Crime statistics are meant to help police departments identify trends, allocate resources and shape effective public safety strategies. But what if the national crime data we rely on — like FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) and NIBRS — is incomplete, outdated or misleading?
In this episode of the Policing Matters podcast, host Jim Dudley speaks with Jeff Asher — CIA-trained crime analyst, former New Orleans Police Department data expert and founder of AH Datalytics — about the challenges with traditional crime data collection and the rise of real-time crime monitoring tools. They discuss why the transition to NIBRS has been slow and inconsistent, and how delays in national reporting limit law enforcement’s ability to respond to crime trends.
Asher, who also publishes the Jeffalytics Substack newsletter, has emerged as a national voice on U.S. crime trends. Drawing from his experience in both federal intelligence and local law enforcement, he explains why agencies need faster, more transparent access to crime data — and how tools like the Realtime Crime Index are filling the gap.
Subscribe to Asher’s Jeffalytics newsletter on Substack for weekly insights into crime statistics, data reliability and what the numbers really mean.
Tune in to discover:
- What’s behind the largest one-year homicide drop in U.S. history
- Why the FBI’s crime data still suffers from missing cities and flawed estimates
- How outdated systems undermine timely crime analysis and prevention
- What the Pearl Harbor attack can teach us about institutional failure
- Why real-time crime dashboards can change the game — but only if agencies get on board
- How Asher’s work bridges the gap between national stats and actionable local intelligence
About our sponsor
This episode of the Policing Matters podcast is sponsored by OfficerStore. Learn more about getting the gear you need at prices you can afford by visiting OfficerStore.com.
Key takeaways from this episode
- Crime data is often incomplete: Even with modern tools, national reporting systems like NIBRS still suffer from gaps — especially among smaller agencies.
- Real-time data matters: The Realtime Crime Index provides a more immediate, accurate snapshot of national crime trends, helping agencies act sooner.
- Context is everything: Without understanding the limits of the data, crime stats can be misused or misunderstood — especially by policymakers and the media.
- Institutional failures repeat: Whether it’s crime prevention or national security, breakdowns often stem from poor systems and communication — not individual oversights.
- Data should drive policy — but it rarely does: Asher’s analysis aims to be objective and bias-free, giving agencies the foundation they need to make smarter decisions
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