By Eleni Manis, Fatima Ladha, Nina Loshkajian, Aiden McKay, and Corinne Worthington

Though data is essential to understanding public safety, police data is rarely reliable.

Surveillance technology distorts crime statistics, giving the illusion that crime is concentrated in predominantly BIPOC and low-income neighborhoods that are already over-policed.

Independent audits and data verification can help produce a more accurate picture of what crime looks like and where it happens.