NIBRS-offenses
This document compares offense categories used in this project and offense categories adopted by NIBRS (specifically Manual 2021.1). This project aims to unify crime categories adopted by agencies across the country since early 2000s, during which the classification suggested by FBI has undergone multiple revisions; many agencies also only started to adopt the NIBRS standard in the late 2010s. For practical reasons, a slightly modified set of crime categories are used, without altering the main structure of the hierarchy. Below reproduces the FBI offenses in alphabetical order and points out the modifications made:
Offense | NIBRS Offense Code | Crime Against | NCIC Offense Code |
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Animal Cruelty | |||
Animal Cruelty | 720 | Society | 7201 |
Arson | |||
Arson | 200 | Property | 2001–2009; 2099 |
Assault Offenses | |||
Aggravated Assault | 13A | Person | 1301–1312; 1314–1315 |
Simple Assault | 13B | Person | 1313 |
Intimidation | 13C | Person | 1316; 5215–5216 |
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Burglary/Breaking & Entering | |||
Burglary/Breaking & Entering | 220 | Property | 2201–2205; 2207; 2299 |
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Counterfeiting/Forgery | |||
Counterfeiting/Forgery | 250 | Property | 2501–2507; 2509; 2510; 2589; 2599 |
Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property | |||
Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property | 290 | Property | 2901–2906; 2999 |
Drug/Narcotic Offenses | |||
Drug/Narcotic Violations | 35A | Society | 3501–3505; 3510–3513; 3520–3523; 3530–3533; 3540–3543; 3560–3564; 3570–3573; 3580–3583; 3599 |
Drug Equipment Violations | 35B | Society | 3550 |
Embezzlement | |||
Embezzlement | 270 | Property | 2701–2705; 2799 |
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Fraud Offenses | |||
False Pretenses/Swindle/Confidence Game | 26A | Property | 2601–2603; 2607; 2699 |
Credit Card/Automated Teller Machine Fraud | 26B | Property | 2605 |
Impersonation | 26C | Property | 2604 |
Welfare Fraud | 26D | Property | None |
Wire Fraud | 26E | Property | 2608 |
Identity Theft | 26F | Property | 2610 |
Hacking/Computer Invasion | 26G | Property | 2609 |
Money Laundering* | 26H | Society | 6300 |
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Gambling Offenses | |||
Betting/Wagering | 39A | Society | None |
Operating/Promoting/Assisting Gambling | 39B | Society | 3901–3902; 3904–3905; 3907; 3915–3916; 3918; 3920–3921 |
Gambling Equipment Violations | 39C | Society | 3908–3914 |
Sports Tampering | 39D | Society | 3919 |
Homicide Offenses | |||
Murder and Nonnegligent Manslaughter | 09A | Person | 0901–0908; 0911–0912 |
Negligent Manslaughter | 09B | Person | 0910 |
Justifiable Homicide | 09C | Not a Crime | None |
Human Trafficking | |||
Human Trafficking, Commercial Sex Acts | 64A | Person | 6411 |
Human Trafficking, Involuntary Servitude | 64B | Person | 6411 |
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Kidnapping/Abduction | |||
Kidnapping/Abduction | 100 | Person | 1001–1009; 1099 |
Larceny/Theft Offenses | |||
Pocket-picking | 23A | Property | 2301 |
Purse-snatching | 23B | Property | 2302 |
Shoplifting | 23C | Property | 2303 |
Theft From Building | 23D | Property | 2308; 2311 |
Theft From Coin-Operated Machine or Device | 23E | Property | 2307 |
Theft From Motor Vehicle | 23F | Property | 2305 |
Theft of Motor Vehicle Parts or Accessories | 23G | Property | 2304; 2407 |
All Other Larceny | 23H | Property | 2306; 2309–2310; 2312–2316; 2410 |
Motor Vehicle Theft | |||
Motor Vehicle Theft | 240 | Property | 2401–2405; 2408; 2412; 2499 |
Pornography/Obscene Material | |||
Pornography/Obscene Material | 370 | Society | 3700–3706; 3799 |
Prostitution Offenses | |||
Prostitution | 40A | Society | 4003–4004 |
Assisting or Promoting Prostitution | 40B | Society | 4001–4002; 4006; 4007; 4008; 4009; 4099 |
Purchasing Prostitution | 40C | Society | 4005 |
Robbery | |||
Robbery | 120 | Property | 1201–1211; 1299 |
Sex Offenses | |||
Rape | 11A | Person | 1101–1103 |
Sodomy | 11B | Person | 1104–1115 |
Sexual Assault With An Object | 11C | Person | None |
Fondling | 11D | Person | 3601 (Child) |
Incest | 36A | Person | 3604; 3607 |
Statutory Rape | 36B | Person | 1116 |
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender* | 360 | Society | 3612 |
Stolen Property Offenses | |||
Stolen Property Offenses | 280 | Property | 2801–2805; 2899 |
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Weapon Law Violations | |||
Weapon Law Violations | 520 | Society | 5201–5214; 5299 |
Violation of National Firearm Act of 1934* | 521 | Society | None |
Weapons of Mass Destruction* | 522 | Society | None |
Explosives* | 526 | Society | 5204–5206; 5211 |
Offense | NIBRS Offense Code | NCIC Offense Code |
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Curfew/Loitering/Vagrancy Violations | ||
Curfew/Loitering/Vagrancy Violations | 90B | None |
Disorderly Conduct | ||
Disorderly Conduct | 90C | 5310-5311; 5399 |
Driving Under the Influence | ||
Driving Under the Influence | 90D | 5403-5404 |
Family Offenses |
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Family Offenses |
90F | 3801-3803; 3806-3808; 3899 |
Liquor Law Violations | ||
Liquor Law Violations | 90G | 4101-4104; 4199 |
Trespass of Real Property | ||
Trespass of Real Property | 90J | 5707 |
All Other Offenses | ||
All Other Offenses | 90Z | Various |
*Offenses for federal and tribal law enforcement agencies (LEA) reporting only
In this project, the following modifications are made:
Offenses that are reported only by federal and tribal LEA do not constitute standalone categories; they are included in All Other Offenses should agencies report them.
Crimes that are
strikethroughalso do not constitute standalone categories in this project due to too few agencies distinguishing them, they are grouped into the categories specified after the strikethrough.Criminal Homicides are distinguished from Justifiable Homicides, which are non-criminal.
Family Offenses appears as a standalone category, potentially violent family offenses are not distinguished unless keywords such as “assault” are explicitly used. Some crimes under Family Offenses may overlap with assaults or sex offenses or other crimes by design to prevent them from skewing other crime count, because many agencies do not report Family Offenses (the reporting standard has changed across agencies and time).
Aggravated Assaults are distinguished from other assaults; both Simple Assaults and Intimidation (and any other relevant crimes) are classified as Other Assaults.
Two additional categories Non-reportable and Unclassifiable are created to keep track of non-reportable incidents (such as civil matter, assistance, or warrant arrests that would have been recorded as a crime in another row) and incidents that require more context to be classified. Typically, incidents only fall under unclassifiable when motivation is needed to determine the nature, such as “enticing a child” that could either be Sex Offenses or Family Offenses (custody related), or when even the agency fails to classify, such as “suspicious death”.
One last category Database is created to house any “offenses” that are clearly for database related operations only, such as an offense called
CAD test
(CAD stands for Computer Aided Dispatch System). It is reported for the sake of completeness.
Copyright © April 2025. Hung Kit Chiu. Please do not circulate outside of UCSB Econ.