Why is Drexel Public Safety (DPS) rolling out a data dashboard at this time?
While most of the data on this dashboard has always been public through several reports, this format is designed to provide a more easily digestible, “at a glance” view of the data, consistent with DPS’ commitment to enhancing transparency and accountability. Creation of this dashboard is also responsive to 21CP Solutions’ recommendation for increased transparency and communication, and it was modeled after the Crime and Workload Dashboard successfully implemented by the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD). Drexel University thanks HUPD for its advice during this project, including permission to use their dashboard as a model. HUPD had also been reviewed by 21CP.
Why has DPS not released this data earlier?
Most of this data has been available to the public in some form or another, either on the DPS website (for example, in the Annual Security Report and Pennsylvania Uniform Crime Reporting). Publicly accessible data is also posted to the Pennsylvania State Police UCR Portal and to the U.S. Department of Education’s Campus Safety and Security website. Hosting data directly related to the activities of the Drexel University Police Department in one location on the DPS website is designed to increase ease of access and transparency.
Why isn't DPS releasing use of force, field stop, and civilian complaint data?
Use of force, civilian complaints and stops cannot be released in their entirety due to confidentiality restraints, because they may contain identifiable or personal information of the parties involved. Such incidents may also be subjects of ongoing criminal or civil proceedings. Use-of-force cases are confidentially reviewed with the Drexel Public Safety Oversight Committee, who may recommend any further actions.
Are third parties reviewing the data before it is released?
During the creation of the dashboard, components of it were reviewed by various key campus committees for input, including members of the DPS Oversight Committee.
How do you ensure the integrity of the data presented on this dashboard?
The Drexel University Police Department is committed to the highest ethical standards in all of its dealings with the Drexel community and is bound by the same Code of Conduct and University policies that foster a culture of honesty, integrity and trust. We are committed to ensuring that all data presented to the community or sent to a government agency is detailed and accurate. All reports have several layers of review to ensure the data meets the requirements, and DPS performs monthly and annual auditing of its records. In addition, DUPD’s data and reporting are subject to audits and reviews by the Pennsylvania State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Department of Education.
Why doesn’t DPS release copies of their incident reports?
In the interest of maintaining community members' privacy, DPS does not disseminate incident reports to the general public. We do not disseminate copies of our police reports; however, we do provide a synopsis of reported criminal incidents on the crime log, representing information from the most recent 60 days. Individuals may contact DPS to request copies of the crime log for up to the last seven years.
Is race/gender data based on self-report or officer assumption?
Race and gender information can be collected through various forms of identification that may list a person/s gender or race and contain a photograph, or through information provided by the subject during the initial contact. During the initial contact, the officer can also inquire as to how the subject identifies themselves. Officers do not identify based on their assumption.
Where can I find more information about the demographics of the Drexel community?
Demographic information on students, faculty, and staff can be found in the Drexel University Factbook.
How often will the dashboard be updated?
The dashboard includes data from the last three completed calendar years. Upon completion of a calendar year, DPS Operations will compile that year’s data, perform the necessary audits of the data, and report it to the relevant authorities, and then the data will be added to the dashboard. Dashboard updates will be communicated to the University community.
Why doesn’t the dashboard data match the statistics in the Annual Security Report?
The Annual Security Report contains statistics reported under the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act), which requires higher education institutions to publicly report crimes that occur on their campuses. The criminal statistic data presented in the dashboard are based on DPS’ Uniform Crime Report (UCR) submissions to the Pennsylvania State Police, which encompass a broader area and include all reported incident occurring in Drexel’s patrol boundaries. However, because the dashboard is meant to reflect the DUPD’s workload, the crime statistics on the dashboard only represent incidents handled exclusively by DUPD. Reported UCR and Clery statistics include all incidents reported to the Drexel University Police Department, regardless of whether they were handled by DUPD.
You can read more about Drexel’s obligations under the Clery Act and PA Uniform Crime Reporting, and find published reports, on DPS’ website.
Will DPS release the raw data summarized in the Dashboard?
At this time, the aggregated data is the only data DPS will be releasing.
Why does the dashboard include only three years’ worth of information? Will community members have access to data from prior years?
The Clery Act requires all colleges and universities to publish the previous three years’ worth of criminal statistics in their Annual Security Report released in October, so DPS used this benchmark as the basis for designing the dashboard. While not included in this dashboard, data is still available via the Annual Security Reports from the last five years (representing seven years’ worth of data), which are archived on the DPS website per Clery requirements.