Definitions of Reportable Crimes
Sex Offenses Definitions
Rape: Rape is defined as the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim. Sexual penetration means the penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, or by a sex-related object. (Source: the FBI’s Summary Reporting System User Manual)
*Fondling: The touching of the private body parts of another person for the purpose of sexual gratification without consent of the victim, including instances where the victim is incapable of giving consent b/c of his/her age or temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity.
*Incest: non-forcible sexual intercourse between persons who are related to each other within the degrees wherein marriage is prohibited by law.
*Statutory Rape: non-forcible sexual intercourse with a person who is under the age of consent.
(*From the National Incident-Based Reporting System User Manual)
Other Crime Definitions
Crime Definitions as per the FBI's Summary Reporting System User Manual
Aggravated Assault: An unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault usually is accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. (It is not necessary that injury result from an aggravated assault when a gun, knife, or other weapon is used which could and probably would result in serious personal injury if the crime were successfully completed.)
Arson: Any willful or malicious burning or attempt to burn, with or without intent to defraud, a dwelling house, public building, motor vehicle or aircraft, personal property of another, etc.
Burglary: The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or a theft. For reporting purposes this definition includes: unlawful entry with intent to commit a larceny or felony; breaking and entering with intent to commit a larceny; housebreaking; safecracking; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned.
Criminal Homicide-Manslaughter by Negligence-The killing of another person through gross negligence.
Criminal Homicide-Murder and Non-negligent Manslaughter-The willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another.
Drug Law Violations: Violations of laws prohibiting the production, distribution, and/or use of certain controlled substances and the equipment or devices utilized in their preparation and/or use. The unlawful cultivation, manufacture, distribution, sale, purchase, use, possession, transportation or importation of any controlled drug or narcotic substance, including: opium or cocaine and their derivatives (morphine, heroin, codeine); marijuana; synthetic narcotics (demerol, methadone); dangerous nonnarcotic drugs (barbiturates, benzedrine). Violations of state and local laws, specifically those related to the unlawful possession, sale, use, growing, manufacturing, making of narcotic drugs.
Liquor Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting: the manufacture, sale, transporting, furnishing, possessing of intoxicating liquor; maintaining unlawful drinking places; bootlegging; operating a still; furnishing liquor to a minor or intemperate person; using a vehicle for illegal transportation of liquor; drinking on a train or public conveyance; and all attempts to commit any of the aforementioned. (Drunkenness and driving under the influence are not included in this definition.)
Motor Vehicle Theft: The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle. (Classify as motor vehicle theft all cases where automobiles are taken by persons not having lawful access even though the vehicles are later abandoned including joyriding.)
Robbery: The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
Weapon Law Violations: The violation of laws or ordinances prohibiting the Manufacture, Sale, Purchase, Transportation, Possession, Concealment, Use of firearms, cutting instruments, explosives, incendiary devices, or other deadly weapons. This classification encompasses weapons offenses that are regulatory in nature. Agencies must include: manufacture, sale, or possession of deadly weapons; carrying deadly weapons, concealed or openly; using, manufacturing, etc. of silencers; furnishing deadly weapons to minors; aliens possessing deadly weapons; and attempts to commit any of the above.
Other Crime Definitions
Dating Violence: Violence committed by a person who is or has been in a social relationship of a romantic or intimate nature with the victim. The existence of such a relationship shall be determined based on the reporting party’s statement and with consideration of the length of the relationship, the type of relationship, and the frequency of interaction between the persons involved in the relationship.
Domestic Violence: A felony or misdemeanor crime of violence committed by: a current or former spouse or intimate partner; a person with whom the victim shares a child in common; a person who is cohabitating with or cohabitated with the victim, a person who is cohabitating with, or has cohabitated with, the victim as a spouse or intimate partner; a person similarly situated to a spouse of the victim under the domestic or family violence laws of the jurisdiction in which the crime of violence occurred; any other person against an adult or youth victim who is protected from that person’s acts under the domestic or family violence laws in which the crime of violence occurred.
Stalking: Engaging in a course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to fear for the person’s safety or the safety of others; or to suffer substantial emotional distress.
Offense Definitions Relating to Hate/Bias Related Crime Statistics
as per the Hate Crime Data Collection Guidelines and Training Manual
Hate Crime: Includes all of the crimes listed above that manifest evidence that the victim was chosen based on one of the categories of bias listed below, plus the following crimes:
Larceny/Theft: Includes, pocket picking, purse snatching, shoplifting, theft from building, theft from motor vehicle, theft of motor vehicle parts or accessories, and all other larceny.
Simple Assault: An unlawful physical attack by one person upon another where neither the offender displays a weapon, nor the victim suffers obvious serve or aggravated bodily injury involving apparent broken bones, loss of teeth, possible internal injury, sever laceration or loss of consciousness.
Intimidation: To unlawfully place another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm through the use of threatening words and/or other conduct, but without displaying a weapon or subjecting the victim to actual physical attack.
Destruction/Damage/Vandalism of Property: To willfully or maliciously destroy, injure, disfigure, or deface any public or private property, real or personal, without the consent of the owner or person having custody or control of it.
Hate Crimes: Categories of Prejudice
Race: A preformed negative attitude toward a group of persons who possess common physical characteristics genetically transmitted by descent and heredity, which distinguish them as a distinct division of humankind.
Gender: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons because those persons are male or female.
Gender Identity: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a person or group of persons based on their actual or perceived gender identity, e.g., bias against transgender or gender nonconforming individuals.
Religion: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons who share the same religious beliefs regarding the origin and purpose of the universe and the existence or nonexistence of a supreme being.
Sexual Orientation: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their sexual attraction toward, and responsiveness to, members of their own sex or members of the opposite sex.
Ethnicity: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, common culture (often including a shared religion) and/or ideology that stresses common ancestry. The concept of ethnicity differs from the closely related term race in that “race” refers to grouping based mostly upon biological criteria, while “ethnicity” also encompasses additional cultural factors.
National Origin: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons of the same race or national origin who share common or similar traits, languages, customs and/or traditions.
Disability: A preformed negative opinion or attitude toward a group of persons based on their physical or mental impairments/ challenges, whether such disability is temporary or permanent, congenital or acquired by heredity, accident, injury, advanced age, or illness.