Mapping Caribbean crime: Guyana Crime Reports' data visualisations take fresh aim at crime

Crowdsourced, technology-driven and visually compelling. Not words you'd typically associate with crime reporting in the Caribbean. But that could soon change as one tech entrepreneur based in Georgetown, Guyana is taking a fresh approach to the country's crime problems.

Meet Vijay Datadin, the main player behind Guyana Crime Reports, the country's newest data journalism website, which adds a combination of GIS mapping and crowdsourcing to traditional crime news reporting.

"You see police in Guyana and across the region calling for public assistance in fighting crime. They've never particularly mentioned that this was the kind of help they wanted or needed, but this was what I knew I could do to help. So I decided to just do it," he said.

In 2003, Datadin founded Red Spider, a small web development startup, which today maintains the Guyana Crime Reports and its presence on Facebook, Google plus and Twitter , @GuyanaCrime.

The website is part news aggregator, making it a good one-stop source for various crime reports related to Guyana, published in local and international news media. Citizens can also submit crime reports through a form on the website, although those reports are treated slightly differently from the ones aggregated from traditional media sources.

"Particularly when these reports are made anonymously, we follow up with some sort of verification exercise, especially if the report in question could damage to someone's name, reputation or character," Datadin said.

"But reports from the media have a certain amount of verification built into them because there's a journalist and/or editor involved in that publication process, so those are simply aggregated."

Enhancing Public Debate

Red Spider is considering forging informal relationships directly with journalists who share their interest in improving the way that crime is reported in Guyana. The aim, Datadin explained, is not to competewith old media companies but to enhance the essential news service that they provide.

"We're not a news service, and we will never be in the business of breaking news. At times we're first to break a story, and that's almost accidental."

For Datadin, old and new media share a common goal. They exist not just to distribute information but to help concerned readers make sense of large amounts of information over time. Ans he takes seriously the responsibility to help readers and followers to understand how local incidents of crime fit into a larger national picture.

"As a citizen of the country, it would be to my benefit if crime went down. So I'm doing this not for any immediate commercial benefit but because I think it needed to be done. There needs to be a public conversation about crime, a conversation based not only on opinion but on facts, one that affords a more reasoned and inclusive debate about factors that cause crime nad the policies that can help curb it," he said.

"I think that with a more informed public, we can have a better conversation about what we should do about crime," he added, conceding that the site has taken only early evolutionary steps toward that goal.

The ultimate objective, he says, is to have a positive impact not just on public discourse but on public policy.

"We made soft approaches to the Guyana Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs," he said.

Mapping Crime Data

Datadin holds a postgraduate Masters degree in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) from Edinburgh University, Scotland. Plus, the word 'data' is literally in his name! So the fact that Guyana Crime Reports relies heavily on maps to visually represent the spread and scope of crime incidence really shouldn't come as a surprise.

"Maps help readers to see exactly where one incident took place," he said.

By making the crime maps public, Guyana Crime Reports effectively creates an equal opportunity for anyone seeking to understand how crime is trending both in their area and nationally.

"Both the public and the Home Affairs officials can review the map and detect trends in a particular area or nationally. You can see not just what happened recently but what has been happening over time."

Building Digital Journalism

By using maps to visualise crime data, Guyana Crime Reports has already set a significant precedent for digital journalism in the region. Audiences across the region would benefit greatly if more Caribbean newsrooms added maps to their arsenal of storytelling tools.

Crime maps are a powerful communication tool, giving audiences a quick grasp of the bigger picture without requiring them to know the (sometimes gory) details of every incident.

Because maps impart understanding visually, they allow crime reporters can attract a different kind of reader, one who may be less inclined to...read. And any way you look at it, that's still good news.

Speaking of maps

One quick side note as a footer to this piece about maps. If you're wondering, Guyana is actually not an island at all but a South American country bordered by Venezuela, Brazil and Suriname. But it is a member of the Caribbean Community, Caricom.

T&T to host regional Internet Governance school

Trinidad and Tobago will host the 2014 edition of the South School on Internet Governance (SSIG), an annual programme aimed at raising a generation of leaders from Latin America and the Caribbean to represent the region at international fora where the future of the Internet is shaped and debated.

