must 

show both officers’ assignments by entering a 1 in Column H denoting one victim in a One-officer 

Vehicle and a 1 in Column L to show the off-duty officer. Because the offender was arrested, both of 

these assaults are cleared, so the agency should report a 2 in Column M.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 115
OFFICERS KILLED

killed in the line of duty this month.

Number of your law enforcement officers By felonious act

By accident or negligence

OFFICERS ASSAULTED (Do not include officers killed) - See other side for instructions.

Type of Activity

Total

Assaults

by

Weapon

A

Type of Weapon Type of Assignment

Officer

Assaults

Cleared

M

Firearm

B

Knife 

or

Other

Cutting

Instrument

C

Other

Dangerous

Weapon

D

Hands,

Fists,

Feet,

etc.

E

TwoOfficer

Vehicle

F

One - Officer

Vehicle

Detective or

Special Assign. Other

Alone 

G

Assisted

H

Alone 

I

Assisted

J

Alone 

K

Assisted

L

1. Responding to Disturbance

 calls (family quarrels, person

 with firearm, etc.) 2 1 1 2

 2. Burglaries in progress or

 pursuing burglary suspects

3. Robberies in progress or

 pursuing robbery suspects

 12. TOTAL (1 - 11)

 13. Number with personal injury* 1

 14. Number without personal injury 1

12:01 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00

15. Time of assaults AM 2

 PM

Because one officer is injured and one is not, the agency must use both lines 13 and 14. On 

line 13, the agency must record a 1 in Column C to show one officer received a knife wound and a 

1 on line 14 in Column C to indicate one officer was uninjured. Finally, the agency must record the 

time of assault by placing a 2 in the AM portion of line 15 in the block between 10:00 a.m. and 12:00.

One of the officers in Scenario 3 was injured with a knife; therefore, the agency should record the 

Incident or Case Number in the block located at the bottom of the reverse side of Form 1-705.

YOUR AGENCY’S INCIDENT OR CASE NUMBER(S)

(Complete this block only if the assaulted officer was injured with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument.)

120300012347

Monthly LEOKA Report

At the end of the month, the reporting agency must complete one LEOKA Form 1-705 for submission to the national Program. If the agency has been using a tally sheet to track assaults, it must first 

transfer the figures from the worksheet to Form 1-705 and then calculate the totals. If the agency has 

recorded all of the assaults directly on the form, it should sum the totals and enter them on the appropriate lines and columns. If scenarios 1–3 reflected the only officers killed and assaulted during a 

month, the reporting agency would complete Form 1-705 as follows:

116 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
First, the agency must record in the top portion of the form the officer who was feloniously killed 

(Scenario 2) by placing a 1 on the top line, By Felonious Act. 

Next, the agency must complete the bottom portion of the form, which will include the assault 

data from scenarios 1–3. To begin, the agency must add Columns B–L down and enter each column’s 

total on line 12. Next, the agency must add Column M down to record the number of assaults cleared 

on line 12. Then the agency must add Columns B–E (Type of Weapon) across on lines 1, 2, and 3 and 

enter those totals on the appropriate line in Column A (Total Assaults by Weapon).

For lines 13 and 14, the agency must add each line across and enter the resulting numbers in 

Column A. Column A, line 12 must equal the agency’s total number of officers assaulted. If the 

agency has entered all numbers correctly, the sum of Columns F–L on line 12 will be the same number that appears in Column A, line 12 (the sums of Columns B–E). Additionally, the sum of all 

entries on line 15, both AM and PM portions, will be the same as the total number of assaults entered 

in Column A, line 12.

OFFICERS KILLED

1

killed in the line of duty this month.

Number of your law enforcement officers By felonious act

By accident or negligence

OFFICERS ASSAULTED (Do not include officers killed) - See other side for instructions.

Type of Activity

Total

Assaults

by

Weapon

A

Type of Weapon Type of Assignment

Officer

Assaults

Cleared

M

Firearm

B

Knife 

or

Other

Cutting

Instrument

C

Other

Dangerous

Weapon

D

Hands,

Fists,

Feet,

etc.

E

TwoOfficer

Vehicle

F

One - Officer

Vehicle

Detective or

Special Assign. Other

Alone 

G

Assisted

H

Alone 

I

Assisted

J

Alone 

K

Assisted

L

1. Responding to Disturbance

 calls (family quarrels, person

 with firearm, etc.) 2 2 1 1 2

 2. Burglaries in progress or

 pursuing burglary suspects 1 1 1 1

3. Robberies in progress or

 pursuing robbery suspects 1 1 1 1

 12. TOTAL (1 - 11) 4 1 3 1 1 1 1 4

 13. Number with personal injury* 3 1 2

 14. Number without personal injury 1 1

12:01 2:00 4:00 6:00 8:00 10:00 12:00

 15. Time of assaults AM 2

 PM 1 1

Because officers in scenarios 1–3 were injured with a firearm or knife, the reporting agency should 

record the Incident or Case Number in the block located at the bottom of the reverse side of 

Form 1-705. 

YOUR AGENCY’S INCIDENT OR CASE NUMBER(S)

(Complete this block only if the assaulted officer was injured with a firearm or a knife or other cutting instrument.)

120300012345 120300012347

120300012346

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 117
HATE CRIME INCIDENT REPORT AND QUARTERLY HATE CRIME 

REPORT

The Hate Crime Incident Report and the Quarterly Hate Crime Report are separate from and in 

addition to the routine Summary UCR submission. Reporting agencies must remember that in hate 

crime reporting, there is no Hierarchy Rule. They must report offense data (not just arrest data) for 

Intimidation and Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property. On these forms, all reportable biasmotivated offenses must be included regardless of whether arrests have been made. Reporting agencies should refer to the publication Hate Crime Data Collection Guidelines for additional information 

about hate crime reporting.

Background

Hate crimes are not separate, distinct crimes, but are traditional offenses motivated, in whole or 

in part, by the offender’s bias. Consequently, contributing agencies can collect hate crime data by 

capturing additional information about offenses they are already reporting to the UCR Program.

The object of the data collection is to indicate whether an offender was motivated, in whole or 

in part, to commit an offense because of a bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, 

or ethnic or national origin group. Because of the difficulty of determining an offender’s subjective 

motivation, agencies must report a hate crime only if investigation revealed sufficient objective facts 

to lead a reasonable and prudent person to conclude that the offender’s actions were motivated, in 

whole or in part, by bias. 

. . . all reportable 

bias-motivated 

offenses must be 

included regardless 

of whether arrests 

have been made.

Agencies must make an important distinction when reporting a hate 

crime. The mere fact that an offender is biased against a victim’s race, 

religion, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, or national origin is not 

sufficient to deem the offense a hate crime. Rather, the agency must 

determine that the offender’s criminal act was motivated, in whole or in 

part, by the offender’s bias. 

118 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 119
Guidelines for Completing the HATE CRIME INCIDENT REPORT 

(Form 1-699)

The Hate Crime Incident Report captures the type of offense, the location of the offense, the bias 

motivation, the type of victim, and the number and race of offenders.

Reporting agencies must use the Hate Crime Incident Report to report a bias-motivated incident or 

to adjust information submitted on a previously reported incident. Agencies should include additional 

information on separate paper if they feel it will add clarity to the report.

