Cities generate a lot of information, and much of it is legally open to the public. Tempe is one Valley city hoping to make that information easier to access.
Its City Council adopted an open-data resolution in February.
Tempe Director of Strategic Management and Diversity Rosa Inchausti said it’s the first step to making data already available to the public, easier to get to.
“It equates to access and transparency,” Inchausti said. “So instead of making the request, it’s out there for people to have access.”
For example, the Police Department will start publishing online data sets with information such as crime and use-of-force incidents.
Other agencies will eventually take part as well, and residents will be able to easily access information from pavement quality to court proceedings.
The open data resolution is part of Tempe’s work with a larger initiative called What Works Cities, sponsored by Bloomberg Philanthropies.
Check out other Arizona city's data portals:
