Police logs only seem easy to consume because they don't contain context. Context is prone to bias or intentional distortion, but it's still necessary for non-experts.
Does a recent spike in bar fights mean your town is in hard economic times, or was there a giant music festival nearby that attracted thousands of people? That influences whether I should worry the next time I go to the bar; if it's the economy, this will keep happening, but if it's the festival, we'll be fine once they leave. That context also helps me decide how to act on the information. Do I petition for downtown revitalization or for neighboring towns' police to help with events?
It's on the audience to demand good evidence to back up the context (e.g., did the guys in the fight recently lose their jobs or just came from the festival). That's hard, but I have yet to see another good way.
Does a recent spike in bar fights mean your town is in hard economic times, or was there a giant music festival nearby that attracted thousands of people? That influences whether I should worry the next time I go to the bar; if it's the economy, this will keep happening, but if it's the festival, we'll be fine once they leave. That context also helps me decide how to act on the information. Do I petition for downtown revitalization or for neighboring towns' police to help with events?
It's on the audience to demand good evidence to back up the context (e.g., did the guys in the fight recently lose their jobs or just came from the festival). That's hard, but I have yet to see another good way.