One big thing

To enhance student safety and increase transparency, the University of Utah Department of Public Safety has launched a Public Safety Dashboard today to provide up-to-date statistics related to crime on campus.

Why it matters

The department uses this information in real time to help guide its resources to prevent crime on campus proactively. Public safety officers analyze the data and deploy resources where needed. This could include providing additional patrols in high-crime areas.

UUDPS can also use the data to identify which types of crimes are on the rise. For example, suppose data shows that bike or catalytic converter thefts are increasing in Salt Lake City and on campus. In that case, the public safety department can coordinate efforts to prevent those crimes.

Better information helps the department identify these trends and educate the community on best practices to avoid falling victim to such crimes.

How it works

The public dashboard allows users to filter data by date, semester, and case category. Searches display total arrests, total dispatch calls, and total cases and display a map of campus showing where the cases occurred.

The dashboard contains data for the past 365 days and is updated daily.

The information you see represented in the summary data is based on the information in the view on the map. As you zoom in, the total number of cases changes.

How it helps promote safety on campus

The Department of Public Safety believes that this resource will empower students with important tools to help them stay safe.

“Information is power,” says Barnett. “We want to ensure our students, faculty, staff, and everyone who comes to campus can review the types of crime we have on campus and where those crimes occur. This data can help them make smart decisions to stay safe.”

Go deeper

Chief Safety Officer Keith Squires prioritized hiring a crime data analyst when he first joined the Department.

“Before hiring a data analyst, the department didn’t have a way to know where crime hot spots were occurring,” says Nikole Mitchell, Senior Crime & Intelligence Analyst at the Department. “Not only does data help our department know what crimes are occurring and where, but it also helps community members make informed and safe decisions.”

Visit safety.utah.edu/university-safety-dashboards to check out the Safety Dashboard