News Release
Public Safety
Matt Blunt, Governor
Mark James, Director


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


For more information, please contact:
Terri Durdaller
Communication Director
Work:(573) 751-4819
Cell: (573) 301-2023

   

Missouri Law Enforcement Agencies Awarded for Excellent Recordkeeping

JEFFERSON CITY, May 17, 2006—The Missouri Department of Public Safety today recognized 29 local law enforcement agencies for the quality of their uniform crime reporting (UCR).

“I commend these local law enforcement agencies for demonstrating excellency,” said Mark James, Public Safety Director. “It is encouraging to witness agencies dedicating themselves to painstakingly documenting and reporting the crimes committed in their jurisdictions to the FBI.”

Under Missouri law, every law enforcement agency must submit crime incident and arrest information if they are to receive state and federal funds for law enforcement, safety or criminal justice purposes. The Missouri Department of Public Safety, through the Missouri State Highway Patrol, gathers the information from local law enforcement agencies and submits it to the FBI to meet federal crime reporting guidelines.

The Highway Patrol reviews each independently reporting law enforcement agency once every three years, with audit results available each quarter. During a review, auditors assigned to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) section of the Missouri State Highway Patrol check each agency’s police files and incident reports to ensure crime incidents are being reported according to federal UCR guidelines. Based on the results of the audit the Highway Patrol will give each law enforcement agency a quality-based score. CJIS auditors are also responsible for performing audits of the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System/National Crime Information Center (MULES/NCIC) system.

For the first quarter of 2006 five law enforcement agencies scored 100 percent on their UCR Quality Assurance Review (QAR) including the Bucklin Police Department, Grain Valley Police Department, Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Poplar Bluff Police Department and the Stone County Sheriff’s Office.

In addition, 24 law enforcement agencies had a compliance rating in the 90 to 99 percent range following their QAR including:

Auxvasse Police Department
New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office
Blackburn Police Department
Orrick Police Department
Centralia Police Department
Osage Beach Police Department
Concordia Police Department
Parkville Police Department
Eldon Police Department
Rolla Police Department
Freeman Police Department
Savannah Police Department
Glasgow Police Department
Scotland County Sheriff’s Office
Greene County Sheriff’s Office
Southeast Missouri State University DPS
Holcomb Police Department
Vandalia Police Department
Memphis Police Department
Washburn Police Department
Mineral Area College DPS
Webb City Police Department
Morgan County Sheriff’s Office
Wellington Police Department

In 1929 the International Association of Chiefs of Police started the UCR Program in order to keep an accurate record of national crime statistics. The tasks of gathering, making public and storing those statistics were transferred to the FBI in 1930, where they still remain today.

For more information, please contact Terri Durdaller at (573) 751-4819.



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