Agencies must also indicate the type of report as Initial or Adjustment and provide the Originating 

Agency Identifier and the Date of Incident.

INCIDENT NUMBER

Agencies must provide an identifying incident number, preferably the case or file number.

UCR OFFENSE 

Agencies must provide codes for all offenses within an incident that they have determined to 

be bias motivated as well as the number of victims for each offense. In multiple offense incidents, 

agencies must report only those offenses determined to be bias motivated. If more than four biasmotivated offenses are involved in one incident, agencies must use additional Hate Crime Incident 

Reports and make the appropriate entry in the Page of of Same Incident portion of each 

form.

LOCATION

Agencies must check the box that indicates the most appropriate location of each bias-motivated 

offense.

BIAS MOTIVATION

Agencies must check the box that accurately represents the nature of the bias motivation for biasmotivated offense number 1 as well as write in the bias-motivation codes if the incident includes more 

than one offense (if the motivation is different from that listed in offense number 1).

VICTIM TYPE

Agencies must check the box that indicates the type of victim(s) identified within the incident. 

When the type of victim is Individual (1), agencies must indicate the total number of individuals 

(persons) who were victims in the incident. (Society/Public is applicable only in the National 

Incident-Based Reporting System.)

NUMBER OF OFFENDERS

Agencies must provide the number of offenders. Incidents involving multiple offenders must 

not be coded as Unknown Offender because it is known that more than one offender was involved. 

Agencies must enter “00” for Unknown Offender when nothing is known about the offender including the offender’s race. When an agency reports the race of the offender, it cannot indicate “00” 

Unknown; the agency must indicate at least one offender.

120 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
RACE OF OFFENDER(S)

Agencies must check the box showing the race of the offender(s), if known. If a group of offenders comprised more than one race, the agency should check the box indicating Multiple Races (group 

only). If the agency has entered the number of offenders as Unknown, it must also indicate that the 

race of the offender is Unknown.

Scoring Scenarios for Completing the Hate Crime Incident Report

The following pages present scenarios that after a complete law enforcement investigation were 

determined to be bias-motivated offenses as well as the accompanying Hate Crime Incident Report 

forms (1-699) scored as appropriate.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 121
Scenario 1:

A deputy sheriff received a radio call to go to an apartment and interview an individual 

complaining of threats made over the telephone. When the deputy arrived at the apartment, the 

complainant, a white male, informed the deputy that he was gay and that over the last two weeks he 

had received repeated telephone calls from a person who stated that the complainant had been seen 

going into “gay bars,” and therefore, the caller was going to “beat him up.”

To score Scenario 1, agencies would complete the Hate Crime Incident Report (Form 1-699) as 

follows:

122 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Scenario 2:

Three members of a fringe neo-Nazi group broke into a Jewish synagogue. While inside, they 

spray painted anti-Semitic slogans throughout the synagogue. They located the rabbi and kicked him 

into unconsciousness. The rabbi sustained several broken ribs. Prior to leaving, the vandals sloshed 

gasoline around the premises. The police arrived on the scene and apprehended two of the three suspects as they were attempting to ignite the gasoline.

To score Scenario 2, agencies would complete the Hate Crime Incident Report (Form 1-699) as 

follows:

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 123
124 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 
Guidelines for Completing the QUARTERLY HATE CRIME REPORT 

(Form 1-700)

At the end of each calendar quarter, the reporting agency must submit a single Quarterly Hate 

Crime Report, together with an individual Hate Crime Incident Report form for each bias-motivated 

incident identified during the quarter (if any). If no hate crimes occurred during the quarter, the 

agency must check the box indicating that there were no hate crime incidents in this quarter and 

submit only the Quarterly Hate Crime Report.

The Quarterly Hate Crime Report should be used to identify the reporting agency, to state the 

number of bias-motivated incidents being reported for the calendar quarter, and to delete any incidents 

previously reported that have been determined during the reporting period not to have been motivated 

by bias.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 125
126 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 
LAW ENFORCEMENT EMPLOYEES REPORT

The Law Enforcement Employees Report, which is annually sent to law enforcement agencies 

throughout the country, asks that the agency provide a count of the employees on its payroll as of 

October 31 of a given year. The primary purpose of this form is to gather information relating to the 

number of full-time law enforcement employees, both officers and civilians. 

The number of officers reported should include only all full-time, sworn personnel with full arrest 

powers. Agencies must include the sheriff and deputies, constables, marshals, the chief and members 

of the police force, and other officers whose duties are to enforce and preserve the public peace. The 

report must not include persons performing guard or protection duties such as crossing guards, special 

or reserve officers, merchant police, or jailers at state correctional facilities and state prisons who are 

not paid from law enforcement funds. Agencies may include city and county jailers only if they are 

full-time employees and their salaries are paid out of law enforcement funds. Although some jailers 

may be sworn personnel, if their salaries are paid from a separate budget for the operation of the jail 

and they do not perform other law enforcement functions such as patrol, they must not be included in 

the count for this form.

In reporting the number of civilian employees, agencies must include persons such as clerks, radio 

dispatchers, meter attendants, stenographers, jailers, correctional officers, and mechanics provided 

they are all full-time employees of the agency. Employees who are on leave with pay should be 

included in the total. Again, agencies must not include in the count persons who are not paid from 

law enforcement funds. 

NOTE: If a small jurisdiction monthly reports offenses to the sheriff’s office or another larger 

agency, that larger agency should include the small jurisdiction’s officer and civilian 

employee counts with its own. 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 127
Notes

CHAPTER V

OTHER UCR PROGRAM FORMS

SUPPLY REQUEST

The national UCR Program provides forms and tally sheets at no cost to law enforcement agencies. The FBI does request that supply orders be limited to reasonable amounts and that the materials 

be used for law enforcement purposes. To request UCR forms or supplies, agencies should contact 

the Crime Statistics Management Unit by telephone (304) 625-4830 or by facsimile (304) 625-3566. 

Agencies that are authorized to use the Law Enforcement OnLine (LEO) intranet account may order 

UCR supplies on the Internet by completing the on-line form at:

<http://home.leo.gov/lesig/cjis/general_information/catalog/supply_request.htm>.

TALLY BOOK: RETURN A AND SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OF 

OFFENSES

The UCR Program provides tally sheets and tally books at no cost upon the request of local law 

enforcement agencies that do not have automated record-keeping systems. UCR tally forms are 

designed for agencies to use in-house with their manual records systems. They are not intended to be 

used as reporting forms. Instead, they are designed to assist record keepers in submitting monthly and 

annual reports to the UCR Program. The forms enable agencies to score daily, weekly, or as-timeallows, and they provide an informal record to ensure that all offenses have been properly scored and 

recorded on the monthly reports. The tally system makes it easier for the agency to locate a scoring 

error or an omission. The UCR Program recommends that users of 

tally systems retain the tally forms for a period of time as a reference 

to answer questions concerning reports previously submitted. UCR tally forms . . .

enable agencies to 

The use of a tally is not mandatory; forms offered by the UCR score daily, weekly, or 

Program are but one of many possible systems available to agencies as-time-allows . . . . in order to complete statistical reports with the greatest ease and least 

confusion.

