St. Louis Police Department Accused of Withholding Crucial Crime Data

The St. Louis Police Department has recently come under scrutiny for allegedly withholding detailed crime data from researchers. This issue has raised concerns about transparency and accountability within the department, especially regarding the public’s right to access information.

Key Issues at Stake

1. Data Withholding Since 2020: Researchers have criticized the St. Louis Police Department for refusing to publish detailed crime statistics since 2020. This shift in policy has significantly hindered academic and public research projects that depend on this data. Previously, the department had a long-standing practice of publishing monthly crime data with geographic coordinates on its website, which was crucial for various studies and public information.
2. Impact on Research: The lack of available data has directly impacted research studies. For instance, a joint study by St. Louis University sociology professor Ness Sandoval and graduate student Tara Smith, which aimed to observe the impact of significant investments in poor neighborhoods on crime trends, hit a roadblock due to the unavailability of detailed geographic crime data.
3. Reasons for Data Withholding: The department’s decision to stop publicizing detailed crime data coincided with a surge in violent crimes in the city. A police spokesperson attributed this change to a major technology transition in 2020. However, this explanation has not satisfied many researchers who have called the withholding of data ’embarrassing’ and a barrier to understanding crime patterns and public safety strategies.
4. Continued Use of Data Internally: Despite the public unavailability of this data, it is reported that the St. Louis Police Department continues to use geographic crime data for internal purposes. Additionally, certain projects, like the St. Louis Cure Violence initiative, have reportedly received this data, raising questions about selective disclosure.
5. Calls for Transparency: The situation has led to a call for more transparency from the police department. Researchers like Sandoval assert that this crime data is a public good and should be accessible to the public and researchers for the greater benefit of understanding and improving community safety.

The withholding of crime data by the St. Louis Police Department poses significant challenges for researchers, policymakers, and the public. It underscores the need for transparency and open access to information that is crucial for informed decision-making and public awareness. This situation remains a developing story, highlighting the ongoing debate about public access to government-held data and its implications for community safety and research.