ONE OF THE WORLD's GREAT PERPLEXITIES IS how we have this tremendous wealth of data freely available to us--and yet, so much of it goes unreferenced. There is enough data out there to make you feel small. Data that is just waiting to be aggregated and transformed into a theory that could perhaps begin to explain conditions of the social world. And yet, only a fraction of the population is devoted to the pursuit of truth zealously enough to access and process this data.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, thanks to the hard work of archivists and preservationists, as well as the continued evolution of technologies like Geographic Information Systems (or "GIS," a data visualization software) and Stata (used to calculate multivariate regressions), we are able to calculate data like never before.
THE GOOD NEWS IS, thanks to the hard work of archivists and preservationists, as well as the continued evolution of technologies like Geographic Information Systems (or "GIS," a data visualization software) and Stata (used to calculate multivariate regressions), we are able to calculate data like never before.
THIS PAGE WILL BE AN ONGOING PROJECT,
Aimed At Collecting Public Records
Pertinent To Los Angeles History.
It Also Will Contain Pointers For Accessing Data.
Aimed At Collecting Public Records
Pertinent To Los Angeles History.
It Also Will Contain Pointers For Accessing Data.
HOW MUCH andWHAT TYPES OF DATA ARE READILY AVAILABLE?
It depends on your jurisdiction. Some agencies have streamlined their data more than others.
Myriads types of information are readily and publicly available by law, whether the agency is of the federal, state, county, or local level. Thanks to the efforts of various private parties such as the Church of Latter-Day Saints, various other types of records throughout human history are available--ones that would not necessarily be available by law, such as baptismal records, immigration registries, and other valuable thought-lost resources.
Californians, and Angelenos in particular, are afforded immense user-friendly access to public records pertaining to our jurisdictions. (see below)
However, the public is often uninformed as to how this information may be accessed.
Sometimes, they are unable to do so. There is also an unfortunate tendency of some news sources, even the beloved Los Angeles Times, to not provide links to the documents they reference.
It depends on your jurisdiction. Some agencies have streamlined their data more than others.
Myriads types of information are readily and publicly available by law, whether the agency is of the federal, state, county, or local level. Thanks to the efforts of various private parties such as the Church of Latter-Day Saints, various other types of records throughout human history are available--ones that would not necessarily be available by law, such as baptismal records, immigration registries, and other valuable thought-lost resources.
Californians, and Angelenos in particular, are afforded immense user-friendly access to public records pertaining to our jurisdictions. (see below)
However, the public is often uninformed as to how this information may be accessed.
Sometimes, they are unable to do so. There is also an unfortunate tendency of some news sources, even the beloved Los Angeles Times, to not provide links to the documents they reference.
WHERE CAN CALIFORNIANS / ANGELENOS
ACCESS PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT OUR STATE?
Above all, you should know about two overarching laws that make a wide variety of government records available to the public for inspection and retention: The CPRA and The Brown Act.
The California Public Records Act ("CPRA") mandates the inspection or disclosure of governmental records to the public upon request, unless exempted by law. Lots of materials are covered under this 1968 law. Records of any type produced on-the-job by a government agency are most likely subject to disclosure under the CPRA. Some records, or certain details on them, are exempt; these records or details may sometimes be redacted as long a justifiable reason is provided as outlined in the CPRA text.
Want to see your local elected official's date book? You better believe you can request it.
Want to know who they've been emailing? You can request those too.
The Ralph M. Brown Act ("CPRA") helps protect the public's right to attend and participate in meetings of legislative bodies by, among other things, requiring 3-days advance notice for public meetings, and permitting the public access to meeting-related materials (e.g. agendas and meeting minutes).
ACCESS PUBLIC INFORMATION ABOUT OUR STATE?
Above all, you should know about two overarching laws that make a wide variety of government records available to the public for inspection and retention: The CPRA and The Brown Act.
