Springfield police chief discusses new crime reporting system

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) -

The Springfield Police Department is now recording crime reports through a system administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), called the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS). The police department made the move to NIBRS in January 2020, which allows for a more comprehensive look at crime by the numbers.

The system police had been using for years, Summary Reporting System counted only seven major types of crime: homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny/theft and stolen vehicles. This new system lists 52 different types of crimes breaking them down into very specific categories.

“Better indication of what’s occurring and where. Establishing those trends and really breaking it down into categories we can focus on," said Springfield Police Chief Paul Williams.

Chief Paul Williams said this new system has three categories: crimes against persons, property and society with sub categories those crimes will fall under.

“It will give people a much better in depth look of what’s really occurring in the city," said Williams.

In 2019, police reported over 9,000 theft crimes summed up into one category, but this reporting method digs much deeper.

“Theft in general. Is it theft from vehicles? Is it shoplifting? Is it theft from a building," said Williams.

Williams said something that caught his eye were reports of kidnappings and abductions.

“ It was reported but it wasn’t tracked so it wasn’t focused on," said Williams.

According to the new system there were 26 cases, in the old system there wasn’t a tracked number.

Another example is sexual assault broken down into six specific categories.

“Hopefully that will help educate folks. Awareness across the board you look at things that are occurring more frequently and I think the public will be able to kind of zero in on that and help prevent those crimes from occurring," said Williams.

By 2021 police sill start releasing monthly statistics allowing them to better follow trends.

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