What happens after a crime is reported to the police?
When an incident is reported to law enforcement authorities in Illinois, police 1st investigate whether a crime actually occurred. If so, exactly what kind of crime it was. If it is determined that a crime has been committed, the officers must then confirm that the offense took place within their jurisdiction. If not, the incident will be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency. If the crime did occur within their jurisdiction, an officer will gather the available information from the victim and file a report.

These reports are an important part of the criminal justice system. Each local agency is responsible for supplying a record of certain reported crimes within their jurisdiction to the Illinois State Police's (ISP) Uniform Crime Reporting program. ISP forwards this data to the FBI, where a record is kept of certain crimes committed through the United States. The FBI and ISP publish annual reports on crime statistics based on this information.

The Criminal Justice Facts provided this information in April 2000 from the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority.

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1. Can I see my criminal record?
2. How do I get my criminal record sealed or expunged?
3. What happens after a crime is reported to the police?
4. When do police fingerprint suspects?