SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Mental health focus of police, connection between weather/pollution/crime, asset seizure laws cause police to forfeit millions, open data API in your city, prison population is shrinking, and more... POLICE CONDUCT First responder mental health given new focus  (PostRegister) Military law enforcement falling short in its response to domestic violence incidents, watchdog finds  (MilitaryTimes) Police agencies forfeit millions after new law chokes off funds from asset seizures  (The Sun) Kentucky State Police violated law in denying use-of-force investigations, attorney general rules  (WDRB) CRIME RATE Researchers have found a link between air pollution and crime  (World Economic Forum) Weather and crime: is there a connection?  (ZMEScience.com) Neighbors technology could help reduce property crime  (The Champion Newspaper) Is the US ready for its first supervised injection site for drug users?  (Governing) First major drug distr...

KY first to use rapid DNA rape test kits, predictive policing AI and racial profiling, crime rate and homelessness correlation, TN attempts to make 911 data confidential, open data in Irving, and more... POLICE CONDUCT ShotSpotter Tells Louisville Police About Gunshots, But Officers Rarely Look For Evidence  (KYCIR.org) Police departments look to residents as 'smart' doorbells rise in popularity  (KSDK) Michigan State Police captain retires to work for software vendor he supervised  (Detroit Free Press) Can predictive policing help stamp out racial profiling?  (BostonGlobe) see also:  AI-Based Crime Tools Aren't the Problem. The Biased Data They Use Is.  (Law.com) DOJ grants management program funds for crime reduction, victim services initiatives  (FederalNewsNetwork) Los Angeles Police End Second Data-Driven Crime Program Targeting Violent Offenders  (TechWire) Unverified, outdated police gang database lists 134,000 names, watchdo...

UPDATE: We are now getting crime data from Irving, TX! SpotCrime is required to FOIA this information each time we want updates. The Irving PD is giving this information for free (via an automatically updated feed) to a private vendor that restricts how the public and press can use the information, but they do not require the vendor to send a FOIA request each time they'd like to update the data on their website. Ultimately, we would like to see this data published to an open data portal. We are not sure when or if this will be accomplished. We'd like to note that we've paid for programming for the city to pull this data and to set up automatic updates, similar to how the department is automatically updating their third party private vendor, however, Chief Spivey and the city have elected not to set up automatic updates. Instead, they are making a city employee manually pull and send the data each time it is requested. We believe this to be an intentional waste of time a...

Community policing and prevention policing reduces crime, study on guns used in crimes, body cams show impartial views, Chicago police unveil tech to help solve homicides, criminal justice reform over 50 years, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Intense bodycam video shows California officer rescuing choking baby  (FOX8) Police Suicides May Be Rising; 165 Reported Last Year  (TheCrimeReport.org) Second ex-Tampa cop accuses Jane Castor of manipulating crime stats, offers another anecdote  (Tampa Bay Times) Investigation into Suspended Fort Worth Police Scientist Could Impact Hundreds of Criminal Cases: DA  (NBC DFW) CRIME RATE Maryland delegates pass legislation creating study on guns used in crimes  (Capital Gazette) Community policing lead to decrease in crimes in 2018  (Daily Chronicle) Prevention-Oriented Policing Means Less Crime: Study  (TheCrimeReport.org) Backpage is gone, but a more graphic version is again fueling prostitution busts ...

Marsy's law fails transparency, bail reform is working, gun database failures, effectiveness of body cams, safe schools, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Marsy’s Law Is a Gift to Bad Cops  (reason.com) see also:  Jacksonville police will no longer tell you where some crimes occurred or who the victims are  (Jacksonville.com) Co-opting the Police: What can be done about “Profiling by Proxy?”  (TheHill.com) When “Violent Offenders” Commit Nonviolent Crimes Embezzlement and selling drugs near a school are among the offenses some states classify as violent.  (The Marshall Project) Are police body cameras helping or hurting?  (12News) This Colorado sheriff is willing to go to jail rather than enforce a proposed gun law  (CNN) Highway Officials Warn of Spike in Motorists Hitting, Killing State Troopers  (Wall Street Journal) CRIME RATE 3 big reasons it's so hard to tell just how violent the world's most violent cities are  (Business Insid...