County Puts Crime Maps On Web Site

n New Castle County, Del., neighborhood crime data is now available to the public via the Internet. The county’s crime-mapping Web page shows the locations of homicides, robberies, burglaries, thefts, vehicle thefts, and acts of criminal mischief reported during the last three months, complete with a tool that allows site users to zoom into a particular area.

Rapes were excluded from the system due to privacy issues.

The site is based on the County Land Use Department’s property-mapping Web page and uses one-month-old data to ensure accuracy.

“Our information refines itself as it works its way through the investigative process,” said Sgt. Mike Walsh, who helped develop the program.

New Castle is incorporating data collected only within unincorporated areas, but is inviting the participation of state and municipal law enforcement agencies.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Wilmington News Journal (DE) (12/14/05) P. 1A; Basiouny, Angie .