Where was the nearest assault? How many DUIs happen between Sedona and Cottonwood? How safe is our new neighborhood?
Yavapai County residents now have access to that information through an easy-to-use, Web browser-based mapping program.
On Jan. 5, the Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office announced a partnership with CrimeMapping.com, an online geographic information system program, which allows users to see reported criminal activity throughout the county.
The website allows users to see a map of recent crime incidents near any address in the county. Color-coded icons indicating crimes like assault, vandalism, DUI, murder and burglary appear on the map in much the same way businesses or tourist attractions appear on other GIS software programs.
Users can select specific crime types and date ranges to see, for example, the number of disturbing the peace incidents over New Year’s Eve, or the number of car break-ins in November.
Users can generate reports and receive e-mail updates as well as crime alerts. Currently, users can see a map of crimes reported in the county back to July. There is also a free downloadable app for smartphone users.
“We encourage users to explore the site and the many different ways you can tailor results to your particular interest,” Yavapai County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Dwight D’Evelyn stated. “Again, this includes the ability to select specific crime types, such as burglary and fraud, for review.”
An email alert form allows CrimeMapping.com to contact users about selected crime types within a two-mile radius from any address. There is a 24-hour delay in linking incident history to the site, D’Evelyn stated.
Incidents include report numbers, dates and residential blocks as a reference for follow-ups. Individual addresses are not identified in order to help ensure privacy is protected, according to CrimeMapping.com.
YCSO joins police departments in Apache Junction, Nogales, Prescott, Surprise and Glendale as the handful using the service in Arizona. No other agencies in the Verde Valley are currently partnered with CrimeMapping.com.
Data is extracted regularly from each agencies’ records system so the information viewed on the site is the most current available. This data is always verified for accuracy and all address information is generalized by block.
“Remember, residents who are aware of activity around them are better equipped to assist YCSO by reporting related concerns which can aid to solve crimes in your neighborhoods,” D’Evelyn stated.
Developed by The Omega Group, CrimeMapping.com uses an advanced mapping engine to show localized criminal activity for 274 law enforcement agencies around the United States and one in New Brunswick, Canada. The company helps law enforcement agencies provide information about crime activity in local neighborhoods with the goal of assisting agencies reduce crime through informed citizenry.
“Creating more self-reliance among community members is a great benefit to community-oriented policing efforts everywhere and has been proven effective in combating crime,” according to the CrimeMapping.com website.
Based in San Diego, The Omega Group runs crime analysis and mapping applications for law enforcement agencies, as well as mapping program for fire departments and districts. It also handles personnel records for schools, law enforcement and fire agencies and student records across the United States and Canada.
Contact YCSO at (928) 771-3260 or visit the YCSO website. A link to CrimeMapping.com can be found at the top of the Web page.
