Memphis launches online data hub to help public track city services

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - The City of Memphis has launched a new online data hub to help citizens keep track of city services.

The public can look up information about crime in their neighborhood or even track how the city's responding to their 311 requests.

City officials say this is something that Mayor Jim Strickland wanted to do ever since taking office.

The mayor's office says this new site makes the city government more transparent and makes it easier for journalists and ordinary citizens to watch and evaluate the city at work.

On Wednesday afternoon, a group of Memphis journalists attended a city workshop where the city officials unveiled the new Memphis Data Hub.

City officials gave the journalists a walk through.

The site allows the public to monitor the progress of individual 311 requests.

You can get information about capital projects, track crime in your neighborhood through an interactive map. The crime data from MPD is updated daily.

You can also find the nearest city services like police and fire stations, libraries and parks.

"Part of the mission is trying to make data and information available to the public for all different kinds of things and these are things that people ask for on a regular basis," said Ursula Madden, City of Memphis Chief Communications Officer.

Madden says additional information and tools could be added in the future.

The city says they spent about $300,000 on the project.

A user guide is available on the site to help the public navigate.

The Memphis Data Hub is available here.

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