The nationwide Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program began development over fifty years ago. In 1930, crime counts were first requested from local police departments with the Federal Bureau of Investigation designated by Congress to collect, compile, and analyze the statistics. South Carolina was one of the first states to implement an operational state UCR program. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) is the agency that administers the program for South Carolina. Crime data and other information gathered by law enforcement agencies are collected and submitted to SLED.
Crime Index
The crime index is used as a basic measure of crime. In reporting offenses to the UCR program, crimes are classified according to standard definitions that are used throughout the nation and each state respectively.