Solving Crime Requires Transparent Crime Data
Much of the publicly available crime data in San Francisco doesn’t tell the full story, especially when it comes to domestic violence crimes.
That’s why Supervisor Catherine Stefani is writing legislation that would force the district attorney’s office and the police department to provide the public with quarterly reports on how often domestic violence offenders are arrested and prosecuted.
A recent NBC Bay Area report highlights the problem: Of 131 arrests for felony domestic violence during the fourth quarter of last year, 113 of those cases were dismissed — 86 percent.
Our district attorney’s office has a data dashboard called “DA Stat.” But it doesn’t mention what happens to cases beyond the initial filing of charges. The public deserves to see sentencing information and final disposition — because it’s the outcome of a case that matters.
An open, disciplined tracking of cases from start to end should be a requirement for every district attorney’s office. Without it, people on both sides of the crime debate have to rely on emotional anecdotes instead of data on actual outcomes.
Transparent crime data that is easily accessible to the public is essential for improving public safety.
We need to know:
How many crimes are actually committed and how criminals are being held accountable.
How many people released before trial commit a new crime.
How often diversion programs rehabilitate people as a preferable alternative to jail time.
How often jail is warranted for a repeat offender who has already been offered parole and a diversion program.
Safety and justice should go together. Justice reform is necessary. And for it to work, residents must feel confident public officials are doing their job to keep everyone safe. That starts with asking officials to put all crime data in the open.