The forms in the tally book are designed for agencies to collect data on those offenses occurring 

during the month that are to be reported on the Return A, Supplement, and SHR. If agencies score all 

offenses properly in the tally book, they can complete these three monthly reports by merely totaling 

each column and transferring the totals to the monthly reporting forms. The UCR Program recommends that agencies use a step-by-step procedure when using the tally book. For example, the record 

keeper should (1) classify and score the reported offenses, (2) record the total value of property stolen 

in each incident, (3) enter any necessary supplemental information for each crime, (4) enter the type 

and value of property taken, and (5) score the type and value of property recovered. Some record 

keepers note the case number or a part of the case number at each of the steps in order to trace or double check for proper tallying.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 131
NOTE: For an analysis of larcenies by value of property stolen, the reporting agency must count the 

number of offenses; total the value of larcenies in Column (A) Over $200, Column (B) $50–

200, and Column (C) Under $50; and enter the totals in item 6 on the Supplement to Return 

A. The agency must enter a value of zero ($0) for all attempted larcenies (regardless of the 

value of the item in the attempt) in Column (C) Under $50.

The following scenarios demonstrate the function of the tally book in the reporting process.

Scenario 1:

A 28-year-old black male robbed a local tavern and obtained $500 in cash. The victim bartender, 

a white male aged 35, was shot and killed by the offender, who used a .38-caliber handgun. The 

offender was captured within the hour and admitted to the robbery. The police recovered the cash. 

To score this incident in the tally book, the reporting agency must:

1. Classify the incident as a Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter (1a); score the offense on 

the top of page 2 by marking a tally in Columns 2, 4, and 5 for the Return A.

2. Score the $500 as Value of Property by Classification.

3. Score on the bottom of page 2 the necessary supplementary homicide data.

MURDER & NONNEGLIGENT MANSLAUGHTER

1

Classification of Offenses

2

Offenses reported or known 

to police (include unfounded 

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e. false or 

baseless complaints

4

Number of actual offenses (column 2 minus column 3) include attempts

5

Total offenses cleared 

by arrest or exceptional means (includes 

col. 6)

6

Number of clearances 

involving only persons 

under 18 years of age

1. MURDER AND NONNEGLIGENT 

MANSLAUGHTER 1 1 1

 ENTER “$0” IF NOTHING IS STOLEN

NUMBER OF ACTUAL OFFENSES AND VALUE OF PROPERTY STOLEN

Number of 

Offenses Value

Number of 

Offenses Value

Number of 

Offenses Value

1 $500

TALLY FOR SUPPLEMENTARY HOMICIDE REPORT

1a. Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

List below specific information for all offenses shown in item 1a of the monthly Return A. In addition, list all 

justifiable killings of felons by a citizen or by a peace officer in the line of duty.

Agency 

Case 

Number

Date

Situation**

Victim* Offender*

Weapon Used (Handgun, Rifle, 

Shotgun, Club, Poison, etc.) 

Relationship of Victim to Offender 

(Husband, Wife, Son, Father, 

Acquaintance, Neighbor, Stranger, etc.)

Circumstances (Victim shot by robber, 

killed by patron during barroom brawl, 

etc.)

Age

Sex

Race

Age

Sex

Race

A 35 M W 28 M B Handgun Stranger Victim shot by robber

132 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
4. Score on page 16, in Column A, the $500 cash as Value of Property Stolen.

VALUE OF PROPERTY STOLEN

(GROUPED AS TO TYPE OF PROPERTY)

Explanation: List under the appropriate heading the value of property stolen in connection with Part I Offenses. List only 

that property stolen from within your jurisdiction. When all entries from the month have been made, obtain a total for each 

column and transfer the figures to the Supplement to Return A, Page. 1.

Currency 

Notes Etc.

A

Jewelry and 

Precious 

Metals

B

Clothing and 

Furs

C

Locally Stolen 

Motor Vehicles

D

Office 

Equipment

E

TVs Radios 

Stereos Etc.

F

Firearms

G

Household 

Goods

H

Consumable 

Goods

I

Livestock

J

Misc.

K

Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value

500

5. Score on page 18, column A, the $500 as Value of Property Recovered.

VALUE OF PROPERTY RECOVERED

(GROUPED AS TO TYPE OF PROPERTY)

Explanation: List under the appropriate heading the value of property recovered, which was stolen in connection with Part I 

Offenses committed in your jurisdiction. Exclude property recovered for other departments. Include property recovered by 

other jurisdictions which was originally stolen in your jurisdiction. When all entries from the month have been made, obtain a 

total for each column and transfer the figures to the Supplement to Return A, Page. 1.

Currency 

Notes Etc.

A

Jewelry and 

Precious 

Metals

B

Clothing and 

Furs

C

Locally Stolen 

Motor Vehicles

D

Office 

Equipment

E

TVs Radios 

Stereos Etc.

F

Firearms

G

Household 

Goods

H

Consumable 

Goods

I

Livestock

J

Misc.

K

Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value

500

Scenario 2:

During the night, someone forcibly entered a late model passenger car parked on a street in a 

residential area. The car’s compact disc player, valued at $780, was stripped from the dash; clothing, 

valued at $200, was removed from the rear seat. The offender was unknown, and the property was not 

recovered. To score this incident on the tally book, the reporting agency must:

1. Classify the incident under UCR definitions as larceny-theft (6). (Not auto burglary.) At the 

top of page 12 of the tally form, score a tally in Columns 2 and 4 for the Return A.

2. Score the $980 value under the appropriate monetary value category at the bottom of page 12, 

Column A.

LARCENY-THEFT

1

Classification of Offenses

2

Offenses reported 

or known to police 

(include unfounded 

and attempts)

3

Unfounded, i.e.

false or baseless 

complaints

4

Number of actual offenses 

(column 2 minus column 

3) include attempts

5

Total offenses cleared 

by arrest or exceptional means (includes 

col. 6)

6

Number of clearances 

involving only persons 

under 18 years of age

6. LARCENY-THEFT (Except for 

 Motor Vehicle Theft) TOTAL 1 1

For an analysis of larceny by value of property stolen, count the number of offenses and total value of larcenies $200 and over, $50 to $200, and under $50 in value and 

enter in item 6 on the Supplement to Return A. Enter all attempted larcenies in “under $50” with a zero value.

Agency Case Number (A) $200 and over (B) $50 to $200 (C) Under $50

1 2 $980

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 133
3. On page 13 (6X CATEGORIES), score the total $980 under Motor Vehicle Parts and 

Accessories (Column E). (In a larceny-theft situation where both motor vehicle parts and 

accessories and articles from the motor vehicle are stolen, agencies must report the offense 

resulting in the greatest value of property loss.)

LARCENY-THEFT (TYPE OF THEFT)

6X CATEGORIES

Enter “$0” if nothing is stolen

Agency 

Case 

Number

A

Pocket 

Picking

B

Purse 

Snatching

C

Shoplifting

D

From Motor 

Vehicles 

(Except E)

E

Motor Vehicle 

Parts and 

Accessories

F

Bicycles

G From 

Buildings 

Except (C 

and H)

H From any Coinoperated Machine 

(Parking meters, 

etc.)

