7. The limited promise of police data

Share of police agencies that reported crime </br>data to the FBI
Data: FBI; Chart:Tory Lysik/Axios Visuals

Police departments from Boston to Phoenix have boosted their data collection to improve policing and community relations — but the impact is limited by holes in the national data and the way police departments use what they collect.

Why it matters: Data can improve trends in use of force and arrests. Surveillance technology, for example, can be used to prepare police for dangerous situations — but civil liberties groups worry about how it can be misused.

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