Final answer:
Chris should utilize the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) for information on unreported crimes. Additionally, exploring varied sources like court and prison data and the public perception of crime can provide a comprehensive view of criminal activity.
Step-by-step explanation:
Chris, a criminology Ph.D. student researching crimes not reported to the police in the United States, needs to obtain information from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). The NCVS is a self-report study published by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, which collects crime statistics that complement data from the Uniform Crime Reports (UCR). This survey reaches out to approximately 160,000 Americans annually to gauge the frequency and types of crimes they’ve experienced, including those not reported to law enforcement. Furthermore, the development of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) aims to capture more detailed incident data and improve upon the limitations of the UCR, though its implementation is still in progress.
To further understand crime, it's expedient to review a variety of sources including existing data from court systems, police databases, prison records, and interviews with individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Through these sources, researchers like Chris can uncover trends, correlations, and information that may not be fully represented in crime reports, such as the relationship between crime and demographic factors, e.g., as illustrated by the connection between education levels and crime rates. Moreover, reviewing public perception of crime, influenced by media and popular crime series, can elucidate discrepancies between perceived and actual crime rates.