GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Building a Better Picture of Crime in Guatemala City

May 11, 2019 | 10:00 GMT

Police inspect one of four buses attacked by alleged gang members July 13, 2018, in Guatemala City.

Police inspect one of four buses attacked by alleged gang members July 13, 2018, in Guatemala City. At least six units of public transport were attacked allegedly by gangs dedicated to extortion this week.

(JOHAN ORDONEZ/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • Though crime zone data can be useful, its lack of precision creates some problems, since presenting an entire zone as safe ignores dangerous areas that exist in every sector, while presenting an entire zone as dangerous ignores lucrative opportunities.
  • While finding data on crime can prove challenging, in Guatemala City, it can be obtained from an unconventional and often-overlooked source: Package delivery services, taxi companies and fast-food restaurants that deliver have access to large data sets based on the direct observations of their staffs.
  • This type of information is increasingly common and may be available for any major city globally because mobile phones have increased the ease and quality of reporting and the compilation of geographic data, though it must be vetted for quality, consistency and currency.

While the utility of data on crime in a given city cannot be denied, its lack of precision can create problems. Presenting an entire zone of a city as safe ignores dangerous areas that exist in every sector, while some zones known to struggle with violence do have some well-developed, relatively safe areas that offer lucrative opportunities. While finding good data on crime can prove challenging, the void can be filled by tapping an unconventional and often-overlooked source: Package delivery services, taxi companies and fast-food restaurants that deliver have access to large data sets based on the direct observations of their staffs....

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