Incident-Based Reporting (IBR)

Providing detailed data to the public and law enforcement professionals.

Overview

Incident-based reporting (IBR) replaces multiple reports with a single monthly computerized submission. Incident Based Reporting records specific incident details, including information about the offender, victim, and property. 

IBR yields reports which provide more detail to police management and research staff than UCR reports. IBR collects and links offender and victim information, links specific arrests with specific crimes, counts all the offenses that occur in a single incident, and provides significant details, such as property taken and weapons used. DCJS staff works closely with law enforcement agencies to assist them in the transition from UCR to IBR.

Advantages of Using IBR

IBR reduces police department crime report paperwork and saves staff time. 
Uniform Crime Reporting requires the department to submit seven different monthly forms. These forms can be complex and time consuming to complete. IBR files are produced by the department’s records management system (RMS) software and submission of most data can be done by email.

IBR improves the accuracy of reported information. 
Agencies transitioning to IBR report improved accuracy in their reported crime data with regard to classification of crimes. In addition, crimes that are reported and then subsequently determined to be unfounded are automatically removed from the IBR submission files. The current UCR reporting protocols have no mechanism to remove unfounded cases from the month in which they were originally reported.

IBR expands the information on the local crime picture which is readily available to local departments. 
All participating IBR agencies receive a crime analysis report on their reported crime from DCJS. This report provides an excellent starting point for understanding the local crime picture, and includes details on victims, suspects, crime locations, drugs seized and weapons used. Ad hoc reports are also generated by DCJS upon request. IBR files makes local crime analysis, including mapping, easier to do.

Participation Requirements

To participate in IBR, police agencies must maintain a minimum of 73 data elements on their records management systems (RMS). An agency that uses RMS software from a private vendor should be aware that most vendors have built IBR capabilities that conform to national standards into their products. These systems would need to be adapted to include New York law and the specific data elements. If an agency uses the DCJS-supported Spectrum Justice System (SJS) for records management, transitioning to IBR is quite easy. SJS includes the required data elements and will extract the required NYSIBR data each month.

In addition to the submission of monthly IBR data files, IBR agencies must also submit two supplemental crime reports, if these offenses occur in a given month: 

  • Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA)
  • Hate Crime Incident Report 

Also, once per year agencies are required to submit an Agency Personnel Report.

 

General Reference Materials

  • NYS NIBRS Error Messages & Explanations

    This document provides a detailed listing of all errors that could occur within a monthly IBR file upon submission to the DCJS IBR Database.  This listing includes each error number, the corresponding error message and a detailed explanation of the error.  This document is intended primarily as a reference for law enforcement agencies that receive errors on their NYSIBR Submission Transaction Report and need further assistance in correcting them.

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  • Crime Reporting Data Submission Timeline

    This calendar provides an overview of the data quality activities DCJS conducts organized by when they occur.  Each month is an outline of what agencies can expect to receive from DCJS if follow-up is needed, and tools that agencies can access to help correct any issues that are identified.

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Vendor-Specific Reference Materials

  • NYS NIBRS Data Elements and File Structure Specifications

    This document provides a detailed record layout for each of the seventy-three capture data elements collected for a criminal incident as well as the nine transmission data elements that are used to describe and structure the data transmission between law enforcement agencies and DCJS.  It is intended for both law enforcement agencies and vendors of Records Management System (RMS) software.

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  • NYS NIBRS Data Transmission Specifications

    This document provides technical instructions for generating and transmitting monthly IBR files to DCJS and is intended primarily for vendors who design and support Records Management System (RMS) software used to store and report incident data submitted through IBR. It is also helpful for law enforcement agencies in understanding the contents and structure of an IBR submission file.

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  • NYS NIBRS Edits

    This document provides a complete listing of the system edits implemented by DCJS that monthly IBR submission files must pass before they are posted to the DCJS IBR Database.  Each edit number, corresponding error message, as well as a technical explanation is provided.  This document is intended primarily for vendors who design and support the Records Management System (RMS) software used to store and report data on criminal incidents.

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  • NYSIBR Legacy Reference Documents

    This reference contains the pre-NIBRS Compliant NYS IBR Reference Documents: NYSIBR Error Messages and Explanations, NYSIBR Data Capture Elements, NYSIBR Data Transmission Specifications, and NYSIBR Edits.  These documents are provided here as an historical reference and will not be updated.

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  • NIBRS Sample File

    This is a .txt file that contains a sample of NIBRS incidents. This document provides a visual representation of the file structure layout outlined in the NIBRS Compliant NYS IBR Data Transmission Specifications document.

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  • NYS NIBRS Vendors

    This document provides a list of NYS NIBRS agencies and their current vendor as resource for agencies developing their NIBRS transition plan. Note: DCJS does not endorse any vendor and/or product that appears on this list.

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Contact

DCJS Crime Reporting Unit Staff are available to answer questions or assist with transition to Incident Based Reporting. 

For more information, or to arrange for an assessment, please contact 518-457-5837 or 1-800-262-DCJS.

[email protected]

Related Information

IBR Reporting Alerts Developer & Vendor Resources