Final answer:
The NCIC system is not about broadcasting messages from stars or on frequencies, but it is a centralized information system that law enforcement utilizes to access criminal justice data. The Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) has been the traditional way the FBI collects crime data, but now there's a shift to a more detailed National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to overcome UCR's limitations of underreporting and inconsistent data quality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The National Crime Information Center (NCIC) system is critical for law enforcement agencies across the United States. It does not directly send 'messages' like a broadcast from a star on certain frequencies; instead, it is a computerized index of criminal justice information such as criminal record history information, fugitives, stolen properties, and missing persons available to federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.
Regarding crime statistics, the FBI gathers data from approx. 17,000 agencies, which make up the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). However, UCR often underreports due to crimes that go unreported, generally because of victims' fear, shame, or distrust. Since data consistency is a challenge across jurisdictions, states now need to contribute to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), a more detailed crime reporting system that provides specifics such as time of day and location, offering a more data-informed approach for crime prevention and law enforcement.
Note: The terms 'message', 'stars', 'channels', or 'frequencies' here are likely metaphors or incorrectly applied as NCIC does not operate via broadcast messages from celestial bodies. The NCIC system is more aligned with a secure database access format rather than a radio broadcast format.