SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

Joint crime office, traffic stops, police job vacancies, police commission meetings, gun violence data hub, sextortion on the rise, sexual assault, 2020 homicide spike, drones used to respond to police calls, location boost to 911 calls, accessing police records, yoga in prison, recidivism, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Memphis, Shelby County to launch joint crime office to address violence  (Local Memphis) National groups say Fayetteville is stopping more Black drivers than it was a decade ago  (Fayetteville Observer) Oceanside gets new police chief after retirement announcement  (OSide News) Records Show Vacancies Across City of Durham Departments; Police and emergency communications departments show high vacancies  (Indy Week) Watchdog group launches social media campaign publicizing details on Maui police commission meeting  (Hawaii News Now) CRIME RATE Nearly $1M on the way to fight crime in Stockton  (ABC10) The Trace Launches Gun Violence Data Hub ...

Police staffing, police training, gun violence across the US, gun violence and mental illness, effectiveness of community based solutions, politics of police statistics, body cam tech 'trash', gun fire detection system, NYPD Citizen-like app, police data collection is difficult, Louisiana Sheriff's violating public record laws, crime data systems in CA, donating organs for shorter prison sentence, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Data shows Minneapolis' "Operation Endeavor" has been successful in its first 90 days  (CBS Minnesota) Why police training in the US falls short compared to the rest of the world: Report  (ABC News) Staffing woes could hinder Baltimore Police reform efforts under consent decree, federal judge warns  (The Baltimore Sun) Raleigh police chief addresses Taser use, de-escalation training in crime update briefing  (CBS17) A former police chief says more police does not mean less crime  (NPR) see also:  Crime Dipped in Subway After Increase in ...

FBI crime data reporting lacking, estimation procedures for missing FBI data, understanding policing in America, civilian policing, Clery Act compliance, Biden's Safer America Plan, storage for body cams, FOIA enforcer, the Visiting Room Project in prison, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Johns Hopkins wants to change policing. Many fear it won’t work.  (The Washington Post) New policy, tracking system aids Clery Act compliance  (The University Record) See If Police in Your State Reported Crime Data to the FBI There are growing gaps in U.S. crime stats. Use our tables to check on your state and local agencies.  (The Marshall Project) and also:  Accurate U.S. Crime Data Demands More State Participation  (NextGov) Estimation Procedures for Crimes in the United States Based on NIBRS Data  (FBI)  Understanding Policing in America: How Neighborhood and Individual Characteristics Influence Experiences with Police and Perspectives of Policing  (The Data Founda...

Cities implementing different forms of police reform, AI tech ban, news deserts allow for corruption in SC, dropping crime rates in some cities, drones for deescalation, ending cash bail, COVID as a case for open data, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Consultant finds Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office ‘data rich, information poor’  (Santa Maria Times) South Bend Board of Public Safety approves use of force guidelines but demands more changes  (South Bend Tribune) Can a New, Open-Source Police Brutality Database Help to Hold Police Departments Accountable?  (Time.com) see also:  Civil Rights Groups Launch National Database on Police Use of Force  (CivilRights.org) Do as I Say! Or, Do as I Say, Not as I Have Done! County Sheriffs’ Self-Reported Accountability Priorities for Themselves and Their Subordinates  (Academia.edu) Black people make up most arrests for low-level crimes in Dallas, report finds Dallas Police Chief Eddie García said he wants to better unde...

You may have noticed a new map in your daily SpotCrime alerts . For a few years now we've had no actual map in your daily alerts, just a static image. If a user wanted an actual visual of crimes around their address, they had to click through to SpotCrime to see an actual map with crime.  Click through the SpotMap in your email to see an even more detailed map. Enter SpotMap. Now, we have the SpotMap in all daily email alerts! You can still click through to see an actual map , but now before a click through you have a minimalistically quick view of crime data. The SpotMap is a fast representation of crime around you and is tailored specifically to your address. SpotMap presents a clear, fast way to view this crime information relative to your address. There is no extra noise on this map - no streets, buildings, parks, or businesses listed.  First, we used your address as the center point. Next, we placed a few rings around the radius of your address cente...

Domestic violence increases during pandemic, police see more calls for mental health, some cities crime rate stays the same, cyber attacks and scams increasing during pandemic, using cellphone data to track coronavirus, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Montgomery County Sheriff: Mental health calls up 81 percent since COVID-19 outbreak  (WDTN) Coronavirus California: Grisly work of crime scene cleaners changes due to COVID-19 pandemic  (ABC7News) Justice Department researchers: Mass shootings 'elusive as they are disruptive'  (Washington Times) CRIME RATE 'I have corona, you’re going to die' - police release shocking bodycam footage. Three men were jailed  (Bristol Post) see also:  Criminals continue to use coronavirus as a weapon against police after four thugs are jailed for spitting, coughing or sneezing on officers during lockdown  (Daily Mail) and also  Texas police searching for woman ‘willfully spreading’ COVID-19  (The Grio) After Th...

