Institute of Statistics launches digital platform for violent deaths notification system

The home page of the new digital dashboard for the Puerto Rico Violent Deaths Reporting System.

By THE STAR STAFF

The Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics, in collaboration with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), announced on Tuesday the official launch of the digital platform for the Puerto Rico Violent Deaths Reporting System (PRVDRS).

The new public and interactive tool facilitates transparent and timely access to data on violent deaths in Puerto Rico.

The digital platform was developed as part of efforts to strengthen the dissemination of reliable, timely, and high-quality statistical information on a critical public health and safety issue. The platform is intended for journalists, policymakers, government institutions, researchers, civil society organizations, and the general public.

From its inception in 2017 through 2023, the Puerto Rico Violent Deaths and Deaths Reporting System (PRVDRS) recorded 4,304 homicides and 1,685 suicides in Puerto Rico. This data comes from the integration and analysis of multiple official sources, including the Puerto Rico Police Department, the Institute of Forensic Sciences, and the Department of Health’s Demographic Registry.

“The planning and public policy formulation process requires reliable data and rigorous analysis. This tool allows us to establish trends and measure the magnitude of violent deaths in Puerto Rico,” stated Mario O. Font Martin, statistical project manager and coordinator of the PRVDRS. “This innovative tool not only presents figures but also provides context about the circumstances surrounding these incidents, allowing us to better understand what is happening in our communities. Evidence-based decision-making is fundamental to effectively addressing this public health and safety issue.”

The PRVDRS was established in September 2016 at the Institute and began data collection in January 2017 as part of the CDC’s National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS). The system is unique in that it integrates more than 600 data elements from multiple sources into an anonymized database, including death certificates, forensic reports (with toxicology results), and reports from law enforcement agencies.

The new platform allows users to explore data across the entire archipelago of Puerto Rico through interactive visualizations, maps, and historical comparisons dating back to 2017. Available variables include the type of violence (e.g., community and collective), the type of weapon used, and the circumstances surrounding the incidents. Currently, the platform displays consolidated official data through 2022. Preliminary data from 2023 to 2025 is also available, and data will be added and updated monthly.

This tool is part of a national strategy aimed at standardizing information on violent deaths, allowing for the comparison of data and variables with other U.S. jurisdictions participating in the NVDRS and facilitating the development of evidence-based public policies.

The new digital platform of the Violent Death Notification System will be available to the public through the official website of the Puerto Rico Institute of Statistics. It can be accessed through the following link: https://www.estadisticas.pr.gov/productos/sistema-de-notificacion-de-muertes-violentas-de-puerto-rico.