I

All Other

1 2 $980

4. On page 16, score $200 in Column C for the clothing and $780 in Column F for the compact 

disc player.

VALUE OF PROPERTY STOLEN

(GROUPED AS TO TYPE OF PROPERTY)

Explanation: List under the appropriate heading the value of property stolen in connection with Part I Offenses. List only 

that property stolen from within your jurisdiction. When all entries from the month have been made, obtain a total for each 

column and transfer the figures to the Supplement to Return A, Page. 1.

Currency 

Notes Etc.

A

Jewelry and 

Precious 

Metals

B

Clothing and 

Furs

C

Locally Stolen 

Motor Vehicles

D

Office 

Equipment

E

TVs Radios 

Stereos Etc.

F

Firearms

G

Household 

Goods

H

Consumable 

Goods

I

Livestock

J

Misc.

K

Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value Case # Value

200 780

5. On page 18 (Columns C and F), either score zero or leave blank since no property was

recovered.

TALLY SHEET FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED OR 

ASSAULTED

The Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted (LEOKA) tally is available, without cost, to 

assist record keepers in gathering data on each incident in order to have a summary record at the close 

of the reporting month. The reporting agency can transfer the totals in each column to the monthly 

LEOKA report.

The first page of the LEOKA tally sheet is to be used for recording the number of officers killed 

by felonious act or by accident or negligence. The center pages of this tally sheet are for the agency 

to record the six categories of data gathered on each officer assaulted. These six categories are (1) the 

type of activity in which the officer was engaged when assaulted; (2) the type of weapon used against 

the officer; (3) the type of assignment of the officer when assaulted; (4) clearance information, if 

appropriate; (5) assaults resulting in injury and no injury; and (6) the time of day when the officer was 

assaulted. These tally forms are for agencies to use in-house and are not intended to be used as a substitute for the official reporting forms.

TALLY SHEET, AGE, SEX, AND RACE OF PERSONS ARRESTED

The tally sheet for age, sex, and race of persons arrested consists of seven pages designed to 

record the age, sex, and race of persons arrested during a reporting month. After the reporting agency 

marks the tally sheet for all arrests, it must transfer the totals in each block and column to the appropriate ASR form. The separate pages, which are color-coded, can be detached. Agencies should use 

134 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
the white sheets to collect arrest data on persons 18 years of age and over, and the pink sheets to collect arrests of those persons under 18 years of age. The arrest sheets are for collecting data by age of 

the person arrested and not by state definitions of adult and juvenile. The last page of the tally sheet 

is for recording the disposition of juveniles according to individual state definitions of a juvenile.

LAW ENFORCEMENT RECORDS

Law enforcement agencies should have two basic types of records in a records system:

1. A record of calls for service, offenses, and the law enforcement action taken in response to 

these matters

2. A record of persons arrested or otherwise handled by law enforcement

For law enforcement agencies with only a small contingent of personnel, an elaborate and 

involved records system is neither desirable nor warranted by the volume of police activity that exists. 

The Manual of Law Enforcement Records, printed by the FBI, illustrates a variety of indices and other 

record keeping procedures that might be useful for small to medium-sized law enforcement agencies. 

Law enforcement agencies interested in using the manual as a reference source in either modifying a 

present records system or establishing a new one may request copies at no charge by contacting the 

FBI’s Crime Statistics Management Unit at (304) 625-4830.

REGISTER OF INCIDENTS/OFFENSES

(DAILY LOG)

Case

Date Time plainant Address

Officer

Assigned

Time 

and 

Date

Closed

UnNot

ClearedCleared

Cleared,

Under 18

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14

No.

Reported

or Known Reported Offense

CIRCUMSTANCES

(State time and place, 

property taken and other 

details of offenses)

ComACTION TAKEN: (State property recovered, persons arrested 

or other facts of disposition)

founded

by Arrest

Person

Register of Incidents/Offenses

The Register of Incidents/Offenses (Daily Log) is intended to be used as a page of a complaint 

book in a small law enforcement agency. The form has spaces for recording important data regarding 

the circumstances of calls for service or complaints received by the department as well as the complainant, and the action taken regarding each complaint. The column headings on this register are 

self-explanatory. As in any record keeping task in law enforcement, it is very important that agencies 

provide as complete details as possible to ensure that the records are meaningful.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 135
Register of Persons Charged

The Register of Persons Charged (Arrest Sheet) also is intended for use by small agencies as a 

page in a ledger. The form provides spaces for recording information regarding the arrests made by 

officers. It is most important that agencies make a written record of descriptive data concerning persons arrested, the date of the arrest, the charge placed against the person, and the final disposition of 

the charges against that person. Professional law enforcement requires a written record of every arrest 

to ensure the correct handling of the person charged as well as for the protection of the police officer. 

The column headings on the Register of Persons Charged are also self-explanatory.

136 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Report of Offenses Committed During Month

Sheriffs, county police, state police, and other law enforcement organizations that consolidate 

data and prepare monthly returns for the UCR Program may be interested in employing the Report 

of Offenses Committed During Month to assist in gathering the data from rural areas. The form is 

intended for the use of constables, town marshals, and other law enforcement officers in rural or unincorporated areas who infrequently report Part I offenses. Officers can use the form to report monthly 

the offenses that become known to the sheriff’s office or another larger agency that, in turn, prepares a 

complete monthly return for the jurisdiction. The form is available to law enforcement agencies free 

of charge by contacting the FBI’s Crime Statistics Management Unit at (304) 625-4830. 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 137
Consolidated Daily Report and Consolidated Monthly Report

A professional law enforcement administrator requires up-to-date information regarding personnel matters of the agency, as well as the activities of the officers. The Consolidated Daily Report is 

a form that agencies can use to record information regarding personnel, number of offenses reported, 

number of persons arrested, and a summary of traffic offenses. The form also provides for entries in 

each of these areas from previous periods so that comparisons can be made.

The Consolidated Monthly Report is similar in format to the Consolidated Daily Report and provides a means whereby an agency’s entire activity within a month can be summarized. Both of these 

forms enable a law enforcement agency to summarize its activity and enable managers to compare 

and analyze information to make informed decisions. The forms are also valuable to an agency in 

preparing and submitting monthly reporting forms to the UCR Program.

138 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
CHAPTER VI

PART II OFFENSES

The UCR Program divides offenses into two groups—Part I and Part II. The Program collects 

data on all Part I offenses that become known to law enforcement whether or not they involve arrests. 

These crime totals are essential to measuring the level and scope of crimes occurring across the country. Part II offenses are all crime classifications other than those defined as Part I. The UCR Program 

collects arrest data for both Part I and Part II offenses.

One of the fundamental goals of the UCR Program is to maintain uniformity in the offense and 

arrest data it collects. In November 1932, the UCR Program adopted a Standard Classification of 

Offenses for the compilation of criminal statistics. This classification was devised and adopted so that 

law enforcement, judicial, and penal statistics could be uniformly compiled in terms of a single classification of offenses. The explanation of the Part II offenses that follow 

include some of the offense titles described in local and state law. These 

titles have been included as descriptive data to aid reporting agencies in One of the 

determining the offenses that must be included or excluded in each classi- fundamental goals fication. (The numbers next to the offense classifications correspond to the of the UCR Program numbers on the ASR form.) is to maintain 

uniformity in the 9. Other Assaults offense and arrest 

data it collects. An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious severe 

or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, 

possible internal injury, severe laceration, or loss of consciousness. To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but 

without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack (e.g., intimidation). 