Body cams bring transparency at a cost, using data to address justice system issues, open crime data helps create independent crime maps in KC, Clearwater placing cameras around city, Alabama prison plan, and more... POLICE CONDUCT We can do better for our kids and our communities by investing in programs proven to be good for them, writes the Pinellas sheriff.  (Tampa Bay Times) Florence County Sheriff’s Office uses traffic data to combat crime  (WMBF News) This Central Valley police chief forced an officer to remodel his home; now he’s California’s latest criminal cop  (The Mercury News) Clearwater police to create operations center linked to cameras around city  (Tampa Bay Newspapers Weekly) 'Catastrophic data loss' affects thousands of Hamilton County Sheriff's Office dashcam videos  (Chattanooga Times Free Press) CRIME RATE Bill would call for state of emergency to address Baltimore crime  (WBAL) 'Treat this as a public health crisis' |...

Abusing license plate readers, police use of DNA databases, effects of community policing, Congress expresses concerns over Ring doorbell relationship with PDs, State police's $12.2M database does not work, live streaming body cams, and more... POLICE CONDUCT Abilene Police 'Officer of the Year' also wins life saving award  (KTXS) Community-oriented policing to reduce crime, disorder and fear and increase satisfaction and legitimacy among citizens: a systematic review  (Academia.edu) see also: Charleston police to hold conversation with community to address crime reports  (Live 5 News WCSC) and also:  Neighborhood by Neighborhood: Community Policing in a Rust Belt City  (Academia.edu) California Police Have Been Illegally Sharing License Plate Reader Data  (Vice) see also:  Audit: police license plate readers at risk for data breaches, misuse Seymour police captain, former chief arrested on ghost employment charges  (Fox59) Neighbors sa...

SpotCrime - an independent crime mapping and crime alert service - is re-introducing SpotCrime Catapult, a free software solution that allows police departments worldwide to make their crime data public. Catapult was created by SpotCrime developers and enables any police department to export public crime data from their records management or computer aided dispatch systems.  In addition to the free software, SpotCrime is also offering any police department that implements Catapult and makes their crime data available to the public, up to $4,000 in reimbursement to defray costs of implementation.  Alternatively, SpotCrime is also willing to itself pay up to $4,000 to provide the technical services to help pull a public crime data file from any police agency's system. (Detailed terms and conditions set forth here http://bit.ly/131j4xg ). “With open data initiatives rolling out everywhere, SpotCrime wants to make it easy for police departments to release their crim...

We get inquiries daily about information on accessing the SpotCrime API. If you are a member of the public and are interested in seeing how our API works, check out SpotCrime.info and type in any address. Each incident: Has been standardized across the SpotCrime database Includes location based details  Includes a source URL Includes the date/time/description provided by the police agency Check out some examples of the SpotCrime API in use! SpotCrime on Life360 SpotCrime on Trulia SpotCrime does not have an open API for commercial use or research. We do not have the capabilities to provide the API for free. However, if you are interested in accessing the SpotCrime API for commercial use or research (i.e. large datasets or non single users use with many calls to the API) please feel free to get in touch. Email api@spotcrime.com with: 1) Your name and title. 2) Information about the company you represent and the current project you ...

Check out SpotCrime on the Tesla Model X dashboard screen! SpotCrime map below the navigation window. In case you haven't been paying attention to the world lately, Tesla is an American automotive and energy company run by former PayPal co-founder, Elon Musk . Musk is selling affordable self driving, battery powered cars with three available car models on the market - the Model S, Model X, and Model 3. After 10 years in the market, in 2018, Tesla ranked as the world's best selling plug-in passenger car manufacturer . The Tesla interior screen is known for being an 'iPad on wheels' so when we got our hands on a Model X, we had to try it out ourselves. If you are traveling in your Tesla and want to see crime around you, try it out! We suggest trying the full screen version of SpotCrime by heading to www.spotcrime.info  on the Tesla browser. Tesla Model X Make sure to allow the browser to use your current location and to update/refresh your brow...

