The City of Dallas is committed to sharing the data with the public. Timely, consistent, and convenient access to public data is an essential component of a transparent and effective government. The City of Dallas recognizes that while transparency builds trust, failure to protect privacy erodes trust. The Office of Data Analytics and Business Intelligence is responsible for and committed to making data accessible to the public, while protecting privacy and sensitive data.

The purpose of this policy is to define the City’s procedures for the regular release of public data and to aid in determining which data sets should be made public, how to make them public, and how to maintain them. By making its data available online, the City will:

City departments should try to publish all appropriate data of public interest, unless:

Higher-risk types of data such as these should be designated “For Official Use Only,” and should not be published. These rules are designed to ensure the safety and welfare of the public, the City, and its programs.

Departmental Open Data should only be published by a department employee who has been designated and trained by the Office of Data Analytics & Business Intelligence. Data should be published using the Socrata platform, and must be accompanied by the required metadata, and data dictionary in accordance to the Open Data Standards.