The Single Best Measurable Metric for Public Crime Mapping Should be Public Engagement

If you put your crime map in the woods and no one sees it, then what is the point.

Put simply, if the map does not get public engagement, then the information has no value no matter how pretty the crime map.

At SpotCrime we feel that one map or public crime data distribution platform is not enough.  If you view public crime data as a public resource with a unique characteristic of having unlimited replication and reach, then the best option should be to replicate the data as much as possible over many formats, distribution platforms and delivery points.  Because the cost of replicating digital data is near zero, then as a society we should take advantage of this near unlimited resource to inform as many people as possible.  

Not everyone choses to be informed by the same news source.  By providing the data to multiple sources, the percentage of the public reached should increase significantly.

Therefore, the sigle determinant of a successful public crime mapping initiative should be the amount of people reached and engaged.   We think we've done a good job on this front at SpotCrime, but would still argue that alternative maps and methods of distribution are still of value because of the different preferences of the public.  Even the best crime map should not have exclusive access to public data.

Information is power, and that power should be shared equally and fairly with everyone.

Rockford Police Department Crime Map

Crimemapping.com is an interactive mapping software application that allows users to view incidents and locations of crimes committed in the City of Rockford. This web-based application allows anyone with internet access an immediate view of city crime data. Data is updated daily and presents a detailed snapshot of crime activity within the City of Rockford. Crimemapping.com maps 15 categories of crime data. These categories are; Arson, Assault, Burglary, Disturbing the Peace, Drug/Alcohol Violations, DUI, Fraud, Homicide, Motor Vehicle Theft, Robbery, Sex Crimes, Theft/Larceny, Vandalism, Vehicle Break-in/Theft and Weapons. The categories are defined by the application and are the same for all participating agencies. Certain highly personal or sensitive crimes have not been included for viewing such as Sexual Assaults and Kidnapping. This site will always contain the last 90 days of offenses and will allow the user to customize the timeframe and offense categories they wish to view.

YPD on CrimeMapping.com: 'Really it was a waste of money' | KIMA CBS 29 - News, Weather and Sports - Yakima, WA | - Yakima, Washington 29 | News

Yakima Police officially pulled the plug on CrimeMapping.com. Crimes have long been missing from from the site. But if you want to know about crime happening near your home there is a new way to check.
KIMA uncovered inaccuracies found on the site during the last few months.

Mark McCallister is a coordinator for Block Watch. He relied on the tool to help his neighbors and found it troublesome that this tool was riddled with problems.

Crime Maps - LouisvilleKy.gov

About the Data
The county-wide view of crime on the map below shows data for the most recent 24 hour period and is governed by the LMPD data policy. Crime data is provided for Louisville Metro Police Divisions only and shows reported crime but does not reflect final disposition of the cases. Smaller class cities, such as St. Matthews and Jeffersontown, are excluded from the data.

How to Use the Map
Enter an address, including city and state, and click "Center Here" to zoom into crime around that area. Scroll down below the map to see crime in a list.

Crime Map - Modesto Police Department

The Modesto Police Department has a new tool (CrimeMapping.com) that will help residents stay informed and help fight crime in their neighborhoods. The site allows users to view crime activity near their home, near their work, or even near their child’s school. People can view crime activity on the map as well as create simple reports and charts. CrimeMapping.com also includes an email based crime alert service that allows users to subscribe to receive reports via email regarding crime near their location of choice. There is no charge to view the maps, charts, reports, or to receive the Crime Alerts.

Disclaimer

The City of Modesto Police Department has partnered with Crimemapping.com to make crime activity data available to the public via the internet. This information provided is intended to promote community awareness and encourage the use of crime prevention measures.

The data on the map is generated through citizen requests for police services. The data points show call volume and do not necessarily reflect a crime has occurred. Locations displayed are approximate, based on the 100th block address and intersection information.

The City of Modesto Police Department intends for the information provided to be correct, however, errors sometimes occur. The Department cannot give any guarantees as to the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information. Incidents involving sex crimes, domestic violence, and other offenses set forth in Government code 6254(f) are restricted and will not be displayed.

By entering this site, you agree that any use of the information for personal misuse or commercial purposes is prohibited

City of San Bernardino - Crime Mapping Online- disclaimer

Welcome to the San Bernardino Police Department's Community Crime Mapping Website

Terms of Use and Disclaimer


Click Here to Agree to Terms and Use Community Crime Mapping

This website provides access to law enforcement crime report information. These reports are based on preliminary information supplied to the San Bernardino Police Department. The crime data comes from the San Bernardino Police Department's preliminary monthly Uniform Crime Reporting summaries as reported to the California Department of Justice and the FBI.  The data is subject to change upon additional follow-up investigation. The San Bernardino Police Department does not guarantee (expressed or implied) the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, geographic accuracy, or correct sequencing of information and this information should not be used for comparison purposes over time. This data is susceptible to a degree of error due to the complexities involved in data collection, entry, and geoprocessing. The San Bernardino Police Department will not be responsible for any errors or omission, or for the use of, or the results obtained from the use of this information. All data visualizations on maps should be considered approximate and attempts to derive specific addresses are strictly prohibited.

As a user, you acknowledge that you understand that the information from this website is for informational purposes only, for the betterment of our community. You also acknowledge and indicate that you understand that due to both stacked incidents (those located at the same address) and some incidents which did not geocode, or geocode correctly, the incidents identified in tables and reports may not be fully or correctly reflected in the map.  By accessing this website, you agree and understand the terms and conditions stated within this document as well as the terms and conditions of use for the City website (www.sbcity.org).

Riley County Police Introduces New Crime Mapping for the Public

Click here to download:
RAIDS Online Press Release.doc (999 KB)
(download)

The Riley County Police Department recently partnered with BAIR Analytics
Inc. to provide a new public crime mapping website called RAIDS Online
(www.raidsonline.com) to make it easier for Riley County citizens to keep track of crime
in their area.

RAIDS Online maps and analyzes crime data, alerts Riley County citizens about crimes
in their area, and allows the Riley County Police Department to quickly alert the public
about crimes as they occur. Citizens can easily move between the map, data grid and
analytics to learn about the crime that concerns them the most.

BAIR offers RAIDS Online as a free service to any law enforcement agency who wishes
to participate. At present, most agencies spend thousands of dollars annually to provide
even the most basic crime map to their community. The Riley County Police Department
is providing this service to the public at absolutely no cost to the department. “We wanted
to do something to help law enforcement in these tough economic times. We consider
this a basic service that we are more than happy to provide to the public and our law
enforcement friends,” says company founder, Sean Bair, a former police officer and
crime analyst.

“Our first goal for RAIDS Online is to offer an economical way for law enforcement
agencies to share information with the public they serve,” says Bair. “Our second goal
is to provide citizens a way to get information about crime in their community so that
they can be better informed. Having an awareness of the true nature and volume of crime
in one’s community is the first step to its prevention and suppression. Both goals foster
Community Policing, which is something we strongly believe in.”

BAIR Customers Offer Success Stories

Susan Smith
Shawnee Police Department (KS)

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Data provided by SpotCrime.com

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