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.
