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Met Police Crime Maps

Just went live in beta at maps.met.police.uk

It's a pretty decent first effort, in that the data is down to a nicely local level (typically half a dozen streets) and aggregates geographically (so you can see basic crime data for the streets near you, for your ward, for your borough and for London as a whole).

I had lots of fun working with Schulze & Webb on what an ideal crime map might entail while on secondment to the Cabinet Office. I was impressed with many of the people I met at the Met. They know crime data. They know geography.

The biggest missed opportunity is the lack of proper profile for your local coppers (aka your "Safe Neighbourhood Team"). The site should make it dead easy for your to contact them, and challenge/shape their priorities.

After all, even coppers work for you...

Comments (2)

Excellent! It makes you feel like the local gossip though: last month, one crime was committed in my area, what was this crime, what did the criminal look like, what tools did they use? With crime so low, I'm almost tempted to commit one so that I can be the single crime that's going to show up in August. Or alternatively, the next time my bicycle is stolen, it will certainly dull the pain to know that I'm going to show up as a crime on this map. I'll be famous!

Next, can we give policemen on the beat GPS devices and monitor them walking about in real time, PacMan style?

Very welcome - now hoping this will go outside the capital.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on August 14, 2008 3:22 PM.

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