Some examples of local jurisdiction offense titles that must be included in Other Assaults are:

Simple assault

Minor assault

Assault and battery

Injury by culpable negligence

Resisting or obstructing an officer

Stalking

Intimidation

Coercion

Hazing

Attempts to commit any of the above

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 139
10. Forgery and Counterfeiting

The altering, copying, or imitating of something, without authority or right, with the intent to 

deceive or defraud by passing the copy or thing altered or imitated as that which is original or genuine; or the selling, buying, or possession of an altered, copied, or imitated thing with the intent to 

deceive or defraud.

In the majority of states, forgery and counterfeiting are treated as allied offenses. 

Agencies must include in this classification:

Altering or forging public and other records

Making, altering, forging, or counterfeiting bills, notes, drafts, tickets, checks, credit cards, etc.

Forging wills, deeds, notes, bonds, seals, trademarks, etc.

Counterfeiting coins, plates, banknotes, checks, etc.

Possessing or uttering forged or counterfeited instruments

Erasures

Signing the name of another or fictitious person with intent to defraud

Using forged labels

Possession, manufacture, etc., of counterfeiting apparatuses

Selling goods with altered, forged, or counterfeited trademarks

Attempts to commit any of the above

11. Fraud

The intentional perversion of the truth for the purpose of inducing another person or other entity 

in reliance upon it to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right. Fraudulent conversion 

and obtaining of money or property by false pretenses.

Fraud involves either the offender receiving a benefit or the victim incurring a detriment. The 

benefit or detriment could be either “tangible” or “intangible.” Intangibles are anything which cannot be perceived by the sense of touch. They can be benefits, e.g., a right or privilege, a promotion, 

enhanced reputation; or a detriment, e.g., loss of reputation, injured feelings. 

Examples of common fraud cases are where something of value, such as a DVD player or an 

automobile, is rented for a period of time but is not returned. This offense, conversion of goods 

lawfully possessed by bailees, is classified as fraud and not larceny. In such cases, the offenders 

originally had lawful possession of the property (the property was either rented, loaned, or the person 

was in some way entrusted with its possession) and through deceit (they promised to return it) kept 

the property.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Bad checks, except forgeries and counterfeiting

False pretenses/swindle/confidence games

Leaving a full-service gas station without paying attendant

140 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Credit card/Automatic Teller Machine Fraud

Impersonation

Welfare Fraud

Wire Fraud

Attempts to commit any of the above

12. Embezzlement

The unlawful misappropriation or misapplication by an offender to his/her own use or purpose of 

money, property, or some other thing of value entrusted to his/her care, custody, or control.

Generally, the victims of embezzlement offenses are businesses, financial institutions, etc.

Reporting agencies must include attempts.

13. Stolen Property: Buying, Receiving, Possessing

Buying, receiving, possessing, selling, concealing, or transporting any property with the knowledge that it has been unlawfully taken, as by burglary, embezzlement, fraud, larceny, robbery, etc. 

Reporting agencies must include attempts to commit any of the above.

14.Vandalism

To willfully or maliciously destroy, injure, disfigure, or deface any public or private property, real 

or personal, without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control by cutting, tearing, 

breaking, marking, painting, drawing, covering with filth, or any other such means as may be specified by local law.

This offense covers a wide range of malicious behavior directed at property, such as cutting auto 

tires, drawing obscene pictures on public restroom walls, smashing windows, destroying school 

records, tipping over gravestones, and defacing library books. 

Reporting agencies must include attempts to commit any of the above.

15. Weapons: Carrying, Possessing, Etc.

The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, 

possession, concealment, or use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or 

other deadly weapons.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 141
This classification encompasses weapon offenses that are regulatory in nature. Agencies must 

include in this classification:

Manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons

Carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly

Using, manufacturing, etc., of silencers

Furnishing deadly weapons to minors

Aliens possessing deadly weapons

Attempts to commit any of the above

16. Prostitution and Commercialized Vice

The unlawful promotion of or participation in sexual activities for profit. To solicit customers or 

transport persons for prostitution purposes; to own, manage, or operate a dwelling or other establishment for the purpose of providing a place where prostitution is performed; or to otherwise assist or 

promote prostitution. 

Agencies must include in this classification:

Prostitution

Keeping a bawdy house, disorderly house, or house of ill fame

Pandering, procuring, transporting, or detaining women for immoral purposes, etc.

Attempts to commit any of the above

17. Sex Offenses (Except Forcible Rape and Prostitution)

This classification includes offenses against chastity, common decency, morals, and the like.

The ability of the victim to give consent must be a professional determination by the law enforcement agency. The age of the victim, of course, plays a critical role in this determination. Individuals 

do not mature mentally at the same rate. Certainly, no 4-year old is capable of consenting, where victims aged 10 or 12 may need to be assessed within the specific circumstances.

Sexual attacks on males are included in this classification. However, depending on the nature of 

the crime and the extent of the injury, the offense could be classified as an assault. (See explanation 

of assaults on page 23 of this handbook.) 

This classification includes all sex offenses except forcible rape, prostitution, and commercialized 

vice. 

Agencies must include in this classification:

Adultery and fornication Seduction

Buggery Sodomy or crime against nature

142 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Incest Statutory rape (no force)

Indecent exposure Attempts to commit any of the above

Indecent liberties

18. Drug Abuse Violations

The violation of laws prohibiting the production, distribution, and/or use of certain controlled 

substances and the equipment or devices utilized in their preparation and/or use. The unlawful cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation, or importation of any 

controlled drug or narcotic substance. Arrests for violations of state and local laws, specifically those 

relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs. 

The UCR Program collects information on arrests for drug abuse violations based on the 

narcotics involved. Agencies must include all arrests for violations, including attempts, and subdivide 

the arrests by differentiating between Sale/Manufacturing and Possession:

Sale/Manufacturing

a. Opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine)

b. Marijuana 

c. Synthetic narcotics—manufactured narcotics which can cause true drug addiction (demerol, 

methadones)

d. Dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine)

Possession

e. Opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine)

f. Marijuana 

g. Synthetic narcotics—manufactured narcotics which can cause true drug addiction (demerol, 

methadones)

h. Dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine)

19. Gambling

To unlawfully bet or wager money or something else of value; assist, promote, or operate a game 

of chance for money or some other stake; possess or transmit wagering information; manufacture, 

sell, purchase, possess, or transport gambling equipment, devices, or goods; or tamper with the outcome of a sporting event or contest to gain a gambling advantage. 

To unlawfully stake money or something else of value on the happening of an uncertain event or 

on the ascertainment of a fact in dispute.

To unlawfully operate, promote, or assist in the operation of a game of chance, lottery, or other 

gambling activity.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 143
To unlawfully manufacture, sell, buy, possess, or transport equipment, devices, and/or goods used 

for gambling purposes.

To unlawfully alter, meddle in, or otherwise interfere with a sporting contest or event for the purpose of gaining a gambling advantage. 

