(1) Identify and describe 3 different ways in which police departments may have changed their coding/recording/classifying of aggravated assaults that have led to decrease in the number/rate of these offenses in the last 15 years.
For reporting purposes, a cow isn't always a cow. While the federal government may have a broad way of classifying cows independent of color, height, weight, etc (weapon used, the degree to which seriously bodily harm is likely), individual departments may say that cows are defined as brown ones that weigh more than 1,500 lbs while non-aggravated cows are ones that fall outside those parameters. Just replace cow with aggravated assault and you'll get the idea.
*snort* I have read and re-read this no less than 5 times and honestly have zero idea what you're talking about
I would go with something like: 1.) Assaults that don't occur with a weapon can be classified as battery 2.) If the assault did have a weapon but they deem there wasn't enough intent by the suspect to cause serious harm to the victim, they could change it to a lesser charge. (Or if they deem the person mentally unfit, they could change it) 3.) While it would, to me, make it sound worse, they could always call an agg assault an attempted murder. I work for the police and that's honestly the best I can come up with. Then again, our area doesn't have a real bad problem with ADWs or aggravated assaults so not sure I'd really know how the bad areas might tweak the charges.
