An Evaluation of the Quality and Use of Race-Specific Homicide Data

Abstract

Research on race-specific homicide rates has paid insufficient attention to the issue of data quality. This article compares the two main sources of race-specific homicide rates: the FBI Age, Sex, and Race Record Cards (ASR) and the FBI Uniform Crime Report Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR), focusing primarily on Black homicide rates. Probably the most important finding of this research is that ASR and SHR race-specific homicide rates cannot both be valid indicators of Black homicide rates in cities. Further analysis suggests that SHR data probably more often provide a valid indicator of overall or race-specific offender homicide rates than do ASR data. Analysis indicates SHR data must be properly examined and screened if they are to provide a valid indicator of race-specific homicide data. This research addresses problems with SHR race-specific homicide data, including outright errors, cases where the race of the offender is unknown, and multiple offender and victim cases.