County crime mapping program puts stats in citizens' hands
Information is just a click away
SAN BERNARDINO • San Bernardino County residents, including those who live in the unincorporated areas around Barstow, will now be able to log onto the Sheriff’s Department’s Web site and see how much crime is in their neighborhoods.
The department launched its Community Crime Mapping program Thursday to provide citizens with information about recent crime activity.
The Sheriff’s Department is the first law enforcement agency in Southern California to initiate the system, according to authorities.
“A well-informed public has always been an essential element in the Sheriff’s Department,” said Sheriff Rod Hoops. “By implementing this program, we believe we can further enhance community-oriented policing efforts throughout San Bernardino County.”
The program combines current crime data from each of the sheriff’s stations with Google Maps and ESRI’s geographic engine to show where criminal activity is taking place.
Crime within the city of Barstow is not mapped in the system, because the city has its own police department and does not contract with the sheriff’s department. However, the areas surrounding the city that are patrolled by the Barstow sheriff’s station are included on the map.
Users can either choose a city or input an address to receive the information. The program also allows users to sign up for crime alerts, which notify the user by e-mail when a crime has occurred in an assigned neighborhood.
According to the designers of the system, the Omega Group, a problem with existing crime mapping services is the reliability of the information presented. With the Community Crime Mapping system, the information comes right from the Sheriff’s Department. Information will remain in the system for 90 days.
The area surrounding Barstow — including Lenwood and Grandview, Yermo, Hinkley, Daggett and Newberry Springs — showed 10 crime reports for the period of April 26 to May 1. All were non-violent crimes, including vehicle theft, drug violations, disturbing the peace, burglary and vandalism.
To log onto the system, visit the Sheriff’s Department’s Web site at www.sbcounty.gov/sheriff and follow the link for Community Crime Mapping.
Staff writer Abby Sewell contributed to this report.
