having area crime news available shortly after the crime is verified
by the police. Since 2007 more than 800 police
departments are providing crime reports to at least three Internet
sites. This is enabling residents to get an email alert if there is
a crime in the neighborhood.
The service is free to the public but costs the police department
$200 a month. The question raised is whether this is money
well spent when budgets are so tight.
The biggest advantage would be like an early warning signal.
However one needs to have Internet access and check email
often to learn about the crime in a timely fashion.
This reminded me of the old "hue and cry" that existed
in early England prior to the formation of police departments.
Neighborhood watch groups could assign someone to monitor
the sites in specific time periods on specific days. But with so
many homes unoccupied during the day when the residents
are at work the disadvantage is that those who are at home
might bear the brunt of the notification system.
You can easily check to see if your neighborhood is included
by going to the web sites mentioned in the article:
If your neighborhood is not included, you can discuss the need for it,
or the reverse as the case may be, and then bring it up to city
government for consideration.
Technology, GIS, and police are joing forces and we shall probably
see more examples of technology used to include public
awareness in the future.
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