Whether you have witnessed a crime, received a tip or want to report an incident, you should always file a police report. This will help the detectives do their job by providing them with a solid investigative lead from the beginning, rather than having to go back later and fill in missing details.
The Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) manages the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program which tallies certain offenses reported to, and arrests made by, law enforcement agencies. UCR uses standard offense definitions to count crime across America regardless of variations in state laws and local jurisdictions.
DCJS encourages all law enforcement agencies to adopt the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS). NIBRS offers significant improvements over the UCR reporting process and yields better crime analysis information for management and research staff.
Crimes Against Persons: An unlawful attack or action by one person against another, including aggravated assault, simple assault and intimidation. Crimes Against Property: The unlawful taking, carrying away, or possession of any real or personal property without the consent of its owner, such as burglary and theft from a motor vehicle. Crimes Against Society: The intentional and unlawful mistreatment of any living creature, such as cruelty to animals, torture or cruel treatment.
In a crime report, you should describe the specifics of the incident including, where and when it occurred, who was involved and their physical characteristics. It is also important to identify the type of crime that has taken place and the type of evidence that has been collected, such as fingerprints, blood, hair, skin or semen.