SoCal-Watch

A camera watch app that documents and maps local government officials, law enforcement, and civic accountability resources for Southern California communities.

Overview

SoCal-Watch is a community-driven application designed to help Southern California residents access important information about their local government and law enforcement. The project focuses on documenting Riverside County cities, starting with Temecula and Murrieta, with plans to expand to additional cities.

Features

• City Council Information: Direct links to Murrieta-Temecula City Council contact information for filing complaints and civic engagement
• Law Enforcement Directory: Riverside County Sheriff's badge and name lookup system
• Case Records Access: Search capabilities for incident reports, civil cases, and criminal cases involving local law enforcement
• Geographic Documentation: OpenStreetMap-based mapping of cities and official locations
• Community-Focused: Built for Southern California residents seeking transparency and accountability

Target Audience

• Southern California residents concerned with civic accountability
• Community members needing to file complaints with local government
• Citizens researching law enforcement records and incident reports
• Advocates for transparency in local government and policing

Tech Stack

• TypeScript (60.4%)
• HTML (38.3%)
• CSS (1.3%)

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• Node.js and npm
• Modern web browser

Installation

git clone https://github.com/jessdoctrine/SoCal-Watch.git
cd SoCal-Watch
npm install
npm start

Production Build

npm run build

Project Scope

This project documents cities in Riverside County, beginning with:

• Temecula
• Murrieta

The project aims to add more cities over time, with data being added manually using OpenStreetMap and local public resource information.

Usage

1. Open the app in a browser.
2. Select a city or mapped location.
3. Review local government and law enforcement information.
4. Use the provided links to contact city officials or investigate public records.
5. Explore additional cities as they are added.

Data Sources

• OpenStreetMap
• Public city council and government information
• Publicly available law enforcement records
• Incident report and court information where available

Contributions

This project is currently being expanded manually, city by city. Contributions are welcome, especially for:

• Adding more cities
• Updating business and government data
• Improving map accuracy
• Fixing incorrect or outdated information
• Enhancing the UI and usability

To contribute:

git checkout -b feature/your-update
# make changes
# commit
# push

Then open a pull request on GitHub.

Roadmap

• Temecula documentation
• Murrieta documentation
• Expand to additional Riverside County cities
• Improve law enforcement lookup tools
• Add more public records and complaint resources
• Improve mobile and accessibility support

Disclaimer

SoCal-Watch is intended for informational and civic awareness purposes only. It compiles publicly available information and does not replace official records, legal advice, or official government channels.

License

This project does not currently include a license file. If you plan to publish it publicly, consider adding an open-source license such as MIT.

Contact

• Repository: https://github.com/jessdoctrine/SoCal-Watch
• Issues: https://github.com/jessdoctrine/SoCal-Watch/issues

Acknowledgments

• OpenStreetMap community
• Local civic and accountability organizations
• Community contributors and volunteers

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Mission: Give Southern California residents easier access to local civic information, public records, and government accountability resources.