NCJ Number
205014
Journal
Sheriff Volume: 56 Issue: 2 Dated: March-April 2004 Pages: 46-47
Date Published
March 2004
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This article describes the features of an Internet Web site established by the Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office to facilitate communication with the public about crime control and crime prevention issues.
Abstract
The Web site, called "CitizenObserver," traces its origins to a Web site established by the son of a crime victim in an effort to apprehend the perpetrator of the near-fatal shooting of his mother. The success of this Web site in helping to apprehend the offender spurred an effort to use the Internet to help make communities safer. Company executives met with county sheriffs, police chiefs, and crime prevention specialists in the Midwest to develop a set of crime prevention tools. The Web site became live on August 8, 2001. More than 140 departments in 10 States are now using these tools. One of the tools on the site, the Alert Network, allows law enforcement agencies to communicate with the public instantly about crimes in the area. Alerts target specific business categories, such that users receive information only about crimes that pertain to them. Community members can register for crime alerts about identity theft and other events in their area. Complete details are provided on each case, including vehicle and suspect descriptions and photos. One of the most impressive tools on CitizenObserver is the Missing-Person Alert. Through the Web site, a missing person alert can be immediately issued to the media, businesses, and citizens with Internet access. CitizenObserver also helps law enforcement agencies support their local Neighborhood Watch programs. The Web site is particularly useful in eliciting community participation in policing and crime prevention in accordance with the tenets of community policing.