The St. Louis County Police Department is changing the way it compiles information to include more specific data on reported crimes.
The department has switched from the Uniform Crime Reporting program to the National Incident-Based Reporting System to comply with a national standard, Police Chief Jon Belmar told the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners on Tuesday.
The FBI updated the standard to help officials gather better information on victims of alleged crimes and on the relationship between victims and offenders.
The county police department will be one of the first police departments in Missouri to adopt it, he said.
“This is an issue that police departments across the state are struggling with,” Belmar said.
The FBI has encouraged police departments across the U.S. to use the national system as it gathers detailed data on crime statistics and trends.
Belmar will release a report on gun violence in the county at the February meeting.
The county police department also will spend $22 million on new offices for the North County and Affton Southwest precincts. Construction will begin in April. The new buildings will include public meeting spaces.
“I imagine it would take us about 12 months, weather dependent, to get these two precincts up and running,” Belmar said.
Follow Chad on Twitter @iamcdavis
Send questions and comments about this story to feedback@stlpublicradio.org
