Towards Open Data in Macedonia: Crime Map Based on Ministry of Internal Affairs' Bulletins

Abstract

Today, many organizations and institutions have vast collections of datasets and databases filled with information that, in general, can turn out to be very useful for individuals and for the society [1]. The Police is one such institution which is obliged by law to keep an archive of all the information it deals with on a daily basis. All that information about the criminal events that have occurred in the past can be used in many ways. In this work, we present a research project focused on crime analysis using the concept of crime map, which can be very useful for the law enforcement agencies as well as for the citizens. This research project resulted in an effective crime map of the Republic of Macedonia, which consists of about 1800 events in total. With this project we hope to encourage and motivate the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as well as other institutions, to continue liberating valuable data and bring the benefits of the Open Data idea to its citizens.