Reporting agencies must divide gambling arrests into three categories:

Bookmaking (horse and sport book)

Numbers and lottery

All other (illegal gambling machines, etc.)

20. Offenses Against the Family and Children

Unlawful nonviolent acts by a family member (or legal guardian) that threaten the physical, mental, or economic well-being or morals of another family member and that are not classifiable as other 

offenses, such as Assault or Sex Offenses.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Nonviolent cruelty to other family members

Nonviolent abuse

Desertion, abandonment, or nonsupport of spouse or child

Neglect or abuse of spouse or child (if injury is serious, score as aggravated assault)

Nonpayment of alimony

Attempts to commit any of the above

NOTE: Agencies must not include victims of these charges who are merely taken into custody for 

their own protection.

21. Driving Under the Influence

Driving or operating a motor vehicle or common carrier while mentally or physically impaired as 

the result of consuming an alcoholic beverage or using a drug or narcotic.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Operating a motor vehicle while under the influence

Operating an engine, train, streetcar, boat, etc., while under the influence

144 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
22. Liquor Laws

The violation of state or local laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, 

transportation, possession, or use of alcoholic beverages, not including driving under the influence 

and drunkenness.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing, etc., of intoxicating liquor

Maintaining unlawful drinking places

Bootlegging

Operating still

Furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person

Underage possession

Using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor

Drinking on train or public conveyance

Attempts to commit any of the above

23. Drunkenness

To drink alcoholic beverages to the extent that one’s mental faculties and physical coordination are 

substantially impaired. Exclude driving under the influence.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Drunkenness Common or habitual drunkard

Drunk and disorderly Intoxication

24. Disorderly Conduct

Any behavior that tends to disturb the public peace or decorum, scandalize the community, or 

shock the public sense of morality.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Unlawful assembly

Disturbing the peace

Disturbing meetings

Disorderly conduct in state institutions, at court, at fairs, on trains or public conveyances, etc.

Blasphemy, profanity, and obscene language

Refusing to assist an officer

Attempts to commit any of the above

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 145
25.Vagrancy

The violation of a court order, regulation, ordinance, or law requiring the withdrawal of persons 

from the streets or other specified areas; prohibiting persons from remaining in an area or place in an 

idle or aimless manner; or prohibiting persons from going from place to place without visible means 

of support.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Suspicious person

Suspicious character

Begging

Loitering (persons 18 and over)

Vagabondage

26. All Other Offenses

All violations of state or local laws not specifically identified as Part I or Part II offenses, except 

traffic violations.

Agencies must include in this classification:

Admitting minors to improper places

Abduction and compelling to marry

Bigamy and polygamy

Blackmail and extortion

Bribery

Combination in restraint of trade, trusts, monopolies

Contempt of court

Criminal anarchism

Criminal syndicalism

Discrimination, unfair competition

Kidnapping

Marriage within prohibited degrees

Offenses contributing to juvenile delinquency such as employment of children in immoral 

vocations or practices, and admitting minors to improper places.

Perjury and subornation of perjury

Possession, repair, manufacture, etc., of burglar’s tools

Possession of drug paraphernalia

Possession or sale of obscene literature, pictures, etc.

Public nuisances

Riot and rout

146 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Trespass

Unlawfully bringing weapons into prisons, hospitals, airports, businesses, schools, etc.

Unlawfully bringing drugs or liquor into state prisons, hospitals, etc.; furnishing to convicts

Unlawful disinterment of the dead and violation of sepulture

Unlawful use, possession, etc., of explosives

Violations of state regulatory laws and municipal ordinances that are not already included in 

this list

Violation of quarantine

All offenses not otherwise classified

Attempts to commit any of the above

27. Suspicion

Arrested for no specific offense and released without formal charges being placed.

Although suspicion is not an offense, it is the grounds for many arrests in those jurisdictions 

where the law permits. After law enforcement officers examine the situation, they will either formally 

charge the prisoner or release him/her. Reporting agencies must classify the offense for which those 

individuals were formally charged as one of the Part I or II offenses. The suspicion classification is 

limited to suspicion arrests where persons arrested are released by the police.

28. Curfew and Loitering Laws (Persons under age 18)

Violations by juveniles of local curfew or loitering ordinances.

29. Runaways (Persons under age 18)

Limited to juveniles taken into protective custody under the provisions of local statutes.

Although running away does not constitute a criminal offense, agencies should report each handling of a runaway. Handling of runaways from one jurisdiction by another jurisdiction should be 

counted by the home jurisdiction. 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 147
Notes
GLOSSARY

A goal of the UCR Program, as developed by law enforcement, was to provide a “common 

denominator” language that transcends the varying local and state laws. State statutes and local 

ordinances must be very specific in defining crimes so that persons facing prosecution will know the 

exact charges being placed against them. On the other hand, the definitions used in UCR are generic 

in order not to exclude varying state and federal statutes relating to the same type of crime. These 

definitions are not meant to be used for charging persons with crimes; to the contrary, they are meant 

to be “receptacles” or “pigeonholes” for reporting crimes that are committed throughout the United 

States. Accordingly, the offense definitions in the UCR Program are based on the common-law definitions found in the Black’s Law Dictionary, the Program’s 1932 Standard Classification of Offenses, 

and the National Crime Information Center’s Uniform Offense Classifications.

Adult—A person 18 years of age or older.

Aggravated Assault—An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting 

severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a 

weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm.

All Other Offenses—All violations of state or local laws not specifically identified as Part I or Part II 

offenses, except traffic violations.

Arson—Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a 

dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.

Assault—An unlawful attack by one person upon another.

Autos—Sedans, station wagons, coupes, convertibles, sport utility vehicles, minivans, and other similar motor vehicles that serve the primary purpose of transporting people from one place to another.

Bias Crime—A criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society that is motivated, 

in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or 

ethnicity/national origin; also known as a hate crime. 

Burglary—The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft.

Carnal Knowledge—The act of a man having sexual bodily connections with a woman; sexual intercourse. The slightest penetration of the sexual organ of the female (vagina) by the sexual organ of 

the male (penis). 

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 149
Classifying—Determining the proper crime categories in which to report offenses in UCR. The 

offense’s classification is based on the facts of an agency’s investigation of crimes.

Cleared by Arrest—An offense is considered cleared when at least one person involved in the 

commission of the offense has been (1) arrested, (2) charged, and (3) turned over to the court for 

prosecution.

Cleared by Exceptional Means—A clearance in which some element beyond law enforcement 

control prevents filing of formal charges against the offender. Agencies can clear an offense 

exceptionally if they can answer all of the following in the affirmative. (1) Has the investigation 

definitely established the identity of the offender? (2) Is there enough information to support 

an arrest, charge, and turning over to the court for prosecution? (3) Is the exact location of the 

offender known so that the subject could be taken into custody now? (4) Is there some reason 

outside law enforcement control that precludes arresting, charging, and prosecuting the offender 

(for example, suicide, deathbed confession, double murder, etc.)?

Constructive Possession—The condition in which a person does not have physical custody or possession, but is in a position to exercise dominion or control over a thing.

