Cities Using 311 Data in Novel Ways Discover Drawbacks

Govenment Technology: When Somerville, Mass., started waging war on an escalating rat population a few years ago, the city turned to data from its 311 nonemergency call center to devise a plan. Reports of rat sightings logged by callers to 311 showed where in the city the problem was most severe. Crews baited traps in those places, while every city property owner received new heavy-duty trash barrels.

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