DISQUS

for an alternative view of crime in London- check out SpotCrime.com

Here's our first attempt at a London and UK crime map.

http://spotcrime.com/uk/london

Thanks for the mention.

In the US, privacy protection is handled by scrubbing the data to remove exact addresses and placing the crime on street block. My firm, SpotCrime.com, is collecting data from over 100 cities in the US that are following this convention. Implementation is fairly straightforward. By freeing the data, you can leverage the innovation of outside firms. Our data is now distributed through Google Maps, Google Earth, Facebook, and through an iPhone optimized website. Additionally, we distribute notices through email and text alerts. That pace of innovation is not typically achieved by a government entity.
If the objective is to inform citizens, there is a huge advantage of making the data available to any firm interested in mapping crime.