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Embracing Pedestrian and Bicycle Crash Data

The number of Americans killed in traffic fatalities has fallen over the last decade, but the number of bicycle/pedestrian fatalities is up 12 percent over that time according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Meanwhile, the number of bicyclists commuting to work has risen by 64 percent since 2000.   As a result, cities…

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Not Just for Books: Public Libraries Partnering with Police to Engage Communities with Open Data

Available open datasets from law enforcement agencies in the Police Data Initiative (PDI) are becoming increasingly diverse and so too are the partners that help connect police data to communities. Two PDI agencies are leveraging unique partnerships with their local library systems to host police open data and encourage the public’s use of the data.…

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An Overview of the Police Data Initiative (PDI)

Police Foundation (@PoliceFound) Est. read time:  The Police Data Initiative is a national network designed to enhance understanding of crime and public safety and accountability between law enforcement and the community through open data. To date, over 130 law enforcement agencies nationwide, large and small, have joined this community of practice. In doing so, they…

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Small Town, Big Ideas: Northampton’s No-Nonsense Approach Puts Citizen Engagement First

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There’s no IT Department, no CIO and no dedicated funding for IT improvements. Like other smaller law enforcement agencies, the Northampton Police Department outsources its technology support and would seem to be an unlikely place for innovation around police open data. Chief Jody Kasper used her technological constraints to her advantage, starting with people first,…

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