The Alligator is introducing a new feature on its website to assist students and faculty in tracking crimes on campus; it’s called the UF Campus Crime Project.
On the bottom right side of The Alligator website, users will find a new widget that directs them to ufcrime.com. The website features an interactive map of the university, displaying the last 90 days' worth of crimes that have occurred on campus, along with any available court records.
Users can explore the map by specific types of crimes using the sidebar filter feature and select a specific time period using the top-right map widget. Additionally, users have the option to search for and/or download a table of all UF crimes reported by the university police department dating back to 2016.
The project was created by two UF undergraduate students and Alligator reporters: Zachary Carnell and Isabella Douglas. They responded to what they perceived as a growing need for transparency between the university and its students and faculty. Through the campus crime map, the reporters hope users can easily stay informed about the safety and security of UF’s campus.
This project, along with the original story written by Fresh Take Florida reporter Troy Myers, was prompted by UF's removal of eight years' worth of campus crime data from its online records.
The official UF Crime Log, which was created under the Clery Act, only displays crimes that occurred on or near campus within the last 60 days.
"As per regulations set by the U.S. Department of Education, schools are required to provide 60 days' worth of their crime logs for public inspection, and records of older crimes must be made available within two business days of a request," the article explains.
The website can be used in a multitude of ways including the following:
Help students understand the locations with the highest instances of bicycle thefts
Assist parents in identifying where sexual assaults take place on campus
Aid faculty in maintaining awareness of campus safety concerns
Enable reporters to determine whether campus crime has increased or decreased over the last few years
Empower campus security teams to strategically allocate resources and patrols based on crime spots
Stay tuned to The Alligator’s future articles using the Crime Map.
Contact Isabella Douglas at idouglas@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @_issadouglas.
Isabella Douglas is a fourth-year journalism major and the Fall 2023 editor-in-chief for The Alligator. She has previously worked as the digital managing editor, metro editor, criminal justice reporter and as a news assistant. When she isn't reporting, she can be found reorganizing her bookshelf and adding books to her ever-growing TBR.
