Does the Linked Homicide File contain all homicides in California?
Not necessarily. The file contains all homicides reported by law enforcement agencies in California from 1990 through 1999. Homicides reported on Vital Statistics death records are included in the file only when they link with a case in the DOJ homicide file. The number of homicides reported by law enforcement agencies is typically slightly greater than the number of homicides reported by coroners or medical examiners on death records. This variance is partly because death records are recorded for California residents, whether they died in California or elsewhere, while Supplemental Homicide Reports are filed for all homicides occurring in California, regardless of resident status of the victim. Also, different agencies may have different criteria for determining whether the death is in fact a homicide. Furthermore, a law enforcement agency may determine that a homicide occurred and report it, but if human remains are not recovered there will be no death certificate. This file is usefu
