Project Overview
The Policing in America Project was a multi-pronged, open data effort to systematically improve evidence about how the American people view the criminal justice system and police forces. The project demonstrated the value of building data capabilities to enable a more robust understanding of the relationship between perceptions of law enforcement agencies and the conditions in select cities, including disparate perceptions by sub-populations.
The Policing in America Survey collected original data in select cities across the country, initially including Chicago, Illinois and Dallas, Texas. This household survey data collected using address-based sampling was made available as an open data resource in 2021, with de-identified microdata to support future research and analysis. In addition, new information from the Policing in America Survey was combined with relevant and existing open data resources to provide context and perspective about conditions at the local level.
Why a Non-Governmental Survey?
The project was conducted with support from philanthropy, non-profits, and the business community who recognize the value of open data in improving policing in the United States. Building on this project, the Data Foundation will encourage local, state, and federal agencies to improve the availability of open data assets about policing operations, services, and other key metrics in tandem with dialogues about legislative and administrative reforms to responsibly promote community safety, transparency, and accountability.
What Statistics Will Be Available?
The Policing in America Survey provided reliable statistics about behaviors and attitudes towards policing at the local level, in selected geographic areas. Using random sampling, the household survey conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago is based on a questionnaire developed by national experts in criminal justice and policing. The full questionnaire and documentation of survey methods are available upon request or through the data.world repository.
In addition to the survey, additional data sources are available to align the perceptions and attitudes documented in the survey with local conditions. This information will be made available in partnership with data.world.
How Can the Open Data be Used?
Data collected and shared from this project are available for future research, analytical, and policymaking uses. Select communities will have access to summarized information about perceptions and attitudes, to align with contextual data. Researchers have access to unrestricted, de-identified microdata to support future research.
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