The Orlando Police Department will release the race, sex, and age of sexual offenders, as well as where and when sexual assaults took place, on an open data portal it plans to launch in March. The website will feature location-specific maps, graphs, and detailed spreadsheets.
OPD is the only agency in Florida planning to release such data, and one of thirty agencies in the country, as part of a White House Program called the Police Data Initiative.
White House spokesman Caroline Bettinger-Lopez says agencies across the country are trying to learn the extent of sex crimes.
“If you don’t know a situation, you can’t necessarily come up with tailored responses. This data is going to fill that gap here and serve as a template for other police departments.”
Police Chief John Mina adds that the the agency will not give addresses and victim information in an effort to protect them.
Other data like arrest numbers, use of force numbers, and building permits will also be available on the site.
“People can see how many arrests we make and how many times we use force," says Mina. "We want people to have that data for themselves so they can be more informed on what’s going on rather than just getting their information from the media.”
Mina says the agency is considering making body camera footage available, too.
How often information is posted to the web portal will vary, from daily and weekly, to quarterly and annually.