Final answer:
To be eligible for the Crime Victim Compensation Program, a person must report the crime to law enforcement, with specific reporting time frames varying by jurisdiction. The National Crime Victimization Survey and Uniform Crime Reports provide statistics, while the National Incident-Based Reporting System offers more detailed data.
Step-by-step explanation:
The eligibility criteria for the Crime Victim Compensation Program generally require a person to report the crime to law enforcement officials. Specific time frames for reporting can vary by jurisdiction, but reporting is a crucial step for victims to access the program's benefits.
Data from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) and the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) help to shed light on crime statistics, though not all crimes are reported. The introduction of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) aims to provide more comprehensive and detailed data on crime incidents to enable data-informed discussions that can improve crime prevention and policing strategies.