SpotCrime - The Public's Crime Map

We find it unfair sometimes to compare cities using the FBI UCR reports because some agencies report on crimes differently . However, LawStreetMedia ranked the top 10 most dangerous cities under 200,000 in population and we thought it would be interesting to see if the cities with higher crime rates were open with their crime data. The FBI reports for 2013 have been released only for January-June 2013, so those are the percentages being used. And the rankings are based on the 2012 FBI crime rate per 100,000 people. In the article, LawStreetMedia noted a few of the agencies were strapped tight with their budget. Which surprises us because a few of those agencies are paying for crime mapping by contracting with proprietary systems like Omega. If all of these police agencies would release the information openly , crime mapping companies including SpotCrime would map the information for free. Out of the list below, only one agency is releasing crime information that can be used an...

We’ve got crime coast to coast covered in America (and across the pond, too!). Yes, Canada is in the same America as Boston - the continent of North America that is! We started mapping Nanaimo, a city just west of Vancouver, British Columbia in Canada on Vancouver Island. Open data has picked up in the US, and it’s taking charge in Canada as well. The city, along with other Canadian cities, has crime information on their website. The police are using the crime map they’ve created to open a dialog with residents next week . Head back east into the States to Boston and check Boston open crime data on SpotCrime . Boston recently saw a hike in homicides this January, but as James Allan Fox points out in an article published Boston.com, comparing crime month to month instead of an overall or yearly comparison might paint the wrong picture. He’s dubbed this approach a ‘Chicken Little’ approach when a sudden increase in crime is assumed to signal a trend, when it doesn’t. Fox’s po...

We're still hard at work mapping crime in Charlotte, NC . Although our crime data feed was turned off, and then restored at a delayed rate back in August, we are striving to keep our maps up to date for our users in Charlotte by mapping more recent crimes from local media outlets. For example, check out the crime list of recent robberies of fast food joints in Charlotte in the screen shot below. These robberies were recently covered by Charlotte news outlet WCNC . To view the entire crime list, head here . WCNC covered the story because police have reported that there have been four times as many robberies in Charlotte this year than last. The police are urging residents who frequent fast food places to be 'extra vigilant'. Our access to an open crime data feed was shut off when the Charlotte entered a contract with a proprietary vendor. This vendor now receives preferential access to crime data before the public and press. The police department could be ...

Moving soon? Renting or planning to buy? SpotCrime can help! Crime is a big issue that comes to mind when you find yourself in a move. Nobody wants to put themselves or their family in a potentially harmful area or situation. SpotCrime is the most visited crime mapping site - for good reason. We offer many ways to users to view crime in their area. Here are just a few suggestions to help in your home search. SpotCrime and MyLocalCrime Once you’ve found the area you’re interested in moving to, head to SpotCrime or MyLocalCrime (or SpotCrime.info if you're on your mobile) for a quick view of crime in the area. It would be a good idea to check out crime around any shopping centers you would frequent and around any schools your children would attend, too. Keep in mind that icons like shootings, assaults, robberies, or burglaries are pretty serious crimes to consider when buying or renting a house. Seeing too much crime? Take into consideration the population of the city. Typically...

We’ve be arguing for open crime data since our launch in 2007. Now that the open data movement has picked momentum, we are hoping to see more and more police agencies and cities around the country embrace the open data model with public crime data. This post has been inspired by many articles we’ve read recently. Check out our Open Data board on Pinterest  for more resources. What is Open Crime Data? Open crime data should include all crime related information that is not subject to privacy laws like victim’s names or juvenile information. It shouldn’t be a requirement by police agencies to fill out a lengthy FOIA to get public information. Instead, it should be released by agencies in a timely manner (like daily) instead of monthly or quarterly or annually like UCR reports. A good solution would be to post the information in a machine readable format on the agency’s website. For example, Philadelphia is has an API, Baltimore uses an open data portal, and Los Angeles has a crim...

We’ve rolled out with a brand new iPhone app! It’s free and you can find it in the iTunes store here . The new app features a sleeker design and bigger map for you to view crime incidents in your neighborhood. And, we’ve added a crime tip feature where you can anonymously leave crime tips. Check it out and let us know what you think! Have an Android? We’ve got you covered - check out our Android app in the Google Play store here . If you don’t see crime data on the map, ask your local police department to be transparent with their crime data and SpotCrime will map it - for free. Stay aware and stay safe!

Here at SpotCrime , we think we’ve seen and read it all in terms of ridiculous crime stories. But, just when you think you’ve seen the most ridiculous story, we stumble across a story 200 times more ridiculous. We try to share all kinds of stories with you on our Facebook pages - SpotCrime and MyLocalCrime - and always welcome your feedback and comments. Starting a discussion about crime is a good step in the right direction for safer communities. Here is a list we’ve compiled of the most ridiculous stories we saw over 2013. Stories that make you want to do the Homer Simpson ‘Doh!’ forehead slap. Enjoy! The DUI Couple A husband and wife from Pennsylvania were charged with separate DUI's. The husband got picked up for a DUI, then his wife showed up to the police station to pick him up - under the influence.  View the entire story here. Smart Phone = Smart Victim = Dumb Criminal Anyone who attempts to steal a smart phone and leaves the smart phone on is and idio...