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Urban Homicide Arrest Rate Analysis Dataset
Government & Civic Records
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About
This dataset provides detailed information on over 52,000 criminal homicides that occurred in 50 of the largest American cities over a decade, primarily between 2007 and 2017. Collected and meticulously standardised by The Washington Post, this data offers a granular view of killings, including victim demographics, location, and arrest outcomes, making it more specific than federal homicide data. The collection involved extensive efforts to clean and verify records, using various public documents to fill information gaps. It also includes insights from a unique mapping methodology used to analyse and visualise homicide arrest rates across different urban areas. The dataset illuminates patterns of unsolved cases and areas with varying levels of police arrest success.
Columns
- uid: A unique identifier for each homicide record.
- reported_date: The date the homicide was reported.
- victim_last: The last name of the victim.
- victim_first: The first name of the victim.
- victim_race: The racial background of the victim (e.g., Black, Hispanic).
- victim_age: The age of the victim at the time of the homicide.
- victim_sex: The gender of the victim (e.g., Male, Female).
- city: The US city where the homicide occurred.
- state: The US state where the city is located.
- lat: The latitude coordinate of the homicide location.
- lon: The longitude coordinate of the homicide location.
- disposition: The outcome of the case, indicating if it was closed by arrest, open/no arrest, or exceptionally cleared.
Distribution
The dataset is provided as a CSV file,
homicide-data.csv, with a size of 5.4 MB. It contains approximately 52,179 records, each representing a single criminal homicide. The data is structured with 12 distinct columns, offering a consistent format for analysis. While most cities contribute data for a decade ending in 2017, New York City's data covers a shorter period of two years.Usage
This dataset is ideal for a range of analytical and research applications. It can be used by criminologists and social scientists to study trends in urban violence, victim demographics, and arrest rates. Journalists and investigative reporters can leverage it to uncover patterns of unsolved homicides and assess police efficacy. Policy makers and urban planners may use the geographical data to inform public safety initiatives. Additionally, data analysts can apply spatial analysis techniques to visualise crime patterns and identify high-risk areas or zones with particularly low or high arrest rates, as demonstrated by the original Washington Post analysis.
Coverage
The dataset covers criminal homicides in 50 of the largest cities across the United States. The primary time range for the data collection is a decade, from 2007 to 2017, with most participating police departments providing data spanning this entire period. However, it's important to note that New York City's data is limited to two years within this timeframe. Demographic coverage includes basic victim information such as last name, first name, race, age, and sex, offering insights into who the victims of homicides are in these urban environments.
License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0
Who Can Use It
- Criminologists and Researchers: To study homicide trends, victimology, and the effectiveness of law enforcement interventions.
- Journalists and Media Outlets: For investigative reporting on urban crime, police accountability, and disparities in case closure rates.
- Police Departments and Law Enforcement Analysts: To inform crime prevention strategies, resource allocation, and evaluate arrest patterns.
- Policy Makers and Government Agencies: To develop data-driven public safety policies and address issues of racial equity in justice.
- Geospatial Analysts: To map and visualise homicide incidents and arrest geographies for urban planning and community safety initiatives.
Dataset Name Suggestions
- US Urban Homicide Records (2007-2017)
- American City Crime Data: Homicides and Arrests
- Decade of US Homicides in 50 Cities
- Urban Homicide Arrest Rate Analysis Dataset
- Washington Post US Homicide Database
Attributes
Original Data Source: Urban Homicide Arrest Rate Analysis Dataset
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