Police statics discussion 2 - Assignment Example

Police Statistics al Affiliation Police Statistics Which type of data measure and which specific example do you think is the most effective and beneficial and why? The type of data measure and specific example that is most effective and beneficial would depend on the user’s (researcher’s) purpose. For instance, the Uniform Crime Reports provide comprehensive data on violent crime and property crime (FBI, n.d.). On the other hand, the information published by the Bureau of Justice Statistics on National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) describes “the frequency, characteristics and consequences of criminal victimization in the United States” (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013, p. 1). Finally, the data published by the US Department of Health and Human Services focus on drug use, alcohol use, tobacco use, substance abuse, among others (US DHHS, 2010).

What are the major strengths and weaknesses of each? The strengths of the FBI reports are the availability and accessibility to crime reports on the most updated manner, where the latest statistics provided is for the year 2013. The weakness is that some data are not provided; for instance, the site disclosed that in violent crimes, clearance and arrest data are not available (FBI, n.d.). For the NCVS, the strength is the clear structure of the reports; while the weakness is that the latest information available is 2012 (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2013).

Finally, the information provided by the DHHS is also comprehensive in the area of drug use; however, the weakness is that the latest available statistics pertain to the year 2010 (US DHHS, 2010).Which of the three different examples do you think is the most useful from a practitioners perspective and why? From a practitioner’s perspective, the most useful would depend on the statistics needed as well as the information on the type of crime that the practitioner needs. Yet, the most current and updated statistics provided by the FBI is deemed to be most relevant since it provides the most updated information that reveals current and historical patterns.

ReferencesBureau of Justice Statistics. (2013, May 23). National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) API. Retrieved December 17, 2014, from bjs.gov: http://www.bjs.gov/developer/ncvs/index.cfmFBI. (n.d.). Crime Statistics. Retrieved December 16, 2014, from fbi.gov: http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/crimestatsUS DHHS. (2010). Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings. Retrieved December 16, 2014, from oas.samsha.gov: http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.htm