Definitions

    Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is an unlawful attack by one person upon another for the purpose of inflicting severe or aggravated bodily injury. This type of assault is usually accompanied by the use of a weapon or by means likely to produce death or great bodily harm. Attempts are included since it is not necessary that an injury result 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

The 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. Only fires determined through investigation to have been willfully or maliciously set are classified as arsons. Fires of suspicious or unknown origins are excluded.

   Beat

Large geographic areas within the city that define workload boundaries. The city has 16 beats. Click here for a map of Tempe's beat structure.

   Burglary

The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as burglary. Burglary is categorized into three subclassifications: forcible entry, unlawful entry where no force is used, and attempted forcibly entry.

   Call for Service

A call for service refers to any request for police service. Calls for service may be generated by private citizens (such as a 911 or non-emergency telephone call) or by police officers (as when making a routine traffic stop).

   Emergency Call for Service (Priority 0)

Any active felony, violent misdemeanor or active incident that may result in life or property damage where rapid response may result in apprehension.

   Larceny-Theft

Larceny-Theft is the unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another. It includes crimes such as shoplifting, pocket-picking, purse-snatching, theft from motor vehicles, thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories, bicycle thefts, etc., in which no use of force, violence, or fraud occur occurs. This category does not include embezzlement, "con" games, forgery, and worthless checks. Motor vehicle theft is also excluded from this category inasmuch as it is a separate Crime Index Offense.

   Motor Vehicle Theft

Defined as the theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle, this offense category includes the stealing of automobiles, trucks, buses, motorcycles, motor scooters, snowmobiles, etc. The definition excludes the taking of a motor vehicle for temporary use by those persons having lawful access.

   Homicide

Homicide and non-negligent manslaughter, as defined in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, is the willful (non-negligent) killing of one human being by another. Not included in the count for this offense classification are deaths caused by negligence, suicide, or accident; justifiable homicides; and attempts to murder or assaults to murder, which are scored as aggravated assaults.

   Part I Crime

Also referred to as "The Crime Index", composed of selected offenses used to gauge fluctuations in the overall volume and rate of crime reported to law enforcement. The offenses included are the violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault and the property crimes of burglary, motor vehicle theft, larceny-theft, and arson.

   Rape

Rape is the carnal knowledge of a female forcibly and against her will. Assaults or attempts to commit rape by force or threat of force are also included; however, statutory rape (without force) and other sex offenses are excluded.

   RD - Reporting District

Small geographic areas within Tempe that allow for micro level reporting and analysis. Tempe has over 407 RD's. Click here for a beat/rd map.

   Robbery

Robbery is 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.  

 Variance

       Any variation between beat totals and the UCR totals can be attributed to several factors: 1) Beat totals are reported        before final investigation and follow-up can be conducted while UCR totals are calculated after these investigations and all  case follow-up activity has been completed; 2) Some reported crimes occur in Tempe, but  may not have occurred in a specific beat.

UCR 
  Is the Uniform Crime Report published by the FBI. It is a city, county, and state law enforcement program which provides a nationwide view of crime based on the submission of statistics by law enforcement agencies throughout the country. To see the statistics Tempe compiles, please view the Crime Statistics.