SpotCrime partners with Belo stations to report crime data

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Belo Corp. and SpotCrime, a data and news company that maps crime worldwide, has announced plans to expand their relationship. SpotCrime will offer its crime mapping services to Belo television and cable stations located in New Orleans (wwltv.com) and Phoenix (azfamily.com). The company already has crime maps on Belo stations in Charlotte (WCNC) and Dallas/Ft. Worth (WFAA).


SpotCrime, the largest company in the world reporting and mapping crime via the Internet, “is focused on two basic principles,” says Founder and President Colin Drane. “First, information is power and it is the right of every citizen to have easy access to the crime information in their neighborhood. And second, SpotCrime is an unbiased crime source. We do not selectively report crimes or judge these crimes. Rather our intent is to map all crime available.”

Drane continues, “We strongly believe that intended and unintended positive social consequences will evolve from SpotCrime. With our information, citizens’ awareness of their surroundings will increase and subsequently they will be able to make safer decisions. There is wisdom in the noise, and we hope to draw attention to crime hot spots to help direct policy and resources in the prevention of crime.”

In order to maintain its independence, SpotCrime is the only company that maps crime that does not partner with local police departments. “Though we do have very good relationships with the police, we believe in complete transparency and independence, which ensures that we remain unbiased in our reporting,” notes Drane.

Belo is one of more than 50 media companies with which SpotCrime currently partners to make crime data available. Other companies include WBAL-AM (wbal.com) in Baltimore, NBC-29 (nbc29.com) in Charlottesville, The Austin Statesman (statesman.com), The Lakeland Ledger (theledger.com), and KLAS-8 Las Vegas (LasVegasNow.com).