Measures · FBI crime statistics
Clearance rate
The share of offences closed by arrest or by exceptional means — not a conviction rate.
An offence is cleared when someone is arrested, charged and referred for prosecution, or when it is closed by exceptional means — the offender is identified but arrest is prevented by something outside police control, such as the offender's death or a refusal to extradite.
A clearance rate is not a conviction rate and says nothing about whether the arrested person was guilty. It is also computed against offences reported in the period rather than against the same cases, so a clearance in January of a case reported the previous November counts in January's numerator. Rates above 100% for rare offences in small agencies are an artefact of exactly that.
Also known as: clearance, cleared by arrest, solve rate.
See clearance rate in the data
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Clearance rate — FAQ
What is clearance rate in crime statistics?+
The share of offences closed by arrest or by exceptional means — not a conviction rate. An offence is cleared when someone is arrested, charged and referred for prosecution, or when it is closed by exceptional means — the offender is identified but arrest is prevented by something outside police control, such as the offender's death or a refusal to extradite.
Why does clearance rate matter?+
A clearance rate is not a conviction rate and says nothing about whether the arrested person was guilty. It is also computed against offences reported in the period rather than against the same cases, so a clearance in January of a case reported the previous November counts in January's numerator. Rates above 100% for rare offences in small agencies are an artefact of exactly that.
Where does this crime statistics come from?+
Figures come from the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting program — the quarterly national trend series, the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), and the annual Arrests and Arson collections. Coverage depends on which agencies reported in a given period. pumsdata is independent and not affiliated with the FBI.