Data update frequency

[kylemcdonald]

I'd like to understand better what the update schedule is for this repo and the homicide report.

I can see that Hector Armando Barba is listed as "Agency: LASD" on the site, but in the data here in the repo, the corresponding cell in that column is empty.

I can see the commits happen irregularly, between a week and two months. If I want more up-to-date data, would it be better to scrape the site, or is there another way to get this info?

Thanks so much!

[kylemcdonald]

In the meantime, here is a gist for scraping everything, currently 1002 killings https://gist.github.com/kylemcdonald/0f1dbd597cf4fd28e09344168bd05301

[irisslee]

Hi Kyle - thanks for your inquiry. Currently the LA Medical Examiner/Coroner's office is undergoing some system changes and we have not been getting homicide data regularly since April.

The data we get tend to be preliminary - it is subject to change and updates over time as the coroner's office regularly sends us last six months of data at a time. On the Homicide Report the "Agency" is the law enforcement agency that responded to the scene... noted by the coroner at the time. It doesn't mean that agency listed is investigating it - though it's more than likely they are - nor does it mean that LASD officer was the one involved in the shooting.
Hector Barba for example was shot by an officer from Huntington Park Police Department.

As for the police killings data - we read and record the outcomes when we can - our main reporter who led these updates have retired and we haven't caught up with the reports lately. We hope to get back to it soon. Thanks again and if you have more questions, please feel free to reach out at [email protected].

[kylemcdonald]

Thank you @irisslee for the incredibly detailed follow up, I'll get in touch via email if I have more questions.