In this study, which is a small part of a larger research project, I examine the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), one of the FBI's primary methods for collecting national crime data from local and state law enforcement. NIBRS is touted as an upgrade from the previous system in that it collects data with more context in order to provide a fuller picture of crime in the United States for stakeholders such as law enforcement, policy makers, academics, journalists, and the public. Using critical data studies frameworks and narrative methods, I unblackbox the data system to understand its construction and rhetorical grounding.