Privacy notice

Last updated: 2026-05-01

This notice describes what data USACrimeMap collects when you visit the Site, what we do with it, and which third parties we call on your behalf. It applies to usacrimemap.com.

1. Operator

The Site is operated by USACrimeMap. For privacy questions write to privacy@usacrimemap.com.

2. What we don't do

• We do not require an account to view any content on the public Site.
• We do not display third-party advertising.
• We do not sell, rent, or share visitor data with data brokers.
• We do not build profiles of visitors based on browsing across other sites.
• We do not republish names of suspects, victims, witnesses, or officers.

3. Server logs

Our web server logs each request (timestamp, requested path, response code, user-agent string, referrer, and IP address) for a maximum of 14 days for operational and security purposes (rate limiting, abuse detection, debugging). Logs are not shared with third parties unless required by lawful process.

4. Analytics — Google Analytics 4

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to count page views and understand which cities and features are most useful. GA4 is loaded with IP anonymization enabled via the anonymize_ip flag, which instructs Google to truncate IP addresses before storage. GA4 may set cookies (typically _ga, _ga_*) on your browser; it may also collect device, browser, screen size and approximate geographic region. You can opt out of GA tracking by using the Google Analytics opt-out browser add-on or by enabling Do-Not-Track / Global Privacy Control in your browser (we honor these signals where technically feasible).

5. Address autocomplete (geocoding)

When you type into the address field on the safety-check tool, your query text is sent server-side from our infrastructure to:

• The US Census Geocoder (geocoding.geo.census.gov) — operated by the U.S. Department of Commerce, public-domain data.
• Nominatim (nominatim.openstreetmap.org) — operated by the OpenStreetMap Foundation under their Usage Policy.
• Photon (photon.komoot.io) — operated by komoot GmbH; OSM-derived data.

Because the requests are made from our server, your browser's IP address is not exposed to those services for autocomplete. We cache geocoding responses for up to 24 hours to reduce duplicate calls. We do not store the address you type beyond the request lifetime.

6. Map tiles

Map rendering uses OpenFreeMap for vector tiles. When you load a map, your browser fetches tile bundles directly from OpenFreeMap, which means your IP address is briefly visible to that service for the purpose of serving tiles.

7. Cookies

First-party cookies set by the Site itself: none beyond what GA4 places on its own (see §4). The Site does not currently offer accounts; if a future account-based feature is introduced this notice will be updated to describe the additional data and any session cookies.

8. Children

The Site is not directed to children under 13 (or under 16 in jurisdictions where that is the relevant age threshold) and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, write to us and we will delete it.

9. Your choices and rights

Depending on where you live you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information about you that we hold (e.g., under the California Consumer Privacy Act or the EU/UK GDPR). To exercise these rights, write to privacy@usacrimemap.com. We will respond within the timeframe required by the applicable law.

10. International transfers

The Site is hosted in Germany. By using the Site you understand that your request data (IP, user-agent, requested URL) may be processed in Germany and, in the case of GA4, in countries where Google Inc. operates infrastructure. We rely on the standard contractual clauses where required.

11. Changes to this notice

We may update this notice at any time; the “Last updated” date above reflects the most recent change. Material changes will be flagged prominently on the Site for at least 30 days.