APIs, JSON files, and Data Clearning

~ Evan Marie Carr

FBI Most Wanted API:

does not require an api key
has very little documentation aside from a few examples
fairly simple and straight forward

import pandas as pd
import requests
import json
from IPython.display import HTML
import numpy as np
pd.options.display.max_columns = 60

Importing Data:

These are the specific methods used below (each has linked documentation):

Requests Library Documetation
requests.get - sends a get request to the http specified for the parameters specified
requests.Response - the object data type returned when using requests.get()
json.loads() - used to parse JSON data and convert it to a Python dictionary
response.content - returns the entire contents of the query

Example Searches from FBI Most Wanted Site:

These search examples are the extent of the documentation the FBI Most Wanted website gives as documentation for how to use its API

# Data from Atlanta field office
response = requests.get('https://api.fbi.gov/wanted/v1/list', params={
    'field_offices': 'atlanta'
})

data = json.loads(response.content)
print("From the Atlanta field office: ", data['total'])
print(data['items'][0]['title'], "\n")

# Second page of data from entire list
response = requests.get('https://api.fbi.gov/wanted/v1/list', params={
    'page': 2
})

data = json.loads(response.content)
print("Page No.: ", data['page'])
print(data['items'][0]['title'], "\n")

# ----------------------------------------------------------------------- #

# Entire list, which is imported only 1 page at a time
response = requests.get('https://api.fbi.gov/wanted/v1/list')
data = json.loads(response.content)

database_length = data['total']

print("Length of entire most wanted list: ", data['total'])
print(data['items'][0]['title'], "\n")

From the Atlanta field office:  13
DIEGO TREJO 

Page No.:  2
KRISTIN DENISE SMART 

Length of entire most wanted list:  957
JEANINE DE RIDDERE