NCJ Number
198057
Journal
Law Enforcement Technology Volume: 29 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2002 Pages: 80,82,85
Date Published
November 2002
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the Minneapolis Police Departments’ Web site designed to disseminate information about crime patterns.
Abstract
In an extension of their community policing efforts, the Minneapolis Police Department designed a Web site that acts as a virtual block club. It is described as an on-line neighborhood watch program that alerts viewers about suspicious people and activities. The outcome of the online watch program has been an increased flow of information and a decrease in crime in the downtown area. High crime areas in Minneapolis have reduced their rates of crime from between 12 to 51 percent since the web site was constructed. The author explains that the Web site emerged from concerns about crime during a 2000 genetics conference. The Web site was conceived of as a way to link the observations of security officers and citizens alike. The author offers suggestions for setting up a virtual block club in other cities. The Minneapolis Web site is considered a success in forming a crime fighting coalition of residents and business owners.