“More data needed,” “Data show disparity in response,” “Police should not respond to traffic violations.” These types of headlines play on repeat. Every time police executives open their email, read industry news briefs, or browse the internet, they find articles that repeatedly discuss data and policing. The articles report on data, call for more data, or call for reform measures that likely will not have appropriate data collection and analysis measures built in. This is not a new issue. In fact, it is history repeating itself for almost the past 100 years. So, if data are the answer, why are there still so many questions about what policing should be and how to measure its success?

Some of the issues that prevent data-driven policing and hinder evidence-based policing are structural, while others are fiscal. With more than 18,000 different local, state, and federal police jurisdictions in the United States, all overseen by myriad laws, policies, and funding, the collection and use of data to support public safety decisions and actions vary greatly. Despite continued challenges to gather and analyze data, the ability to disperse data and analysis has grown with the advances in technology, social media, and the virtual world. Departments are working hard to collect and distribute their data to support their communities’ calls for accountability and transparency, which is a noble and well-intentioned practice. However, the outcome frequently leaves a lot to be desired.