SpotCrime is now mapping crime in Boone, IA ! Crime in Boone, IA SpotCrime first reached out to the Boone Police Department with crime tips from users.  We run  crimetip.us , a free and anonymous crime tip service for police and residents. After learning that SpotCrime will map crime and send email alerts free of charge, Boone PD asked how to get crime data on SpotCrime. We got the data up on our map within a day! SpotCrime will now be getting weekly updates of crime directly from the Boone police department. Boone is located in central rural Iowa and has a population just over 12,000. The Boone Police Department employs about 25 officers and civilians, including K-9 Shocker. President Dwight D. Eisenhower's wife and First Lady of the United States, Mamie Eisenhower , was born in Boone. The Boone County Sheriff's office is located onWest Mamie Eisenhower Ave in the city! Make sure to check back in a couple of weeks. We will have enough data on the map for the si...

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...

SpotCrime has mapped crime in Yonkers, NY ! Yonkers is located in Westchester County, directly north of New York City. It's the fourth most populated city in New York state with about 200,000 residents. It is not easy to get crime data from the Yonkers Police Department . They snail mailed a scanned PDF to us. To combat this, we suggest agencies following the SpotCrime Open Crime Standard (SOCS) . We also ask police agencies to check out the White House Police Data Initiative . Surrounding agencies like New Rochelle and the NYPD  deliver data electronically in a machine readable format. Notable residents include former FBI director James Comey (Comey's grandfather was a commissioner at the police department), singers Steven Tyler and Mary J Blige, rappers DMX and Jadakiss, Paul Teutul Sr. of Orange County Choppers, Elisha Otis of Otis Elevator Company, former Governor of New York Malcom Wilson. The city is used for the location of many major films including Catch Me if...

Does Santa Claus live in a safe area? You can now find out because SpotCrime is mapping crime at the North Pole! North Pole, Alaska that is!  At the beginning of this month there was an arrest for a DUI on Santa Claus Lane, but other than that there is not much crime in North Pole (Does it count as a DUI if reindeer are driving?) The city definitely owns its name. In addition to Santa Claus Lane, there are other merrily themed street names including St. Nicholas Drive, Snowman Lane, and Kris Kringle Drive. They even let you visit Santa Claus’ house year round!  The city of North Pole advertises the ZIP code 99705 as the ZIP code of Santa and has a community program that responds to letters addressed to 1 Santa Claus Lane! The USPS office in North Pole receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa Claus each year. North Pole is a suburb south of Fairbanks, AK with a population of just over 2k. The town’s major industry is not toy making, but rat...

Walter Scott Trial, Oakland fire, Houston Police Shooting, Walmart crime and more... SpotCrime noted as o ne of Baltimore’s civic tech startup success stories (Technic.ly) Jury Deadlocked! Mistrial declared in case against South Carolina officer who shot Walter Scott after traffic stop  (WaPo) Oakland fire death toll hits 33: DA’s team looking into criminal charges (SFGate) Houston Police Officer fatally shoots suspect (ABC13) Preliminary 2016 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities (NLEOMF) How states are making the holidays merry, even for prisoners (Governing) The ‘Startling’ Link Between Low Interest Rates and Low Crime (TheCrimeReport) ‘They Are Slaughtering Us Like Animals’: Inside President Rodrigo Duterte’s brutal antidrug campaign in the Philippines, our photojournalist documented 57 homicide victims over 35 days. (NYTimes) The Future of Policing under Donald Trump (Vice) Allegheny County DA's office paid bitcoin ransom in cyberat...

We've added a new feature to SpotCrime ! On all of our city maps there is a new tab called 'Crime In'. The 'Crime In' tab shows a summary of crime information for specific cities where we are populating crime. Our hope is this summary data and analysis, paired with our daily email alerts , will give residents an even better idea of crime in their neighborhood over time. You can Google search with the keywords '(your city) crime map' and a SpotCrime city map should be one of the first results. You can also navigate to our city map pages by clicking on 'Browse by State' and choosing a state. From the state page you'll see a list of cities. These are our 'city maps'. Choose any city to see crime in that city. SpotCrime 'State Page' list of cities. Above the map on the city map page you will see a 'Crime In' tab. Clicking on this tab leads shows you a summary of the data you are seeing on the SpotCrime map...

Clowns are taking up a lot of police resources this past month and it is not funny. What seemed like legitimate concerns of reports of clowns trying to lure children into the woods in Greenville County, SC has turned into a slew of false police reports of clown sightings and vague threats by people posing as clowns along the southeast and up the east coast. These reports not being taken lightly. Since police departments are unable to discern whether a report is true or false, police still have to take all threats seriously and respond and investigate accordingly. False reports and vague or fake threats that are ‘jokes’ take valuable time and resources away from police and residents which translates into money away from taxpayers. Mashable created a map of the original clown sightings that occurred in Greenville County and we’ve updated a map of our own. We tried to map all incidents, but some came without an address (typically ones where a juvenile was involved). V...