Conversion—An unauthorized assumption and exercise of the right of ownership over goods or 

personal chattels belonging to another to the alteration of their condition or the exclusion of the 

owner’s rights.

Crimes Against Property—Offenses in this category include robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, motor 

vehicle theft, and arson. One offense is counted for each distinct operation, except in the case of 

motor vehicle theft for which one offense is counted for each stolen vehicle.

Crimes Against the Person—Offenses in this category include criminal homicide, forcible rape, and 

aggravated assault. One offense is scored for each victim.

Criminal Homicide—The willful killing of one human being by another.

Curfew and Loitering (Persons under age 18)—Violations by juveniles of local curfew or loitering 

ordinances.

Disorderly Conduct—Any behavior that tends to disturb the public peace or decorum, scandalize the 

community, or shock the public sense of morality.

Driving Under the Influence—Driving or operating a motor vehicle or common carrier while 

mentally or physically impaired as the result of consuming an alcoholic beverage or using a drug 

or narcotic.

150 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Drug Abuse Violations—The violation of laws prohibiting the production, distribution, and/or use of 

certain controlled substances and the equipment or devices utilized in their preparation and/or use. 

The unlawful cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation, 

or importation of any controlled drug or narcotic substance. Arrests for violations of state and 

local laws, specifically those relating to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, and making of narcotic drugs.

Drunkenness—To drink alcoholic beverages to the extent that one’s mental faculties and physical 

coordination are substantially impaired. Exclude driving under the influence.

Embezzlement—The unlawful misappropriation or misapplication by an offender to his/her own use 

or purpose of money, property, or some other thing of value entrusted to his/her care, custody, or 

control.

Forcible Rape—The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.

Forgery and Counterfeiting—The altering, copying, or imitating of something without authority or 

right, with the intent to deceive or defraud by passing the copy or thing altered or imitated as that 

which is original or genuine; or the selling, buying, or possession of an altered, copied, or imitated 

thing with the intent to deceive or defraud.

Fraud—The intentional perversion of the truth for the purpose of inducing another person or other 

entity in reliance upon it to part with something of value or to surrender a legal right. Fraudulent 

conversion and obtaining of money or property by false pretenses.

Gambling—To unlawfully bet or wager money or something else of value; assist, promote, or 

operate a game of chance for money or some other stake; possess or transmit wagering information; manufacture, sell, purchase, possess, or transport gambling equipment, devices or goods; or 

tamper with the outcome of a sporting event or contest to gain a gambling advantage. 

Hate Crime—A criminal offense committed against a person, property, or society which is motivated, in whole or in part, by the offender’s bias against a race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or ethnicity/national origin; also known as a bias crime.

Hierarchy Rule—When more than one Part I offense is classified, the law enforcement agency must 

locate the offense that is highest on the hierarchy list and score that offense and not the other 

offense in the multiple-offense situation. There is a significance to the order in which the Part I 

offenses are presented, with murder being the highest in the hierarchy and arson being the lowest. The offenses of justifiable homicide, motor vehicle theft, and arson are exceptions to the 

Hierarchy Rule.

Hotel Rule—Burglaries of hotels, motels, lodging houses, and other places where lodging of transients is the main purpose are scored under provisions of the Hotel Rule. This principle of scoring 

dictates that if a number of dwelling units under a single manager are burglarized and the offenses 

are most likely to be reported to the police by the manager rather than the individual tenants, the 

burglary must be scored as one offense.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 151
Justifiable Homicide—The killing of a felon by a peace officer in the line of duty or the killing of a 

felon, during the commission of a felony, by a private citizen.

Juvenile—A person under 18 years of age.

Larceny-theft—The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.

Liquor Laws—The violation of state or local laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, 

purchase, transportation, possession, or use of alcoholic beverages, not including driving under the 

influence and drunkeness.

Manslaughter by Negligence—The killing of another person through gross negligence.

Motor Vehicle—A self-propelled vehicle that runs on land surface and not on rails.

Motor Vehicle Theft—The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.

Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter—The willful (nonnegligent) killing of one human being 

by another.

Offenses Against the Family and Children—Unlawful nonviolent acts by a family member (or legal 

guardian) which threaten the physical, mental, or economic well-being or morals of another family member and which are not classifiable as other offenses, such as Assault or Sex Offenses. 

Other Vehicles—All other vehicles that meet the UCR definition for motor vehicles such as snowmobiles, motorcycles, motor scooters, trail bikes, mopeds, golf carts, and all-terrain vehicles.

Part I Offenses—The first of two main groupings of UCR crime classifications consisting of eight 

offenses (criminal homicide, forcible rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny-theft, 

motor vehicle theft, and arson).

Part II Offenses—The second of two main UCR groupings of crime classifications not already designated in Part I. Agencies are limited to reporting arrest information only for Part I offenses with 

the exception of simple assault.

Prostitution and Commercialized Vice—The unlawful promotion of or participation in sexual 

activities for profit.

Rape—The carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will.

Robbery—The taking or attempted taking of anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a 

person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.

152 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Runaways (Persons under age 18)—Limited to juveniles taken into protective custody under the 

provisions of local statutes.

Scoring—Counting the number of offenses after they have been classified and entering the total count 

on the appropriate reporting form. The appropriate scoring of Part I crimes is directly related to 

the two types of crimes involved: crimes against the person and crimes against property.

Separation of Time and Place Rule—A standard UCR scoring practice that stipulates if there is a 

separation of time and place between the commission of several crimes, the reporting agency must 

handle each crime as a separate incident and must classify and score each offense individually.

Sex Offenses—Offenses against chastity, common decency, morals, and the like.

Simple Assault—All assaults and attempted assaults which are not of an aggravated nature and do 

not result in serious injury to the victim.

Stolen Property: Buying, Receiving, Possessing—Buying, receiving, possessing, selling, concealing, or transporting any property with the knowledge that it has been unlawfully taken, as by 

burglary, embezzlement, fraud, larceny, robbery, etc.

Structure—Includes, but is not limited to, apartments, barns, cabins, churches, condominiums, 

dwelling houses, factories, garages, house trailers or houseboats (used as a permanent dwelling), mills, offices, other buildings, outbuildings, public buildings, railroad cars, rooms, schools, 

stables, vessels (ships), and warehouses.

Suspicion—Arrested for no specific offense and released without formal charges being placed.

Trucks and Buses—Vehicles specifically designed (but not necessarily used) to commercially transport people and cargo.

Unfounded—False or baseless complaints.

Vagrancy—The violation of a court order, regulation, ordinance, or law requiring the withdrawal of 

persons from the streets or other specified areas; prohibiting persons from remaining in an area or 

place in an idle or aimless manner; or prohibiting persons from going from place to place without 

visible means of support.

Vandalism—To willfully or maliciously destroy, injure, disfigure, or deface any public or private 

property, real or personal, without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control 

by cutting, tearing, breaking, marking, painting, drawing, covering with filth, or any other such 

means as may be specified by local law.

Weapons: Carrying, Possessing, Etc.—The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, possession, concealment, or use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly weapons.

