Next week, the Spokane Police Department is opening up its monthly crime statistics meeting to the public.

It's the first time in the Spokane CompStat program's three-year history that a meeting will be open. 

CompStat, short for computer statistics, is a system designed to fight crime more effectively using data. It was first implemented in the New York Police Department and came to Spokane in 2013 under former Chief Frank Straub. 

In Spokane, police publish weekly reports showing "hot spots" for particular crimes, including vehicle prowling and residential burglary, as well as statistics for violent and property crimes. The last report from 2015 shows a citywide drop of about 10 percent in both violent and property crimes over 2014, though the number of homicides increased from 9 to 16.

Command staff, including precinct captains, meet monthly to discuss the data, as well as major arrests and investigations. High-crime areas are targeted with extra patrols designed to drive down crime.

The event is scheduled for Feb. 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the Fire Training Center, 1618 N. Rebecca St.