Building a Police Budget Transparency Dashboard

Fundurado Editorial · Updated 2025-11-26

A good transparency dashboard turns raw budget spreadsheets into clear stories. For police funding, that often means breaking spending into categories that non-experts can understand.

Start with clear categories

Separating personnel, equipment, facilities, training, and specialized units can reveal patterns that line-item budgets hide.

Show changes over time

Trends matter. A dashboard that shows multi-year shifts in spending makes it easier to see whether reforms have real financial backing.

Focus on accessibility

Plain language, mobile-friendly layouts, and the ability to download data help more people use the information.

Combine numbers with context

Charts are powerful, but they are strongest when paired with short explanations, definitions, and links to primary documents.