Some Crimes Can Be Reported on the Web
The Gulfport police force is the first law enforcement agency in Mississippi to let citizens file online police reports for certain types of crimes.
The Desk Officer Reporting System, or E-Police Department, is intended for no-suspect misdemeanor crimes involving losses below $500–not for emergencies. The tool makes it easy for individuals to file such complaints, and provides documentation as well.
The system helps the police by automatically printing the reports, freeing officers to focus on emergencies. Unlike other systems, the program requires no extra staff to retype the data.
In addition to assisting the public, the online police reports will be used to identify trends in crime and to compile statistics.
The software was donated to the police department by Cop Logic after Hurricane Katrina.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center (NLECTC) from the Biloxi Sun Herald (MS); 04/29/07; P. A3; Fitzgerald, Robin.
