Safety Atlas Research · Coverage Note
US Public Safety Data Coverage Report 2026
Direct answerUS public safety coverage is not uniform. FBI data depends on agency participation, correct city-to-agency mapping, a usable population denominator, and reported values for the selected offenses. A blank cell is not evidence that no crime occurred.
This report defines the checks Safety Atlas uses before a place can receive a score. It is a coverage framework, not a claim that every US jurisdiction has complete data.
Three coverage labels
| Label | Minimum interpretation | What users should do |
|---|---|---|
| Complete | A mapped local agency reports usable values across all three Safety Atlas categories. | Review source year, population, and offense-level flags before comparing places. |
| Partial | A place has usable reporting, but one or more selected categories or offense fields are incomplete. | Display the gap and avoid treating the composite as fully comparable. |
| No data | No eligible city agency is mapped, only an ineligible mapping is present, or no selected offenses are reported. | Do not infer zero crime or publish a score. |
The 18 offense classes
| Category | Offenses |
|---|---|
| Personal safety | Homicide; Rape; Robbery; Aggravated Assault; Kidnapping/Abduction; Human Trafficking |
| Property security | Burglary; Larceny-theft; Motor Vehicle Theft; Arson; Theft From Building; Theft From Motor Vehicle |
| Community order | Simple Assault; Intimidation; Stolen Property Offenses; Vandalism; Weapon Law Violations; Drug/Narcotic Violations |
Coverage checks before scoring
- Confirm the place and state name against an official geographic identifier.
- Confirm that mapped ORIs represent the intended city jurisdiction.
- Record the latest annual source year for every offense.
- Separate a true zero from missing or unreported data.
- Verify that the population denominator matches the reporting geography and year.
- Publish a partial-data or no-data notice whenever the minimum scoring test fails.
Field schema for buyers
Use the downloadable schema to audit exports or define a procurement requirement. It includes source year, coverage state, offense-level counts and rates, score eligibility, and a verification timestamp.
Primary sources: FBI NIBRS overview · FBI Crime Data Explorer · US Census Population Estimates. Safety Atlas is independent and is not affiliated with the FBI.