Final answer:
Official crime statistics, collected by law enforcement agencies, are a strength because they provide a systematic record of reported crimes, but they do not account for unreported crimes.
Step-by-step explanation:
One of the strengths of official crime statistics is that they are collected by law enforcement agencies and provide a systematic record of reported crimes.
Specifically, data such as the FBI's Uniform Crime Reports (UCR) of official statistics is gathered from law enforcement agencies, offering a systematic compilation of reported crime data across the country. This systematic record includes documented incidents and arrests, and as of 2021, the introduction of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) will further improve the comprehensiveness of the data by capturing more detailed information about each recorded crime.
These official crime statistics serve as a valuable resource for understanding trends in reported crime and for developing policy. However, one must note that while these statistics are beneficial for examining reported crime, they do not provide a comprehensive and detailed understanding of unreported crimes, as they only include incidents that are known to police.