def get_marker_points():
"""Get JSON objects for marker points."""
start_date = request.args.get("start_date") #start_date and end_date are defined in the event listener in javascript and passed into Flask
end_date = request.args.get("end_date")
if start_date: #if the user enters in a start_date
print start_date
start_date_formatted = datetime.strptime(start_date,"%Y-%m-%d") #reformat start and end dates as date objects
end_date_formatted = datetime.strptime(end_date,"%Y-%m-%d")
return Crime_Stat.get_features_objects_by_date(start_date_formatted,end_date_formatted) #call class method that will return GeoJSON features
else: # user has not entered in a date, use a default period
end_date = datetime.now()
start_date = end_date - timedelta(days=15)
print start_date
return Crime_Stat.get_features_objects_by_date(start_date,end_date)
