City of Orlando Organizes Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Preview Event

January 28, 2016 – ORLANDO, FL – Yesterday, the City of Orlando hosted a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Data Preview Event at Iron Yard code school. While other agencies have launched open data websites and some even post domestic violence related information, none are focused on working with advocates and the community to understand what data can and should be made public.

“It’s important that when we release our data that we do it in a way that will have a meaningful impact, build community trust and reduce crime,” said Orlando Police Chief John Mina. “We have to make sure it’s the right information, that our partners know how to use the data and that we aren’t posting anything that will compromise anyone’s privacy. We want to get it right.”

At today’s event, advocacy and tech community partners, along with representatives from the White House Police Data Initiative and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, dove into an early version of the City of Orlando’s open data website to better understand how information from the Orlando Police Department can be useful in the community’s efforts to reduce and improve responses to domestic violence and sexual assault. Based on feedback from the event, adjustments will be made to the data before the public launch of the open data website.

“We are very pleased that Orlando is one of 30 lead law enforcement agencies across the country to voluntarily participate in the Police Data Initiative,” said Roy L. Austin, Jr. Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs, Justice and Opportunity in the White House Domestic Policy Council.  “As the President’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing found, transparency increases trust between law enforcement agencies and the communities that they protect and serve. Importantly, releasing data related to domestic violence and sexual assault offenses can pose unique challenges in ensuring victim safety and privacy, and we commend OPD for consulting with domestic and sexual violence advocates to determine what should be released while protecting victim privacy and confidentiality.”

The Orlando Police Department is the only agency in Florida thus far that has signed on to the White House’s Police Data Initiative. The initiative is focused on using technology and data to build community trust and transparency.

The event also comes just one month after the U.S. Department of Justice released new guidance regarding domestic violence and sexual assault cases and encouraged law enforcement agencies to maintain, review and act upon data regarding sexual assault and domestic violence.

The City of Orlando is committed to an open and transparent government that provides increased access to municipal resources, furthers economic development and creates opportunities for collaboration. As part of that effort, the City of Orlando plans to launch an open data website to the public in March 2016.

“Our Open Data site will not only provide our citizens with immediate access to valuable data, but will also help the City drive internal efficiency, develop opportunities for economic development, enhance community engagement, build community trust and fuel our civic tech ecosystem,” Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer said.  “By putting this interactive data at the fingertips of our residents, the opportunities to work together to improve and enhance our community and our City government are limitless.”

The website, launching in March 2016, will include data on OPD cases and calls for service, building permits and business tax receipts and commissioner, neighborhood and solid waste route maps.

With the tools embedded on the new site, residents, business owners and City staff will be able to easily access and run simple analysis and visualizations of select data sets. It will also allow web developers an ability to build their own applications using that data.

The January event is part of a series of events to prepare for the launch of the City’s open data website. The City of Orlando will also be meeting with Neighborhood Watch Leaders to review OPD’s crime data, with our Main Street managers to provide an overview of the permitting and business data and with our tech community to showcase all of the tools that will be available alongside the data.

The City of Orlando’s Open Data website will launch at data.CityofOrlando.net in March 2016.

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