Radius
Data & trust
Public-safety information is useful only when its limits stay visible. This guide explains where Radius gets activity, what AI can and cannot summarize, how locations are shown, and why some reports never reach the map.
Methodology last reviewed July 9, 2026 · Report a data issue
Source inventory
Radius does not imply that one source covers every call. Each incident keeps a source type and location-confidence note so people can understand what supports the map entry.
Current city sources
| Market | Source | Refresh | Location precision | Known limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Antonio | Official City of San Antonio public police calls, fire calls, and EMS calls | Checked about every minute while the source is available | Often block-level or approximate | Short call labels, incomplete rows, delays, and source outages |
| Dallas | Official Dallas Police active calls, official Dallas Fire-Rescue active incidents, and authorized Broadcastify dispatch audio | Official calls checked about every minute; audio processed continuously | Published blocks and intersections are geocoded with the City of Dallas street locator; vague audio locations are rejected | Active-call labels can be terse, audio can be partial or unavailable, and related official/audio reports may overlap |
| Houston | Authorized Broadcastify Houston Police dispatch audio | Processed continuously while audio and supporting services are available | Exact only when a usable public location is heard; otherwise area-level or rejected | Selective police coverage only; encrypted, unavailable, vague, sensitive, or low-confidence activity may not appear |
| Austin & Travis County | Official Travis County radio scanner | Processed continuously while audio and supporting services are available | Exact only when a usable public location is heard; otherwise area-level or rejected | Encrypted or unavailable channels, weak audio, partial statements, and AI transcription errors |
In Austin, Houston, and Dallas, automated transcription and summarization can turn clear scanner traffic into cautious plain-language context. AI can mishear names, addresses, call types, or timing, so summaries use reported-language and remain tied to their source.
A source may provide an exact address, block, intersection, landmark, neighborhood, or broad area. Radius preserves or reduces that precision rather than inventing a more exact point.
Source availability, processing, geocoding, and network conditions can delay an incident. A cleared event may remain visible in recent-history views, and some real incidents will never appear.
Radius rejects vague radio chatter, missing locations, low-information labels, sensitive details, and reports that cannot be shown responsibly. Filtering is a product feature, not a claim of complete coverage.
Low and medium activity can remain on the map. High and critical labels are used for saved-place notices and Plus delivery rules, but they are not official agency classifications or instructions.
Radius groups repeated source activity when possible, updates existing incidents, and marks events cleared when the source indicates they are no longer active. Automated matching can still be imperfect.
Corrections and safety
Email support@radiusalert.app with the incident link, what appears wrong, and any non-sensitive public source that supports a correction. Radius may update, reduce precision, or remove the incident.
Do not send victim names, private medical details, tactical information, or other sensitive personal data. Radius is for awareness only. Call 911 for emergencies and follow instructions from public-safety officials.
Plain answers
No. Radius labels the available source and summarizes carefully, but it cannot independently verify every report. Scanner-derived details are especially subject to incomplete audio and interpretation errors.
The source may be unavailable, encrypted, delayed, too vague, too sensitive, or missing a usable location. Radius intentionally filters information that cannot be mapped responsibly.
Many public sources provide a block, corridor, intersection, landmark, or area instead of an exact address. Radius does not turn that into false precision.
Radius applies product severity rules to available call types and context. These levels help control saved-place notifications; they are not official emergency declarations.