Cole County joining crime-tracking website

Program maps locations, types of crime

Above is a screenshot of a Columbia, Mo., map on raidsonline.com, which shows various crimes investigated from May 11 to May 24, 2014. The Cole County Sheriff's Department will soon add its data into the crime tracking website.
Above is a screenshot of a Columbia, Mo., map on raidsonline.com, which shows various crimes investigated from May 11 to May 24, 2014. The Cole County Sheriff's Department will soon add its data into the crime tracking website.

A new tool to help predict and prevent crime in Cole County may be in place by next month, according to the Cole County Sheriff's Department.

Recently, the County Commission approved $4,700 to help set up a computer program that will allow the sheriff's department to show and track crimes on the sheriff's department website.

Used in many communities, such as Columbia, raidsonline.com shows maps of where crimes have occurred in those communities and what types of crimes took place.

"We use it for the public side of our website,"said crime analyst Jerry East with the Columbia Police Department. "We've had several instances where someone calls and they're moving to a new place. So we can say look at our map, and they can see what happened over a period of time in that area."

Added Cole County Sheriff Greg White: "If we can predict where or what crimes are taking place, that leads to prevention. There will be information that the public will have access to along with information that only sheriff's department staff will have access to."

East said the crimes they show are those they track for their annual reports to the Missouri Highway Patrol and FBI such as thefts and robberies.

White said a smartphone app will also give residents access to the information.

"It's a way to be more open and get information out there," East said.

Weblink: www.raidsonline.com