Imagine if Mayors and city leaders across the country were able to routinely use data and evidence to identify a challenge and devise a clear, concrete path to address it — to truly figure out “what works.”
What if using data and evidence could not only change lives but save them?
Philadelphia did it. During Michael Nutter’s tenure as Mayor of Philadelphia from 2008-2016, the city partnered with Temple University and analyzed the City’s crime data by location, perpetrator, and type of crime. By using data, the city determined that 65% of homicides were committed in just 9 of 23 police districts. As a result, the city deployed police officers to the most dangerous areas and during the last three years of his tenure, homicides were at the lowest levels since 1967. Over eight years, the city reduced homicides by 30% and better directed its resources to the neighborhoods where crimes were most likely to be committed. From crime reduction to eliminating blighted properties, cities across the country are using data to improve services, meaningfully engage residents, and make better decisions.