In an effort to provide as much information to the public as possible, the Alliance Police Department has added a ‘data dashboard’ to their website, giving details on dates, locations and types of criminal activity.
The dashboard was added last month, and Chief Phil Lukens says eventually, the information will update in real-time, as residents and business owners want to know what’s happening in their neighborhood.
“We do have neighborhood meetings, about quarterly, but that’s not enough. And so we need people to have the ability at their fingertips, just like we’re all used to being able to Google a question, when they want to know something, that they can, at their fingertips, look it up on the police department website and find out,” said Lukens, “Where are the thefts happening? Where are the burglaries? How many thefts have happened in our neighborhood? And so, this will really help them get to know exactly what’s going on.
The dashboard also includes historical data going back a couple years to provide a way to compare crime rates and trends, as well as maps and other information.
Lukens says reaction has been positive about the dashboard, which he says is one of many efforts in the department to increase transparency and accountability.
