SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Every police agency has a different way of releasing crime information. In an effort to standardize and simplify plotting points on a crime map, we have been using a unique crime categorization system since we were founded in 2007. Any crime we plot on SpotCrime ends up in 1 of 9 categories: Theft - The act in which property belonging to another is taken without that person's consent. Burglary - The criminal offense of breaking and entering a building illegally for the purpose of committing a crime in that building. Robbery - Using force or intimidation to take property away from another person in the presence of that person. Assault - A physical attempt or threat to use violence with the intent to do harm to another. Arson - The crime of intentionally setting fire to a building or property of another or the burning of one's own property to collect insurance. Shooting - The act of firing a weapon in order to hit, wound, or kill someone or something. Vandalism - T...

The Police Data Initiative is one of the programs rolled out by the White House’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing that encourages transparency with data. There are over 120 agencies participating in the PDI right now. PROS AND CONS (mostly pros) We’ve applied the SpotCrime Transparency ranking to PDI agencies below. As critical as it may seem to rank agencies, the ability to even consider a ranking is one of the reasons why the PDI is so important. It gives the public a chance to see how their agency matches up against others, creating more accountability. This ranking is not meant to discourage, but rather act as part of a public feedback loop that encourages agencies to accept criticism and make their data stronger and more transparent. PRO: Agencies can pick and choose which datasets they want to release giving the opportunity for more agencies to participate. The types of datasets include (but aren’t limited to):  -  RMS/CAD data  - Use of forc...

Should you use year old economic data to determine the current economic stability or the unemployment rate? Would you wait a year after receiving medical information to make a decision on how to proceed with a potentially life threatening procedure? Do sports teams only look at statistics at the end of the season? No. So, why do we happily wait a year for access and the ability to analyze crime rates with UCR (Unifrom Crime Reporting) and NIBRS (National Incident Based Reporting System) reporting? Although well intentioned, it is our belief that UCR and NIBRS should not be data communities ask for and utilize when trying to figure how to assess crime in their neighborhood.  *Please note we are not arguing for cessation of UCR and NIBRS. If these reports have been around for so long, then they must be useful. Right? UCR and NIBRS Fall Short Timeliness: One of the problems with UCR and NIBRS reporting from the community perspective is timeliness. The reports are ...