SPOTCRIME WILL SHARE CRIME DATA WITH WEST HAVEN POLICE DEPARTMENT
BALTIMORE,MD(3/18/10) ---The largest independent data and news company mapping crime worldwide, Baltimore-based SpotCrime, has signed a deal to share crime data with the West Haven, Connecticut Police Department (WHPD).
SpotCrime’s proprietary model pulls crime incident data from multiple sources, including state and local police departments and validated news sources, to produce a comprehensive record of local crime information.
“The local crime data and crime mapping services provided by SpotCrime is a service to the citizens of West Haven that strengthens the bond between the public and the police,” says WHPD Chief of Police John Karajanis.
The WHPD is known for its innovative use of state-of-the-art technologies in crime fighting and crime scene investigation. The data provided by SpotCrime– including pertinent crime data for West Haven’s neighborhoods– will be available on the Department’s website, along with information on “most wanted” individuals and arrests.
SpotCrime data is also available through an iPhone mobile application, launched earlier this year. The iPhone app allows users to view crime data by proximity of date, obtain detailed descriptions of the crimes listed, and share crime incidents with others via email.
“Today, almost everyone has Internet capable phones and can receive updates as soon as the Crime Unit posts it,” says Sgt. Robert Oneill, who heads up WHPD’s Records Division and oversees the Department’s Crime Unit.
The SpotCrime iPhone app also employs augmented reality (AR), allowing users to see a live view of a real-world environment (a street corner, for example) whose elements are merged with computer-generated imagery of crimes which have occurred in that location.
SpotCrime’s crime mapping data now reaches more than 80 percent of the U.S. population, primarily through partnerships it has created with major media companies around the country. Those partnerships – which have made local crime data available through more than 100 media outlets nationally – include deals with Local TV LLC, Newport Television, Fisher
Communications, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, and Nexstar Broadcasting.
“SpotCrime was founded on the principle that information is power, and it is the right of every citizen to have easy access to crime information in their neighborhood,” says the company’s Founder and President, Colin Drane.
“We believe that with our information, citizens’ awareness of their surroundings will increase and, as a result, they will be able to make safer decisions,” Drane continues. “There is wisdom in the noise and we hope to draw attention to crime hot spots to help direct policy and resources in the prevention of crime.”
To that end, Drane encourages individuals to sign up for SpotCrime’s free crime mapping service. SpotCrime sends its subscribers regular email alerts detailing reported crimes within a two-mile radius of a designated location, such as their home or workplace.
Drane also notes that SpotCrime does not selectively report or judge crimes. As a result, the company refuses to charge any type of fee to local police departments in order to maintain its complete independence.
For more information about SpotCrime, signing up to receive regular SpotCrime reports, and downloading the iPhone application, visit the company’s website at www.spotcrime.com.
SpotCrime’s proprietary model pulls crime incident data from multiple sources, including state and local police departments and validated news sources, to produce a comprehensive record of local crime information.
“The local crime data and crime mapping services provided by SpotCrime is a service to the citizens of West Haven that strengthens the bond between the public and the police,” says WHPD Chief of Police John Karajanis.
The WHPD is known for its innovative use of state-of-the-art technologies in crime fighting and crime scene investigation. The data provided by SpotCrime– including pertinent crime data for West Haven’s neighborhoods– will be available on the Department’s website, along with information on “most wanted” individuals and arrests.
SpotCrime data is also available through an iPhone mobile application, launched earlier this year. The iPhone app allows users to view crime data by proximity of date, obtain detailed descriptions of the crimes listed, and share crime incidents with others via email.
“Today, almost everyone has Internet capable phones and can receive updates as soon as the Crime Unit posts it,” says Sgt. Robert Oneill, who heads up WHPD’s Records Division and oversees the Department’s Crime Unit.
The SpotCrime iPhone app also employs augmented reality (AR), allowing users to see a live view of a real-world environment (a street corner, for example) whose elements are merged with computer-generated imagery of crimes which have occurred in that location.
SpotCrime’s crime mapping data now reaches more than 80 percent of the U.S. population, primarily through partnerships it has created with major media companies around the country. Those partnerships – which have made local crime data available through more than 100 media outlets nationally – include deals with Local TV LLC, Newport Television, Fisher
Communications, Capitol Broadcasting Company, Hubbard Broadcasting Corporation, and Nexstar Broadcasting.
“SpotCrime was founded on the principle that information is power, and it is the right of every citizen to have easy access to crime information in their neighborhood,” says the company’s Founder and President, Colin Drane.
“We believe that with our information, citizens’ awareness of their surroundings will increase and, as a result, they will be able to make safer decisions,” Drane continues. “There is wisdom in the noise and we hope to draw attention to crime hot spots to help direct policy and resources in the prevention of crime.”
To that end, Drane encourages individuals to sign up for SpotCrime’s free crime mapping service. SpotCrime sends its subscribers regular email alerts detailing reported crimes within a two-mile radius of a designated location, such as their home or workplace.
Drane also notes that SpotCrime does not selectively report or judge crimes. As a result, the company refuses to charge any type of fee to local police departments in order to maintain its complete independence.
For more information about SpotCrime, signing up to receive regular SpotCrime reports, and downloading the iPhone application, visit the company’s website at www.spotcrime.com.
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