Uniform Crime Reporting Program Data: Arson, 2015

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.