Adoption of Open-Data Initiatives by Law Enforcement Spurs Widespread Interest in Public Crime-Mapping Solutions
SALT LAKE CITY - Today, St. Petersburg, Fla., becomes the 500th law enforcement agency to share crime data with the public through CrimeReports.com, the world leader in online crime mapping. St. Petersburg joins other forward-thinking agencies like Los Angeles County, Washington DC, Boston, Baltimore, Omaha, Portland, and 499 other communities of all sizes across North America that have chosen to inform and engage their citizens through timely, block-level crime data. As well, nearly 100 additional agencies have signed onto to the CrimeReports network in the past 90 days and will appear on the map in the coming weeks.
“We look forward to building stronger relationships with citizens, as we share crime information and work together to prevent and reduce crime in our community,” said Chief Charles Harmon. “CrimeReports is enabling us to get crime information to our citizens quickly, easily, and affordably.”
The city’s 250,000 residents can now more fully benefit from the St. Petersburg Police Department’s continued commitment to cutting–edge technology and community outreach efforts. And local neighborhood watch efforts have gained an invaluable tool that will enable them to work more closely with officers to keep their communities safe.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are increasingly turning to web 2.0 technology and social networking tools to fulfill the Obama administration’s call for innovation through more open data at all levels of government and law enforcement. This rapid adoption of open-data initiatives has pushed CrimeReports to the front of the online crime-mapping industry.
“Not only is this a milestone for CrimeReports, but our growth is indicative of a larger push by law enforcement agencies to inform and communicate with their communities,” said Greg Whisenant, founder and CEO of CrimeReports. “We simply supply law enforcement agencies with cost-effective, easy-to-use tools to accomplish their goals.”
CrimeReports launched in mid-2007, with only one law-enforcement partner. Today, it is the largest and most-comprehensive online crime-mapping service in the world. CrimeReports’ innovative solutions have allowed law enforcement agencies to communicate with local citizens more cost-effectively than any other solution on the market. With a recent $7.2 million joint funding infusion from Austin Ventures and vSpring Capital, CrimeReports is expanding its offerings with Command Central, a powerful crime-analytics tool for law enforcement agencies and will introduce other web-based law enforcement and community watch tools in the near future.
About CrimeReports
Working with more than 500 agencies across North America, CrimeReports is the largest online resource for accurate, up-to-date crime information. The CrimeReports network offers a family of affordable, easy-to-use software tools for law enforcement agencies to understand crime trends and share up-to-date neighborhood crime data with the public. Community members can access the integrated crime map and receive email crime alerts for free at www.CrimeReports.com, empowering them to make informed decisions to help improve the safety of their neighborhood and community. CrimeReports services are offered by Public Engines, Inc. For more information, visit www.CrimeReports.com.