Where is crime happening? New map shows recent crimes in Salt Lake neighborhoods

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — In an effort to increase transparency, the Salt Lake City Police Department created an interactive map showing recent crimes across the city.

The new Crime Map was announced Friday, April 11, with crime location data ranging back six months. The tool depicts crimes as orange and blue dots, with orange representing violent crime and blue indicative of property crime.

Authorities said the map will give Salt Lake City residents “greater access to crime data in their neighborhoods,” adding that tracking trends can help them understand “neighborhood-specific issues.”

“Providing accessible information on our website, allows our community to make informed decisions about safety,” said Lindsay Larsen, SLCPD director of data science and research. “Our goal is to share more data with the public in the coming year.”

While the department said the public should have access to this data, they chose to include intersections rather than exact addresses to protect the privacy of victims and others involved in the incidents.

The map can be filtered by the type of crime, community council boundaries, and date range. The crime filters range from theft and robbery to assault, homicide, and sexual assault. Officials say the map will be updated on the fourth day of every month, according to the press release.

If accessing the map, keep in mind that one incident could appear as multiple if there were several charges involved. If the exact location of a crime is unknown, the location where it was reported might be used instead.

The department said it encourages residents to use the map to help them engage in “informed efforts to keep Salt Lake City safe.” SLCPD Chief Brian Redd also said it provides an opportunity to build trust through greater transparency.

“By offering an easy-to-use crime map, we’re helping our community members stay informed and engaged. This is about building stronger partnerships between our residents, business community, and police,” Redd said.