Crime clearance data

The Problem

Solving crimes matters – and so does information about which crimes are being solved.

It is among the most important tasks of law enforcement to solve, or “clear,” reported crime, but information about their methods and efficacy in doing so is troublingly rare. In most places, authorities only report basic information on case clearances and it is usually impossible to access data on what police are doing to try to solve crime, even for serious offenses.

This lack of data transparency undermines both democratic accountability and public safety. Communities have relatively little insight into whether police are effectively or equitably addressing crime in their neighborhoods, and policymakers and researchers likewise lack the data they need to determine which strategies and tools are effective in identifying suspects and closing cases.

The Solution

Better data leads to better results. The Policing Project’s model statute ensures communities, policymakers, and police get the information they need to protect and improve public safety.

It requires law enforcement to report comprehensive data on which crimes get solved, how quickly, and what methods work—and in turn ensures jurisdictions have the data they need to better understand which crimes are getting solved and to identify more effective strategies to solve crime.

The statute builds off of the data reporting system that most law enforcement agencies already use to report crime data to the federal government and ensures that agencies report comprehensive clearance related data, including measures that better indicate how quickly crimes are solved. It also includes additional reporting requirements for homicides and nonfatal shootings that will propel better research and policymaking to address serious violent crime.

To read the Policing Project’s Crime Clearance Data Model Statute, click here.

Additional Resources

To read our FAQs on clearance data, click here.

Contact us at legislation@policingproject.org for more information on the model statute, legislative review or drafting assistance, or other research and advocacy support on clearance data collection and reporting.