Heatmap Verification

Verifying reports before publishing them to the ICE Tea heatmap is a critical responsibility. This guide will walk you through the process of ensuring that public alerts are reliable, timely, and do not put anyone at risk.

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Why Verification Matters

The ICE Tea heatmap displays recent ICE or law enforcement activity reported by the community. It helps people:

• Avoid danger zones
• Mobilize support quickly
• Monitor patterns of state violence

Verified reports reduce false alarms by over 80% in our network.

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The Verification Pipeline

Every report follows this path:

1. Automatic Filter

   • Flags spam, vague entries, or duplicates

2. Human Review

   • A certified verifier evaluates the report

3. Decision Point

   • ✅ Verify & Publish
   • 🟡 Request Clarification
   • ❌ Mark as Unverifiable
   • 🟢 Escalate to Senior Verifier (for edge cases)

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Step-by-Step: Verifying a Report

1. Read Carefully

Check for:

• Specific location (address, landmark, cross-street)
• Clear timestamp (check if it’s local time or UTC)
• Descriptions of agents, vehicles, or uniforms
• Attached media, if present

2. Check for Red Flags

Examples:

• “ICE is everywhere today” (too vague)
• Timestamp is in the future
• Secondhand claims (“my friend said…”)
• Reused or suspicious media

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Map & Location Check

Use OpenStreetMap, Google Maps, or our internal tools to:

• Confirm the location is real and specific
• Spot implausible entries (e.g., ocean coordinates)
• Use Street View to validate storefronts or landmarks
• Compare with recent verified reports

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Decision Table

Action	Use When…
✅ Verify & Publish	Meets ICE Tea standards, confirmed location/time
🟡 Request Clarification	Missing detail but not disqualifying
❌ Mark as Unverifiable	Too vague, unverifiable, or misleading
🟢 Escalate to Senior Verifier	Suspicious media, repeat reporter, or edge case

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Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Rushing urgent reports without checking facts
• Trusting dramatic tone over verifiable data
• Skipping map review
• Modifying report text instead of requesting edits

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Reviewing Media

When reports include photos or videos:

• Confirm alignment with time/place claims
• Reverse-search suspicious images
• Redact license plates or faces when needed
• Never download or redistribute media casually

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What Counts as Valid?

Field	Must Be…
Location	Specific, real, and verifiable
Time	Recent (ideally within 12 hours)
Observation	Firsthand or directly witnessed
Media	(Optional) Supports the report claim

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Verifier Ethics

You are entrusted with sensitive user-submitted data. You must:

• Remain neutral, accurate, and fact-driven
• Uphold ICE Tea’s data ethics and security pledge
• Reject unverifiable or biased reports—even if “they feel true”

Avoid:

• Editorializing
• Uploading verified content elsewhere
• Letting fear override procedure

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Example: You Try

"ICE at the Shell station on Broadway. 3 unmarked SUVs. Saw them detain someone at 3:00pm."

✅ Confirm that location exists
✅ Cross-check with other recent reports
✅ Match any media to setting and timestamp
✅ Verify and Publish

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Escalation Scenario

A report says: “Detention van outside Walmart.” Attached photo shows a random parking lot. Reverse image search shows the photo is from another state.

🟢 Escalate to Senior Verifier
📝 Flag as potential disinfo
📁 Log metadata internally for pattern tracking

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Publishing to the Heatmap

Once verified, the report is:

• Added to the public heatmap
• Triggered for location-based alerts
• Logged for internal review and training

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Summary

• Verify carefully — urgency is not an excuse to skip due diligence.
• Use tools (maps, media metadata) to support your judgment.
• Stay humble, skeptical, and aligned with ICE Tea’s public safety mission.

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Verification is a form of care. It shapes what others believe and how they respond.