The data provided in GeoDASH is extracted from the PRIME BC Police Records Management System (RMS). Specific filters, categorizations, and conditions are applied to ensure the data is relevant to public safety, and that it adheres to the BC Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act (BC FIPPA). The broad category of 'Offence Against a Person' includes all violent incidents (e.g., robbery, assault, sexual assault, domestic assault), with the exception of 'Assaults Against Police'. Further, the category is intentionally designed as a large aggregate of multiple subcategories of violent incidents in order to reduce the likelihood of specific incidents being used to reveal Personal Identifiable Information (PII). Property incidents do not fall within the same guidelines, allowing for additional categories to be displayed with a more granular breakdown. The 'Other Theft' category includes a range of property related incidents such as shoplifting, theft of personal property (over / under $5000), mail theft, and utilities theft. Please see the above Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) guideline for additional details. The data provided uses the 'All Offence' reporting method, with the additional condition of 'Founded' incidents, denoting those incidents where it was determined after police investigation that the violation had occurred. Please note that aggregate categories tend to mask variations in specific areas, as trends in subcategories are not readily identifiable in large datasets. Further, the data and statistical summaries provided in GeoDASH are not comparable to Statistics Canada reporting. Statistics Canada generally use the 'UCR Survey' scoring rules, whereby only the 'Most Serious Offence (MSO)' in an incident is counted. The two methods are not cross comparable. Please see Statistics Canada website for additional details.

The release of Vancouver Police Department (VPD) crime data is intended to enhance community awareness of policing activity in Vancouver. Users are cautioned not to rely on the information provided to make decisions about the specific safety level of a specific location or area. By using this data the user agrees and understands that neither the Vancouver Police Department, Vancouver Police Board nor the City of Vancouver assumes liability for any decisions made or actions taken or not taken by the user in reliance upon any information or data provided.

While every effort has been made to be transparent in this process, users should be aware that the data is designed to provide individuals with a general overview of incidents falling into several crime categories. The information provided therefore does not reflect the total number of calls or complaints made to the VPD.

The crime classification and file status may change at any time based on the dynamic nature of police investigations. The VPD has taken great care to protect the privacy of all parties involved in the incidents reported. No personal or identifying information has been provided in the data. Locations for reported incidents involving Offences Against a Person have been deliberately randomized to several blocks and offset to an intersection. No time or street location name will be provided for these offences. For property related offences, the VPD has provided the location to the hundred block of these incidents within the general area of the block. All data must be considered offset and users should not interpret any locations as related to a specific person or specific property.