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Matt Chapman

Matt Chapman is a freelance data and systems engineer with a deep love for FOIA and its potential to improve understandings of the world around us. On the side, he works with Lucy Parsons Labs, Invisible Institute, and has managed his own NFP, Free Our Info. His past work includes archival work of global warming websites, Chicago parking tickets analysis and visualization, several FOIA lawsuits, and a project to collect government email metadata from around the U.S.

Behind the Data

Chicago Police Department partially restores access to arrests data following outcry

By Josh McGhee and Matt Chapman | July 17, 2020

The arrest API had been shut down after The Chicago Reporter used it to disprove official claims about arrests during George Floyd protests.

Criminal Justice

Chicago police arrested more people for protesting than for looting in early days of unrest, contradicting original claims

By David Eads, Josh McGhee and Matt Chapman | June 16, 2020

Just 20% of arrests during the first few days of protests over the killing of George Floyd were for looting-related crimes, new data shows, refuting earlier statements by CPD that looting accounted for the majority of arrests that weekend.