What is CrimeReports.com? CrimeReports.com is an online mapping and analysis service provided by Public Engines, Inc., headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.  CrimeReports.com combines the value of police data with the ease-of-use of Google-based mapping and an analytics module so that members of the public can view police data in a high-impact map or summary descriptive format. Members of the public may also sign up to receive free email alerts based on user-defined parameters (e.g., geography, crime types, frequency, etc.). 

What type of San Jose Police Department (SJPD) data is used in CrimeReports.com?  The CrimeReports.com service utilizes calls-for-service (CFS) data from the SJPD CAD system.  CAD stands for Computer Aided Dispatch. CAD is a highly specialized application that allows for the coordinated communication, assignment and tracking of Police Department resources in response to citizen and police generated calls-for-service.

What specific types of data from CAD are used in CrimeReports.com? Calls-for-service data is utilized for CrimeReports.com, including the following data fields: entry date, entry time, event number, event location, final event type, and final event disposition.

Is there a description for the CAD data fields included in CrimeReports.com? Yes:

• Event Number: Electronically generated by the Police Department’s CAD system, this number catalogues an event reported to the Police Department. The Event number consists of 9 characters (9 numeric). In the following example event number, 070731041, 07= year, 073= Julian Date (73rd day of the year), 1041= event number
  
  
• Entry Date & Time: This is the date and time that the event was entered into the Police Department’s CAD system. In the following example, 2007-03-14 19:34:20, the event was entered on March 14, 2007 at 7:34:20 PM (note: the time is expressed in 24-hour format).
  
  
• Event Location: This is the 100th block address and intersection information. CrimeReports.com translates address data into block level data. This means that if an incident occurs at 123 Main Street, it will show up as 100 Block Main Street in the CrimeReports.com application.  Some location fields will be populated with “address could not be mapped” if the data was not geo-processed accurately.
  
  The following table provides several examples to demonstrate the block translation process:
  
  
  

  Street Number	Block Translation
  0 – 99	0 Block
  100 – 199	100 Block
  1000 – 1099	1000 Block
  12000 – 12099	12000 Block

 

• Final Call Type: The final event type is designated with one of the following final event type codes:

• Final Call Disposition: The final event status is designated with one of the following final call dispositions:

How can I use the data from CrimeReports.com in support of community safety goals? Data from CrimeReports.com can be reviewed and used to improve community safety. CrimeReports.com data is appropriate to consider and discuss as part of coordinated crime prevention initiatives. Members of the community are encouraged to continue partnering and problem-solving with the SJPD while using CrimeReports.com data toward shared police-community goals. For related Strong Neighborhood Initiative (SNI) information, please click here.

Is every CAD event type included in CrimeReports.com? Not every CAD event type is included in CrimeReports.com. Reports submitted online (TRAC), faxed or mailed are not included in CrimeReports.com.

Why was CAD chosen as the data source for CrimeReports.com? While most agencies furnish data to the public for only those select incidents in which a report was created or an arrest was made, CrimeReports.com offers a broader view of police-community contacts based on calls-for-service, including less serious quality of life call data. It is important to note that there may be multiple calls for a single incident in the CAD system (as compared to official crime statistics whereby each count represents one incident; please see crime statistics section below). Also, please keep in mind that CAD calls-for-service do not always equate to a criminal incident resulting in a report or arrest.

How often is data updated in CrimeReports.com? CrimeReports.com data is updated automatically once per day and contains the most recent thirty days of data online.

If I find an event and have additional information to provide to the police, what do I do?  Information provided within CrimeReports.com is intended for the expressed purpose of educating the public on police activity in the City of San Jose.  Beyond that intended outcome, the Police Department is hoping to enhance our partnerships with the community and is asking the public to provide the Department with any information that would assist the SJPD to resolve crimes.  Follow-up information should be directed to the Police by either calling 408-947-STOP(7867) or by the Internet at http://www.svcrimestoppers.org/ Information of an emergency nature should be passed through the Department’s 9-1-1 emergency or 3-1-1 non-emergency notification systems.

Under no circumstances should any member of the public take any action on their own behalf as it relates to the information provided on this website, other than notifying the San Jose Police Department with information they wish to share.

Who can I contact if I have trouble or questions about using the CrimeReports.com website?  Click on the link below for questions or assistance in utilizing CrimeReports.com:

What are the minimum Browser requirements to use CrimeReports.com?
The CrimeReports.com system takes advantage of advanced features that are only available in more recent versions of web browsers. To ensure an optimal experience while using the site, you may need to update your web browser.  All of the listed browsers can be downloaded for free:

You can access CrimeReports version 3.0, the current version, via a PC, Mac, or Linux computer. To access CrimeReports on your mobile device, please install the CrimeReports mobile app from your respective app store.

As a general rule, CrimeReports supports the current and prior (most recent) major release of Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Safari browsers. Specifically, CrimeReports will function as designed when using the following (or newer) browser versions:

• Chrome 29.0.1547
• Firefox 21.0
• Internet Explorer 9
• Safari 5.1.9

PublicEngines recommends using a supported browser version for the best experience with the CrimeReports website. We also recommend updating your browser to the most recent release for feature compatibility and browser security.

Please note that browser cookies and JavaScript must be enabled when accessing the CrimeReports website.

Are there any issues I should keep in mind when checking CrimeReports.com data? CrimeReports.com utilizes Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) calls for service data. CAD event type data is NOT the same as reported crime data. For official crime statistics, please refer to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program and related data for San Jose by clicking the crime data page. There may be more than one call for service for any given event within these reports (e.g., several observers may call 911 after witnessing a motor vehicle accident, disturbance or serious criminal incident). Some call types (e.g., murder, kidnapping, robbery) may include "courtesy call" information from other law enforcement agencies (e.g., a call detailing information pertaining to a homicide suspect from another jurisdiction may be received locally and added to the "murder" call type). Finally, CAD calls-for-service do not always equate to a criminal incident resulting in a report or arrest, with many calls relating to non-criminal or quality of life issues.

I called San Jose PD to report a crime or request assistance for an issue not occurring at my location, but the icon on the map reflects the location from which my call was placed (my residence) and not the location of where I reported the crime to have occurred. Why doesn't the map reflect the location of where the event actually occurred?

The CrimeReports.com application receives event location information from the Department’s Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system. Data from the CAD system is meant to reflect service demands based on citizen generated calls-for-service and officer initiated activity; it reflects where the calls-for-service originated from primarily because that's where police resources respond to and make contact with residents to learn more about the crime or quality of life issue. Based on CAD data, the event location will reflect the address of the reporting party, which is in the vast majority of events, also the actual event location. All event location information is geo-processed to the 100th block or to the nearest intersection.

Does CrimeReports.com have a FAQ site?  Yes. FAQ and other related information (e.g., company, partners, legal) can be found near the bottom of the CrimeReports.com site at http://www.crimereports.com/

Does CrimeReports.com have a DISCLAIMER? Yes. Disclaimer:
The information displayed on this website is susceptible to some degree of error due to the collection, entry, and geo-processing of the data. No warranty or guarantee is made nor implied regarding the content, geographic accuracy, timeliness, completeness, sequence, or accuracy of any of the information provided herein. The reader should not rely on the data provided herein for any reason. The information is provided strictly as a courtesy to the public.