Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data [United States]: Arson, 2007

Since 1930, the Federal Bureau of Investigation has compiled the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) to serve as periodic nationwide assessments of reported crimes not available elsewhere in the criminal justice system. Seven main classifications of crime were chosen to gauge fluctuations in the overall volume and rate of crime. These seven classifications that eventually became known as the Crime Index included the violent crimes of murder and non-negligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault, and the property crimes of burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. By congressional mandate, arson was added as the eighth Index offense in 1979. Arson is defined as 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. The arson data files include monthly data on the number of arson offenses reported and the number of offenses cleared by arrest or other means. The counts include all reports of arson received from victims, officers who discovered infractions, or other sources.

自1930年起，美国联邦调查局（Federal Bureau of Investigation, FBI）便编制《统一犯罪报告》（Uniform Crime Reports, UCR），用于定期开展全国范围内已上报犯罪情况的评估，此类评估内容为刑事司法体系内其他途径所不具备。该报告选取七类主要犯罪类型，用以测算犯罪总规模与犯罪率的波动情况。这七类最终被统称为犯罪指数（Crime Index）的分类，包含暴力犯罪与财产犯罪两大类别：其中暴力犯罪涵盖谋杀及非过失杀人、强制性强奸、抢劫与严重攻击罪；财产犯罪则包括入室盗窃、盗窃（larceny-theft）及机动车盗窃。根据国会指令，纵火罪于1979年被新增为第八项指数犯罪。纵火罪被定义为：任何故意或恶意焚烧或企图焚烧住宅、公共建筑、机动车或航空器、他人私有财产等行为，无论是否具有诈骗意图。纵火数据文件包含月度上报纵火犯罪案件数量，以及通过逮捕或其他方式侦破的犯罪案件数量的统计数据。该统计范围涵盖受害者、发现违规行为的执法人员及其他来源提交的全部纵火报案记录。