City of Alton's FY 23 Smart Policing Initiative Grant Program

The specific goals of this project are (1) to reduce violent crime and rapidly growing vehicle thefts, (2) develop a greater commitment to data-driven policing and (3) vastly expand Alton PD's data transparency to the public. Alton PD will use project funds to develop a small real-time crime center (RTCC) and expand the agency's technological inventory of License Plate Readers (LPRs), and camera systems (CCTV), which will deter crime both directly (through presence) and indirectly (through enhanced case building). Second, the department will develop crime analysis capacity to better direct limited resources to the most serious problems and enhance its commitment to data-driven policing. Third, Alton PD will develop publicly accessible maps and dashboards to enhance data transparency and improve communication of policing and crime metrics to the community. Emily Blackburn will assist in development of crime analysis and data transparency products. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is the selected research partner.