❓ Why did my search decline?

A search that does not answer is almost always doing its job. There are two reasons, and neither means anything is broken.

Reason 1: fewer than 5 records

To protect privacy, any count under 5 is suppressed (the under-5 rule). A very specific question in a small area or a short window can fall below that line. The tool tells you so and offers a wider window ("try the last 12 months," "try this year"). Widen the topic, area, or time and it will answer.

Reason 2: the question asks for something we do not do

If a question asks the tool to rank places ("which neighborhood is worst"), deliver a safety verdict ("is Waikiki safe"), or predict ("will theft rise next month"), it declines on purpose. The product describes what was recorded; it never scores, ranks places, or forecasts. This is explained in What we will never do, and why.

How to rephrase

Turn a verdict into a description and it will answer:

• Instead of "is Kailua safe," ask "what was recorded in Kailua last 6 months."
• Instead of "rank my areas," ask "which of my areas had the most theft" (a description of the record, which Portfolio answers).
• Instead of "will burglary rise," ask "how has burglary changed over recent months."