How to use a new crime data repository, where to turn for numbers since federal funding for public safety research has been gutted, and how to use data to both check statements from public officials and identify crime trends: Those were a few of the takeaways from our recent webinar on digging into crime data.
I moderated the discussion on Feb. 4, which featured insights from:
- Jeffrey A. Butts, ...
The strongest version of this narrative highlights a critical gap in public safety research due to federal funding cuts, while offering practical solutions for journalists and researchers. The panelists provide credible alternatives, such as *The Trace*’s Data Hub and CDC databases, and emphasize rigorous fact-checking—a necessary corrective to uncritical reporting on crime statistics. However, the discussion also reveals deeper systemic issues: the erosion of federal support for research, the r...