The SSIG is a five-day programme designed to educate young professionals in all aspects of Internet governance, from Latin American and Caribbean perspectives. The school is open to individuals working in government, the private sector and civil society as well as tertiary education students and academics. It aims to train new generations of professionals to actively participate in regional and global meetings that determine the future of the Internet.

The weeklong programme trains and actively encourages participants to engage in the development of national, regional and international Internet policy. The ultimate aim is to increase the quality of representation of Latin American and Caribbean countries at regional and international fora where issues related to the development of Internet governance are decided.

Since its inauguration in Argentina, the SSIG has been held annually in Brazil, México, Colombia and Panamá with the support of governments and private sector organisations.

The Caribbean Telecommunications Union (CTU), a regional inter-governmental organisation that supports the development of the Caribbean ICT sector, fully supports of the convening of the 2014 SSIG in Port-of-Spain, as that venue gives Caribbean stakeholders greater access to benefit from the programme.

The 2014 SSIG will take place in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad from April 28th to May 2nd.

The course covers the current governance of the Internet and the political, economic, social impact and legal frameworks. It presents the international fora for decision-making for the Internet’s development; technical protocols and standards; the role of Internet and governance and its significance to the evolution of the Internet. The course also includes lectures covering the practical management of critical Internet resources, as well as the development of the domain name market. Each academic lecture is followed by a Q&A Session.

Fellowships are available to cover the cost of accommodation, meals, course materials and social activities. Information on course details, registration and fellowships is available on the CTU website.

Wooding receives LACNIC lifetime achievement award

The Latin American and Caribbean Internet Addresses Registry (LACNIC) has announced that Trinidad-born technology expert Bevil Wooding is the 2013 recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Established in 2009, the LACNIC award honours people who have contributed significantly to the development of the Internet and the Information Society in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“It’s an honour to receive this prestigious award from LACNIC. This was completely unexpected. This recognition strengthens my resolve to continue working to ensure that our people, institutions and governments are fully empowered to use technology for the development of our region,” Wooding said.

A pioneer in the development of technology solutions and educational resources, Wooding wears many hats in his work across the region and around the world. As an Internet Strategist and Caribbean Outreach Manger for the US-based research non-profit, Packet Clearing House, he has been the leading advocate for the proliferation of Internet Exchange Points (IXPs) in the Caribbean. His efforts have led to the establishment of IXPs in Grenada, the British Virgin Islands, Dominica and Barbados.

He is also the Chief Knowledge Officer at the international non-profit Congress WBN where he has pioneered the development of Internet streaming and software applications now used across the world. He has also worked with the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) to develop the Caribbean’s first-ever Digital Media syllabus.

In addition, he is one of the co-architects and the Program Director of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union's Caribbean ICT Roadshow. The Roadshow has helped emphasise issues ranging from Internet infrastructure and broadband access in the Caribbean to cybersecurity and the impact of social media on parenting and education.

Reflecting on the award, Wooding said, "In spite of the many challenges, I am convinced that the Caribbean and Latin America has the creativity, and the capacity to make a meaningful and significant impact on the Internet and on global society."

A virtual technology ambassador, Wooding regularly represents the interests of the region at international fora. He has also come in for wide praise for his innovative initiatives to introduce young people to digital content creation through his BrightPath Foundation, a technology education non-profit.

“His efforts have been distinguished by a deliberate commitment to collaboration and an emphasis on linking building regional communities,” said Bernadette Lewis, Secretary-General of the Caribbean Telecommunications Union.

Lewis sat on the panel of judges for the award, alongside noted Internet experts such as Ida Holz, Rafael Ibarra, Carlos A. Afonso and Rodrigo de la Parra.

Wooding is a founding member of the Caribbean Network Operators Group (CaribNOG). Through his contribution as Program Director, CaribNOG has become a dedicated community of computer network operators and technical stakeholders. The volunteer based group now provides a unique regional forum for sharing technical experiences and building human resource capacity.

“It is an honour to have the support and friendship of so many incredibly talented and extremely committed individuals and organisations from the region and across the world," Wooding said.