Open Data in Policing: Enhancing Public Safety and Transparency

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Over the last 10 years, police departments across the US have expanded the availability of open data in response to calls for greater accountability and transparency in policing. In that sense, open-data government policies stimulate information creation as a public good, facilitating the expansion of data portals and websites to inform policymakers, public opinion, and community stakeholders. The panel Open Data in Policing: Enhancing Public Safety and Transparency focuses on the exploration of the current state of open data government initiatives and their applications related to public safety, police performance, and community contacts centering on key areas such as access, quality, and implications. Open data in policing has proved to be monumental in advancing research on policing activities and informing data-driven initiatives, highlighting the importance of continuing and improving accessibility.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 41. Police Legitimacy and Community Relations

Individual Presentations

• Accessibility and Quality of Open Data in Policing - Felipe Salazar-Tobar, Kennesaw State University; Tyler Keller, Rutgers University

• The Spatial Overlap between Specific Measures of Police Use of Force in Dallas, TX - Tyler Keller, Rutgers University

• Democratizing Access to Data and Place-based Analysis for Decision-making: The Newark Public Safety Collaborative - Alejandro Gimenez Santana, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice

Discussant

• Colby Dolly, National Policing Institute