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ByTamiAbdollah The Associated Press LOS ANGELES TheCalifor- nia Department of Justice on Wednesday unveiled a state-run website to pro- vide data on law enforce- ment's interactions with the public. The database is the cul- mination of months of work aimed at improving trans- parency and government accountability after inci- dents sparked debate across the country on police prac- tices over the last year. "All of these incidents have encouraged a national dialogue about what is the relationship between law enforcement and communi- ties we have served," state Attorney General Kamala Harris said at a news con- ference in Los Angeles. "Part of this conversation should take place looking at the data," she said. "What are the numbers? What are the facts that we know that we can actually quan- tify that can influence pub- lic policy...How can we im- prove these numbers and improve the situation." The initial "OpenJustice" dashboard includes three datasets: law enforcement officers killed or assaulted in the line of duty; deaths in custody, including ar- rest-related deaths; and ar- rests and bookings. State officials say the dashboard will likely be expanded to include additional data sets. California appears to be the first state to try to de- mocratize such data and easily provide it to the pub- lic, said Jim Bueermann, who heads the nonprofit Police Foundation. "There may be some bumps in the short run, but in the long run, it will strengthen the relation- ships between the police and communities they're paid to protect," said Bueer- mann, a former Redlands, California, police chief. The foundation, which aims to improve police practices, has been outspoken about the need for standardized compulsory data reports from law enforcement across the country. The website includes a briefanalysisofthenumbers, completed through a part- nership between the state andprofessorsattheUniver- sity of California at Berkeley. Some conclusions so far are: • California law enforce- mentagencieshavereported 345 officer deaths between 1980 and 2014, with an aver- ageofabout10officerdeaths reported annually. • There were 6,837 deaths in custody reported be- tween 2005 and 2014, or an average of about 685 annu- ally. Of the total, more than 61 percent were natural. • About 76 percent of 1,202 arrest-related deaths reported from 2005 to 2014 were homicides by law en- forcement officers or staff; the average age of the vic- tim was 34 years old. • Over the past 30 years, reported property and vio- lent crimes have been cut in half. • The arrest rate peaked in 1989. And men are about 3.5 times more likely to be arrested than women. The office has also reached out to Stanford University; the University of California, Los Angeles; the University of Califor- nia, Irvine; and the Univer- sity of Southern California to have their criminal jus- tice and law professors and data scientists analyze the information and provide further details that could help improve law enforce- ment practices. State officials realized they were sitting on a trove of data, which are required under various state laws to be reported to the Califor- nia Department of Justice. Harris has come out in support of a state Assembly bill that would require law enforcement to report use- of- force incidents against the public to the state. Of- ficials say if the data is re- ported to them, it will also become part of what's pro- vided to the public online. Officials say they don't know of any other depart- ment with a similar effort and hope that their actions will inspire other states to follow suit. TRANSPARENCY Ca li fo rn ia D OJ u nv ei ls w eb si te with law enforcement data By Felicia Fonseca The Associated Press GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, ARIZ. Visitors headed to the Grand Can- yon lately know to expect two things: breathtaking views and long waits. Tourists are showing up in big numbers at Grand Canyon and other national parks like Zion, Yellowstone and Yosemite. The crowds are driven by good weather, cheap gas and marketing campaigns ahead of next year's National Park Ser- vice centennial. With the busy Labor Day weekend still ahead, the Park Service already has recorded 5 million more visitors from this time last year. Park officials are making due with the resources they have and paying overtime to keep as many entrance gates open as possible. Vis- itors are encouraged to use shuttles. The Park Service launched a campaign this year to reintroduce the parks and is giving free passes to fourth graders and their families. National parks seeing huge spikes in visitation this year FELICIAFONSECA—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Visitors line the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona. ROSS D. FRANKLIN — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Throngs of hikers make their way to Wall Street from the switchbacks at Sunset Point in Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. TOURISM NICK UT — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS California Attorney General Kamala Harris, speaks during a news conference in Los Angeles, on Wednesday. The California Department of Justice on Wednesday unveiled a state-run website to provide data on law enforcement's interactions with the public. COOK Keep yOur family safer frOm fOOd pOisOning Check your steps at foodsafety.gov dO yOu want that safe Or medium-safe? use a fOOd thermOmeter tO maKe sure yOu COOK raw meat and pOultry tO a BaCteria-Killing temperature. dO yOu want that safe Or medium-safe? 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