Just realized my old neighborhood crime app was feeding biased data to the police

For years in Oakland, I used Citizen to get alerts, but I read a report last month about how its user base and reporting skews heavily towards wealthier areas. That means police resources get directed based on who uses the app, not actual crime rates. I deleted it and now I just check the city's official data portal, even though it's slower. Has anyone else found a better way to get local safety info without feeding biased systems?

3 comments

3 Comments

rileynelson17d ago

Yeah, that bit about "who uses the app, not actual crime rates" is the whole problem, right? It just makes the bad data loop worse. Those apps make people in already over-policed areas feel invisible while wasting time where people just complain more. I tried a few and they all had the same vibe. Now I just talk to my neighbors. They know what's actually going on way better than any algorithm.

lisak2617d ago

My friend's neighborhood had constant app reports about "suspicious people" that were just folks walking dogs after dark. It totally matches what @rileynelson said about bad data loops, since police kept driving through for no reason. She finally uninstalled it and just texts the neighborhood group chat now.

xena_fox394d agoProlific Poster

Remember when those apps first got popular? @rileynelson is right, it just turns into people reporting normal stuff. My old neighborhood had someone flag a "suspicious package" that was just a lost grocery bag.