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Why crime data may not present an accurate picture

An aerial view of the Missouri State University campus
Jesse Scheve
An aerial view of the Missouri State University campus.

A Missouri State University data analytics expert explains.

Our weekly program, Missouri State Journal, is a collaboration between KSMU Radio and Missouri State University. It's hosted and produced by MSU's Office of Strategic Communication, and it airs each Tuesday morning at 9:45 a.m. on KSMU. 

What comes to mind when you see articles like “Safest Cities in America” or “10 Most Dangerous Cities in the U.S?” Do you question their accuracy?

Recently, SafeWise released its “50 Safest College Towns in America for 2022” report. It lists the safest and most dangerous college towns in America. Springfield, Missouri, was ranked as the No. 4 most dangerous college town in 2022.

Missouri State University data analytics expert Dr. Todd Daniel reviewed the report. An instructor in the department of information technology and cybersecurity at MSU, Daniel explains why the report is problematic and how we can look at crime data more critically.

Read the full audio transcript

A native of Malaysia, Emily moved to Springfield in 2010 and started working at Missouri State University in 2014. She’s currently the assistant director in the Office of Strategic Communication. She has a BA in Mass Communications from Colorado State University-Pueblo and a Master of Journalism from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.
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