Will open data promote more police transparency?
In 2015, the White House launched a ‘Police Data Initiative’ in an attempt to improve community policing.
In addition to video data collected from body-worn cameras, all participating police departments would collect, review and release other datasets, which would include uses of force, pedestrian and vehicle stops, and officers involved in shootings.
Supporters of the police data initiative claim that tracking police behaviors and releasing them to the public would promote transparency for how police departments operate. Others say that posting data in ways that are easy to download and analyze by the public will help to rebuild trust between police departments and communities.
Those against the initiative, however, argue that open data will have no impact on how police departments operate. Others have also expressed concern at the cost and potential for spurious litigation suits should open data regarding police behaviors be released to the public.
Currently, several towns in NH participate in the police data initiative, although most do not.
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