Public Domain Crimes / Statistics and reports.

[MarillionFan]

Appalled by the cowardly f**kers that seem to inhabit the British Isles these days, I decided to do a little search on murderers in the UK.

Seems to be around 15/20 or so murders a week(excluding manslaughter), as well as the usual round of stabbings, violence, old people getting beaten up.

These reports are all over the papers & are effectively public domain. Based on lets say 1000 per year, over 35 years(half average life expectancy) we're looking at 35000 murders against a pop of 70M. Maybe 1 in 2000 people is a murder. Or 10 people in a nice small town.

When a murder or serious crime is reported in the news, the perp is named/shamed/jailed etc. A friend was killed 10 years back, it was in the news, but now you I cannot google that, find the name of the guy who killed him.

What's the deal here? Could someone set up a website that collated all of the reports, kept them alive, placed criminal names on a register with the photo from the papers, with the report, with the location? If it's public domain, why has nobody done this?

[xoggoth]

Probably because it would be a legal nightmare, expensive and a full time job. It may be published but that does not make it public domain legally. Wording of any published reports will be owned by the press agencies, pictures by companies like Ghetty, Corbis etc.

The government data will be crown copyright and the UK authorities are very secretive/protective about everything. They tax us to the hilt to provide police and other services and then keep the data to themselves or else profit by selling it to commercial companies who charge to use it. I think the freedom of information act specifically excludes release of police or court data.

The US is much more open. If you want a free picture of the PM for a blog the only place you will find one is US government sources. If you want a picture of a film star, stick to the ones who have been arrested in the US, then you can get it public domain from the local sherrif's office.

PS Looking at local papers there do indeed seem to be more murders than get reported in the mainstream press. What the criteria are for the main papers to publish it's hard to say.

[AtW]

If it's public domain, why has nobody done this?

Do you want to take your chances in getting murdered by pissed off murder who was released early for "good behavior"?

[MarillionFan]

Do you want to take your chances in getting murdered by pissed off murder who was released early for "good behavior"?

That's why I've just registered

www.ukmurderlist.co.uk at an address in Birmingham under a Russian name.

[OwlHoot]

... What's the deal here? Could someone set up a website that collated all of the reports, kept them alive, placed criminal names on a register with the photo from the papers, with the report, with the location? If it's public domain, why has nobody done this?

They might have problems with a combination of the Data Protection Act and the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Not sure of the details, but I think there's some kind of association between those.

[AtW]

www.ukmurderlist.co.uk at an address in Birmingham under a Russian name.

I'll be moving soon, wait someone knocks on the doors...

[NickFitz]

MurderMap - London Homicide Reported Direct from The Old Bailey - Map

Looks like 2002 was the high point for homicide in the years 1898 - 2005.

[AtW]

That's it MF, you got nicked...

[MarillionFan]

MurderMap - London Homicide Reported Direct from The Old Bailey - Map

Looks like 2002 was the high point for homicide in the years 1898 - 2005.

I have no idea how you find this stuff, but the MurderMap is exactly what I was talking about.

[Clippy]

Because it's more important to be able to look up tax dodgers than individuals who pose a serious risk to society.