The purpose of the major crime-reporting programs is to provide an overview of criminal activity. These programs seek to gain information about the frequency of crimes being committed, the victims impacted by such crimes, and also the type of crime committed. When these programs are used successfully an accurate picture of crime (through statistics) can be presented, therefore allowing such programs to aid lawmakers and other government officials. Such statistics aid in creating crime control programs, planning laws, and also give an idea as to what budget needs set forth for these things. To consider a crime-reporting program successful in the United States, the program would need to present an accurate picture of crimes. Unfortunately, this can be hard to accomplish. Reasons such programs face problems is because not all agencies report crimes the same way, if multiple crimes are committed only the most serious may be listed, some victims do not report crimes, or a crime may be reported as cleared when it has not been solved to name a few examples. For these programs to have real success, departments throughout the United States would need to work together to set standards for how and what is reported.…