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 153
C

Index

A

Accidental Death 18, 46, 107, 108

Adjustments of Previous Returns 82

Advisory Groups 3

Age, Sex, and Race (ASR) of Persons Arrested 96, 99

Age, Sex, and Race (ASR) of Persons Arrested—Under 18 Years of Age 96, 100

Aggravated Assault 23, 53. See also Assault

All Other Larceny-thefts 35, 91. See also Larceny-theft

All Other Offenses 146, 149

Analysis of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 110

Arrests 8, 96, 101, 134, 136, 139

Arson 12, 37, 71, 82, 94, 149

Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement, Monthly Return of 94

Assault 23, 53, 85, 89, 142, 149

Assault of a Police Officer 110

Assaults, Other 26, 139

Assaults—Simple, Not Aggravated 26, 58, 153

B

Bias or Bias Motivation 1, 3, 118, 149. See also Hate Crime

Bicycles, Theft of. See Theft of Bicycles. See also Larceny-theft

Breaking or Entering. See Burglary

Buildings, Theft From. See Theft From Buildings. See also Larceny-theft

Burglary 28, 41, 62, 90, 95, 149

Carjacking. See Robbery

Carnal Knowledge 19, 149

Classifying 7, 15, 77, 87, 97, 150

Cleared by Arrest 79, 150

Cleared by Exceptional Means 80, 150

Coin-operated Devices or Machines, Theft From. See Theft From Coin-operated Devices or Machines. 

See also Larceny-theft

Consolidated Daily Report 138

Consolidated Monthly Report 138

Constructive Possession 31, 150

Conversion 31, 140, 150

Crimes Against Property 41, 150

Crimes Against the Person 41, 150

Criminal Homicide 15, 39, 41, 46, 150

Curfew and Loitering Laws (Persons under age 18) 147, 150

D

Data Requirements 5

Disorderly Conduct 24, 145, 150

Disposition of Juveniles 5, 102

Driving Under the Influence 144, 150

Drug Abuse Violations 143, 151

Drunkenness 145, 151

154 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
Index—continued

E

Embezzlement 141, 151

Employees, Law Enforcement. See Law Enforcement Employees Report

F

Felonious Killing of a Law Enforcement Officer 109 

Fetal Death 16

Forcible Rape 19, 41, 46, 151

Forcible Rape—Attempts 20, 48

Forgery and Counterfeiting 140, 151

Forms: 

Age, Sex, and Race (ASR) of Persons Arrested 96, 99

Age, Sex, and Race (ASR) of Persons Arrested—Under 18 Years of Age 100

Analysis of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 110

Consolidated Daily Report 138

Consolidated Monthly Report 138 

Hate Crime Incident Report 118, 119, 125

Law Enforcement Employees Report 126, 127

Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted 109, 112

Monthly Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement 94

Quarterly Hate Crime Report 124, 125

Register of Incidents/Offenses (Daily Log) 135

Register of Persons Charged (Arrest Sheet) 136

Report of Offenses Committed During Month 137

Return A—Monthly Return of Offenses Known to the Police 75, 76

Supplementary Homicide Report 104, 105, 108

Supplement to Return A 85, 87

Supply Request 131

Tally Book: Return A and Supplementary Report of Offenses 131, 132

Tally Sheet, Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested 134

Tally Sheet for Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted 134

Fraud 140, 151

G

Gambling 143, 151

Gasoline, Theft of. See Theft of Gasoline

H

Hate Crime 1, 118, 151

Hate Crime Incident Report 118, 119, 125

Hate Crime Report, Quarterly. See Quarterly Hate Crime Report 

Hierarchy Rule 10, 39, 151

Hierarchy Rule, Exceptions to 12

Historical Background 2

Homicide. See Criminal Homicide

Hotel Rule 28, 62, 151

J

Jurisdiction 8, 86

Justifiable Homicide 17, 44, 152

Juvenile Arrests 98. See also Age, Sex, and Race (ASR) of Persons Arrested—Under 18 Years of Age 

Juveniles 81, 101, 152

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 155
L

Index—continued

Larceny-theft 10, 31, 66, 91, 152

Law Enforcement Employees Report 126, 127

Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 1, 109

Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted 109, 112

Law Enforcement Records 135

Line-of-duty Death 109. See also Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted 

Liquor Laws 145, 152

M

Manslaughter by Negligence 18, 46, 107, 152

Manual of Law Enforcement Records 135

Monthly Return of Arson Offenses Known to Law Enforcement 94

Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories, Theft of. See Larceny-theft

Motor Vehicle Theft 10, 35, 68, 92, 152

Motor Vehicle, Theft From. See Larceny-theft

Multiple-offense Situation 10, 12, 27

Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter 15, 41, 104, 152

N

National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) 3

Nonnegligent Manslaughter. See Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter

Non-Program States 5

O

Offender 44, 79, 80, 104, 106, 107, 118, 120

Offenses 8, 41, 75, 94, 131. See also Part I Offenses and Part II Offenses

Offenses Against the Family and Children 144, 152

Other Assaults 139

P

Part I Offenses 8, 10, 152

Part II Offenses 8, 139, 152

Pocket-picking 32, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Police Disposition of Juveniles 102. See also Age, Sex, and Race (ASR) of Persons Arrested—Under 18 Years 

of Age 

Property by Type and Value 87

Prostitution and Commercialized Vice 142, 152

Publications 1

Purse-snatching 32, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Q

Quality Assurance Review (QAR) 3, 4

Quarterly Hate Crime Report 124, 125

R

Racial Designations 97

Rape 152. See also Forcible Rape

Rape of Males 20. See also Assault and Sex Offenses 

Register of Incidents/Offenses (Daily Log) 135

156 Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004
V

Index—continued

Register of Persons Charged (Arrest Sheet) 136

Report of Offenses Committed During Month 137

Return A—Monthly Return of Offenses Known to the Police 75, 76

Robbery 21, 48, 83, 89, 152

Runaways (Persons under age 18) 147, 153

S

Scoring 7, 41, 113, 121, 132, 153

Separation of Time and Place Rule 12, 153

Sex Offenses (Except Forcible Rape and Prostitution) 142, 153

Shoplifting 32, 91. See also Larceny-theft

SHR. See Supplementary Homicide Report

Simple Assault 153. See also Assault

State UCR Programs 4

Stolen Property 78, 86

Stolen Property: Buying, Receiving, Possessing 141, 153

Strong-arm. See Robbery

Structure 28, 37, 153

Suicide 16. See also Cleared by Exceptional Means

Supplementary Homicide Report 104, 105, 108

Supplement to Return A 85, 87

Supply Request 131

Suspicion 147, 153

T

Tally Book: Return A and Supplementary Report of Offenses 131, 132

Tally Sheet, Age, Sex, and Race of Persons Arrested 134

Tally Sheet for Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted 134

Theft From Buildings 34, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Theft From Coin-operated Devices or Machines 34, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Theft From Motor Vehicles 33, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Theft of Bicycles 34, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Theft of Gasoline 35 

Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts and Accessories 33, 91. See also Larceny-theft

Time and Place. See Separation of Time and Place Rule

Traffic Fatalities 16

U

Unfounded 77, 153

Vagrancy 146, 153

Valuation of Stolen Property 86

Vandalism 141, 153

W

Weapons: Carrying, Possessing, Etc. 141, 153

Uniform Crime Reporting Handbook, 2004 157