Accountability Journalism for California’s Central Valley & Beyond
12 public databases and government data sources for the Central Valley and East Bay, curated by Dismal Freedom Press.
The Dismal Freedom Press Data Library has two components: curated public databases maintained by government agencies and research institutions that inform our reporting, and our CPRA Records Library — a growing collection of documents obtained through California Public Records Act requests and other investigative filings, published as records clear legal review.
Every external dataset linked here comes from a verified government or academic source. If you find a broken link or have a data source to suggest, contact us at data@dismalfreedompress.org.
California law enforcement use-of-force incidents reported under AB 71 (the URSUS system). Covers officer-involved shootings, serious bodily injury, and other reportable force incidents across every law enforcement agency in the state.
Updated annually by CA DOJ. Most recent release: 2023 data (published mid-2024).
County-level eviction filing rates for San Joaquin, Stanislaus, and other Central Valley counties. Tracks the post-pandemic surge in evictions following the expiration of California's COVID-19 tenant protections.
Eviction Lab updates weekly for tracked cities. Judicial Council data published annually.
Real-time violation data and water quality reports for Central Valley water systems. Covers contamination levels, MCL violations, and compliance orders for public water systems serving disadvantaged communities.
SDWIS updated continuously. EPA ECHO updated quarterly.
Real-time and historical air quality data for the San Joaquin Valley, which consistently ranks among the most polluted regions in the United States for both ozone and particulate matter (PM2.5).
AirNow and PurpleAir update in real time. SJVAPCD and CARB publish daily and annual summaries.
Follow the money in California politics. Track campaign contributions, independent expenditures, and lobbying activity for state and local races across the Central Valley and East Bay.
Cal-Access updated as filings are submitted. FPPC enforcement updates posted periodically.
Statewide caseload statistics and court records for California’s trial and appellate courts. Covers civil, criminal, family, juvenile, and small claims filings across all 58 counties.
Judicial Council data published annually. Local court records updated as cases are filed.
Performance metrics, enrollment demographics, graduation rates, and accountability indicators for every public school and district in the Central Valley and East Bay.
DataQuest updated annually with prior-year data. School Dashboard updated each fall.
Searchable salary and benefits data for state, county, city, and special district employees across California. See how much public employees earn in total compensation including overtime, benefits, and pension contributions.
State Controller data published annually. Transparent California updates as agencies report.
Point-in-Time homeless counts, housing inventory data, and shelter capacity information for Central Valley and East Bay Continuums of Care (CoCs). Tracks unsheltered and sheltered populations over time.
PIT counts conducted annually (odd years required, many CoCs count annually). HDIS updated quarterly.
Comprehensive crime and arrest data reported by California law enforcement agencies to the CA Department of Justice. Covers violent crime, property crime, hate crimes, arrests, and deaths in custody.
CA DOJ data published annually. FBI UCR/NIBRS data released annually with a one-year lag.
Health outcomes, disease surveillance, vital statistics, and community health data for Central Valley and East Bay counties. Covers everything from chronic disease rates to maternal and child health indicators.
County Health Rankings updated annually each spring. CDPH vital statistics published with a one- to two-year lag.
State and local government budgets, expenditures, and financial reports for California. Track how taxpayer dollars are allocated and spent by state agencies, counties, cities, and special districts.
State budget published annually (January proposal, June revision). Local CAFRs published annually, typically 6 months after fiscal year end.
Data analysis is central to Dismal Freedom Press's investigative reporting. We use public databases to identify patterns, verify claims made by officials, and hold institutions accountable. Here is how we approach data journalism:
If you are a researcher, community organizer, or journalist who wants to collaborate on data analysis, reach out at data@dismalfreedompress.org.
This Data Library is maintained by the Dismal Freedom Press reporting team. External links point to databases operated by government agencies and research institutions; we do not control their availability or update schedules. We review all links monthly and archive key datasets to our internal document library. Last reviewed: March 2026. Report broken links to data@dismalfreedompress.org.
Public records obtained through California Public Records Act requests and other investigative filings. Documents are published as they clear legal review and source protection considerations.
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