12 Questions Before Comparing City Crime Rates

Inside this gallery: 12 historical photographs, each with the year, the place, and the story behind the picture.

• 1. How is the Offense Defined? — the past. When comparing crime data across jurisdictions, it is important to understand how offenses are reported and classified.
• 2. Reported Incidents vs. Victimization? — the past. Crime datasets represent offenses known and reported to law enforcement, rather than all actual victimizations.
• 3. What is the Population Denominator? — the past. When evaluating crime rates, it is crucial to examine the population data used in the calculation.
• 4. What is the Agency Coverage? — the past. To understand the scope of a crime dataset, you must identify which specific law enforcement agencies contributed the data.

Tap any photo above to jump in, or view the full story below.