A new study reveals Rhode Island is the state with the highest percentage of law enforcement agencies reporting crime data to the FBI.

The study, conducted by Pre-Settlement Legal Funding Company High Rise Financial, analyzed the latest available data from the FBI on the number of law agencies in each state and the number and percentage that report to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS). This analysis provides insight into which states are the most proactive in reporting detailed crime data, contributing to a better understanding of crime trends at the national level.

Rhode Island ranks first, with 96% of its 50 law enforcement agencies participating in NIBRS—meaning 48 agencies are actively reporting. This is 1.4 times higher than the national average of 69,43, suggesting that Rhode Island’s cooperation aids with comprehensive crime data collection, which can support effective crime prevention and policymaking.

Kentucky comes in second, with 94.47% of its 452 law enforcement agencies, or 427 agencies, reporting to NIBRS.

Virginia follows in third place, with 90.24% participation, representing 416 out of 461 agencies in the state.

Texas, the largest of these states by population, ranks fourth. Of its 1,524 law enforcement agencies, 89.17%—or 1,359 agencies—participate in NIBRS.

Oklahoma rounds out the top five, with 88.63% of its 519 agencies, or 460 agencies, reporting to the FBI.

South Carolina, Connecticut, Oregon, Massachusetts and Vermont occupy positions six to 10, with percentages of agencies participating in NIBRS ranging from 88.11% to 84.47%.

At the other end of the list, Pennsylvania ranks as the state with the lowest level of cooperation with the FBI, with only 8.48% of its agencies reporting to NIBRS. This translates to just 161 out of 1,898 agencies participating. This is eight times lower than the national average of 69.43%.

Florida follows in second-to-last place, with 15.94% of its 828 agencies—equivalent to 132 agencies—reporting crime data to NIBRS, four times lower than the national average.

New York ranks third from the bottom, with only 20.27% of its 903 agencies participating in NIBRS.

A spokesperson from High Rise Financial commented on the findings, "Comprehensive crime data reporting is essential for developing effective law enforcement strategies and ensuring public safety.

“Our study reveals that while some states are fully engaged in reporting to the FBI, others have significant room for improvement. We encourage all states to enhance their reporting efforts to support crime prevention initiatives and resource allocation nationwide."