Increasingly, data and information are being promoted as powerful tools to understand and prevent crime and violence. However, there are key questions that remain largely unanswered: Why is crime clustering in certain neighborhoods? Why do certain individuals turn to crime while others do not?

Ciudata Segura, leveraging sophisticated analyses of urban crime and violence in cities across Latin America and the Caribbean, has examined the local determinants of crime and the role of impunity and social networks in driving criminal behavior. This analysis involves collecting and analyzing both official and non-official data sources to produce public policy recommendations and action plans.

Funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and developed in collaboration with the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative (HHI), Fundazione Bruno Kessler (FBK), the MIT Media Lab, and the Citizens Crime Commission, the project began in 2017. It has resulted in close coordination with local governments and stakeholders, and led to the creation of roadmaps, data audits, and capability assessments to determine further interventions. Additionally, the project has produced research instruments for analysis, including a series of surveys and the creation of a visualization tool.