Analyzing and Improving Allegheny County data access

[josh-chamberlain]

Context

At our core, we help people analyze police systems (their form and response) using data. Many community requests revolve around the basic nature of police response around Pittsburgh: How does the community use 911? How are police officers dispatched in response to problems? How well are these needs being met? In places with co-response models, how have complaints, crime, and budget been affected?

We have discovered that doing this sort of analysis of police response in Pittsburgh is near-impossible given what data is (and is not) available.

The plan

1. Find examples of good reports/studies about police/alternative/co-response effectiveness #50
   • 1–2 weeks of research
2. Determine which data would be required for a report in Pittsburgh/Allegheny County #51
   • 1–2 weeks of analyzing the collected from step 1
3. Explore the range of possible reports in Allegheny County #54
   • 1–2 weeks to define the types of reports that would be possible
4. Publish a policy brief #55
   • 1–2 sessions to define what we wish people would publish
   • 4–6 weeks combining the previous research and taking action
     done to push for better transparency?)
5. Other steps to consider
   • make a RTK request to Allegheny County for dispatch data
     • https://www.muckrock.com/foi/allegheny-county-306/911-police-dispatch-181984/
   • maybe: otherwise advocating or facilitating better access to information about police systems (what have other cities done to push for better transparency?)

[josh-chamberlain]

Policy brief: https://github.com/Police-Data-Accessibility-Project/caasi-help-desk/tree/main/allegheny%20county%20data%20access