The California Public Records Act ("CPRA") mandates the inspection or disclosure of governmental records to the public upon request, unless exempted by law. Lots of materials are covered under this 1968 law. Records of any type produced on-the-job by a government agency are most likely subject to disclosure under the CPRA. Some records, or certain details on them, are exempt; these records or details may sometimes be redacted as long a justifiable reason is provided as outlined in the CPRA text.
Want to see your local elected official's date book? You better believe you can request it.
Want to know who they've been emailing? You can request those too.
The Ralph M. Brown Act ("CPRA") helps protect the public's right to attend and participate in meetings of legislative bodies by, among other things, requiring 3-days advance notice for public meetings, and permitting the public access to meeting-related materials (e.g. agendas and meeting minutes).
RECORDS for ANGELENOS / LOS ANGELES COUNTY RESIDENTS
THAT ARE READILY-AVAILABLE ONLINE
ZIMAS.lacity.org is Los Angeles' publicly-accessible database for information on parcels within Los Angeles City limits. ZIMAS integrates information from the County Assessor and the City Planning Department, as well as links to geological information, case files, and important legal and jurisdictional information.
maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/ is a County-level version of ZIMAS that is run by the County Assessor's Office. It contains much, though not all, of the same information, except on a County level.
https://cityclerk.lacity.org/M.ClerkConnect/ is a database of myriad City-level documents that have passed through the hands of the City Clerk--which means just about every record produced in a City capacity!
This online database, stretching back several decades, is way to find, among other things: City Council motions, ordinance texts, or liens and code violations against a property.
https://mec.lacounty.gov/case-search/ is the online case search index for the Department of the Coroner. The only information displayed for decedents are: Causes of Death A thru D, Manner of Death, and Date Pronounced Dead. No photographs or crime scene information are displayed in search result. Full case files must be requested for a $47 fee. You can also search for unclaimed persons or unidentified remains.
https://recordsrequest.lacity.org/ is where you can request records that are not already readily available.
THAT ARE READILY-AVAILABLE ONLINE
ZIMAS.lacity.org is Los Angeles' publicly-accessible database for information on parcels within Los Angeles City limits. ZIMAS integrates information from the County Assessor and the City Planning Department, as well as links to geological information, case files, and important legal and jurisdictional information.
maps.assessor.lacounty.gov/ is a County-level version of ZIMAS that is run by the County Assessor's Office. It contains much, though not all, of the same information, except on a County level.
https://cityclerk.lacity.org/M.ClerkConnect/ is a database of myriad City-level documents that have passed through the hands of the City Clerk--which means just about every record produced in a City capacity!
This online database, stretching back several decades, is way to find, among other things: City Council motions, ordinance texts, or liens and code violations against a property.
https://mec.lacounty.gov/case-search/ is the online case search index for the Department of the Coroner. The only information displayed for decedents are: Causes of Death A thru D, Manner of Death, and Date Pronounced Dead. No photographs or crime scene information are displayed in search result. Full case files must be requested for a $47 fee. You can also search for unclaimed persons or unidentified remains.
https://recordsrequest.lacity.org/ is where you can request records that are not already readily available.
RECORDS for ANGELENOS / LOS ANGELES COUNTY RESIDENTS
(and beyond)
THAT MAY TAKE SOME TIME or TRAINING TO NAVIGATE
(and beyond)
THAT MAY TAKE SOME TIME or TRAINING TO NAVIGATE
The Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety is your source for building, plumbing, electrical, and other project-related documentation pertaining to properties within City limits from 1905 to present.
Government-run Courts.Ca.Gov, the third-party Justia.com, and the non-profit CourtListener.com are your source for court dockets and case decision texts.
http://geohub.lacity.org/ and https://egis3.lacounty.gov/dataportal/ is your source of government-authored data that can be visualized via GIS software.
Government-run Courts.Ca.Gov, the third-party Justia.com, and the non-profit CourtListener.com are your source for court dockets and case decision texts.
http://geohub.lacity.org/ and https://egis3.lacounty.gov/dataportal/ is your source of government-authored data that can be visualized via GIS software.