Editorial standards

A map of crime is only as good as the rules behind it. These are ours, written down so you can hold us to them.

Last updated: 5 August 2026

A map of crime is only as good as the rules behind it. These are ours, written down so you can hold us to them.

The one rule everything follows

We don't write the story. We point you to it. CrimeLens is an aggregator, not a publisher of original allegations. Every case on the map already exists in public record or established press, and every entry links straight to that source so you can read it yourself.

What qualifies as a case

1. It must be documentedA case appears only if it is recorded in public record — court decisions, official registers, police communications — or reported by identifiable press.

2. The source must be linkableIf we cannot link you to the original, we cannot list it. A citation you cannot check is not a citation.

3. The source must be identifiableNamed publications and official bodies only. Anonymous posts, forums and social media threads are not sources.

4. Status must be accurateSolved, open, under appeal: whatever the record says, that is what the entry says. We do not upgrade an accusation into a conclusion.

What we exclude

Unsourced claims. If it exists only as rumour, it does not exist for us.
Speculation about suspects. We do not name people the record does not name, and we do not connect people to cases the record does not connect them to.
Cases involving minors where identification is restricted.
Graphic material. We link to sources; we do not host or reproduce distressing imagery.
Anything that reads as entertainment at someone's expense. These were real events with real people in them.

Presumption of innocence is not a formality

An arrest is not a conviction. A charge is not a conviction. An open case is exactly that: open.

Every entry carries its status from the record, and where a person has not been convicted, the entry says so plainly. Where someone has been acquitted, or a conviction has been overturned, that outcome is as much part of the record as the original charge — and we treat it that way.

When the record changes, so do we

Cases move. Appeals succeed, convictions are quashed, open investigations close. An entry that was accurate two years ago may not be accurate today.

If you find an entry that no longer matches the record, tell us. Our corrections process exists precisely for that, and it is not a formality either.

What CrimeLens is not

Not a law enforcement service. We have no official status and no relationship with any police force or court.
Not a safety tool. The map shows documented history, not present risk. Do not use it to judge whether a street is safe tonight.
Not a background check service. Using CrimeLens to screen individuals is outside its purpose and outside our terms.
Not a source in itself. If you are researching, cite the original, not us.

Frequently asked questions

Does CrimeLens write its own crime reporting?

No. CrimeLens aggregates cases that have already been documented in public record or established press. We do not conduct original investigations or publish original allegations.

How do you decide which cases appear?

A case must be documented in at least one identifiable, verifiable source, and that source must be linkable. Cases that exist only in forums, social media or unattributed posts are not included.

Do you cover open cases?

Yes, where they are documented in public record or press. Open cases are labelled as such, and the presumption of innocence applies to anyone not convicted.

Can I suggest a case?

You can write to us, but a suggestion is not a submission: it still has to meet the sourcing standard before anything appears on the map.

Keep reading

Where our data comes fromThe kinds of record we use, and how they are verified. Privacy and victimsHow we handle names, victims and people who were never convicted. Corrections and removalsHow to have an entry fixed or taken down.

See the record for yourself.
Open the map, find the documented cases near you, and follow every one straight to its original source.

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