Dev sprint 13: Delivering the agency view

What we did

This sprint we delivered the “agency perspective”, which allows users to view local crime data within the context of state and national trends. We also improved the data made available for download via the CDE.

Goals

• Finalize integration work to enable dynamic content for the agency description, bar charts, and NIBRS tables.
• Add search functionality so that users may view results by agency type and location (primary county).
• Test the latest iteration of the view with users to better understand where refinements are needed.
• Improve the download experience by adding detail to the bulk NIBRS reports, refining existing reports to improve usability, addressing limitations with the Human Trafficking and Cargo theft datasets currently made available by the CDE, and resolving a known issue with IE that affects downloads for some users.

Accomplishments

• Search and view agency data by keyword, ORI, and county.
• Download revised human trafficking & cargo theft datasets
• Download bulk incident data by state and year
• Revised the formatting of police employee & LEOKA datasets
• Updated footer with FBI/CDE logos and related links
• Multiple bug fixes, design & content changes.

What we heard

Recurring themes…

• Overall, CDE delivers a user-friendly experience.
• Users want timely data and to make comparisons and benchmark with CDE data.
• The public is interested in crime data that is relevant to them–”my neighborhood”, “last 3 months”, and “safer neighborhoods”.
• CDE is not a replacement for local crime data for law enforcement or the public but they are interested in using CDE data to benchmark.
• The CDE clearly communicates the voluntary nature of the UCR program and the FBI’s role.

Insights aligned with learning objectives

• Users are able to find what they are looking for using agency search.
• Users understand the difference in data displayed in the state and agency view and know how they would compute rates out of
• the CDE.
• Users of crime data are influenced by and looking for “hot button” issues of the day—ethnicity is critical as is immigrant status, gun violence, and drug offenses.
• Users familiar with NIBRS expect that more crime types will be available eventually (CDE MVP can and should be evolved over time).

Broader considerations

• Program officials hope that improved accessibility and visualization of data will encourage broader participation in the UCR program.
• More visibility into the demographics of crime will lead to better research, debate, and policies.
• An open source application and API will broaden the reach and impact of UCR data and reflect positively on the FBI.
• Experts advise designing and building for maintainability in terms of data updates & changes to the platform.

Prototype tested