New web site allows for police and block captains to communicate
Albuquerque— Mayor Richard J. Berry and the Albuquerque Police Department have launched a new interactive web site that allows neighborhood block captains and police to communicate with each other about crimes.
The web site, which being dubbed Neighborhood Hot Sheets, is currently be piloted with block captains on the city’s Southeast side. APD plans to include other neighborhoods in the months to come and will eventually unveil it to all of the city’s 800 neighborhood block captains by the end of next year.
“This takes grass roots public safety to the basic level block by block,” Mayor Berry said. “This gives citizens who have committed themselves to supporting public safety the ability to create a larger community-wide awareness about individuals who could be involved in criminal activity.”
The web site is similar to social media sites such as Facebook. Block captains can log onto the web site and post information about suspicious activity or crime trends. In turn, law enforcement and other block captains monitor the site and are able to comment on posts or add more information. Law enforcement can also post information on the site alerting neighborhoods of crimes they are noticing and what to be on the look out for. The site also allows for block captains to receive email alerts.
The web site is similar to award-wining site that is being used by the city’s retail alliance. That site, which was launched in 2007, allows retailers and police to communicate with each other about crime trends, patterns and suspects who are victimizing department stores. Since then about 15 other cities have replicated Albuquerque’s model.
The web site is secured and is only available to block captains. Launching the site was one of Mayor Berry’s goals when he unveiled his 15-point plan to attack property crime in January 2010. The site was unveiled Tuesday night to about 18 neighborhood leaders on the city’s Southeast side. So far about six block captains have registered with the site and are getting updates. Developing the site didn’t cost any extra tax dollars. APD used an existing contract to develop the site.
