Anyone curious about crime in their neighborhood is now a click away from getting the latest information on burglaries, batteries, robberies and homicides.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office on Wednesday launched an Internet database allowing for searches on 14 different types of crimes.
The site has a map and allows a viewer to look at crime types and trends by including addresses, zip codes, municipalities and general areas. Besides location, it allows users to review crime during a specific time period.
"It's something we knew would benefit the public," said Deputy Larry McKinnon, a sheriff's office spokesman. "Knowledge is power."
It can encourage vigilance in a neighborhood and increase dialogue between a neighborhood and the sheriff's office, McKinnon said. It also can help create a partnership, address issues and help deputies and investigators catch criminals, he said.
"We all want to stop crime," McKinnon said. "We all want to make our neighborhoods better."
The sheriff's office has been increasing its profile with the public by creating Facebook, YouTube and Twitter accounts. Its Facebook page averages 10,000 views a month and its YouTube page has received 350,000 views in the last 14 months, McKinnon said.
The crime map has a number of tools. It allows viewers to create PDF files and export the information to Excel. The data is delayed about 24 hours but the sheriff's office hopes to narrow the lag time in the future, McKinnon said.
You can view the crime map by visiting the sheriff's website at www.hcso.tampa.fl.us.
jpatino@tampatrib.com
(813) 259-7659
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement
Advertisement