Police Departments Send Messages Online
By Ben Tinsley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Feb. 12–More and more police departments in Northeast Tarrant County are taking their battle against crime and chaos to cyberspace.
Keller Police Department officials go so far as to refer to their Web site, www.kellerpd.com, as a “Cyber Sub-Station.” The site provides residents with contact information for complaints, crime and accident statistics, news releases and photos, and e-mailed crime and safety alerts.
“A substation is a remote branch of any police department’s operation, and our substation just happens to be in cyberspace,” Keller police Lt. Tommy Williams said last week. “We wanted it to be interactive for citizens who want to know about our department and its operation. If you look at the site, it is a comprehensive overview of the department.”
The Bedford Police Department has a similar e-mail alert system on its site, www.bedfordpolice.com, Bedford police Lt. Kirk Roberts said. Officials use it to notify residents about Amber Alerts, changes in terrorism-alert levels and crime prevention tips. Police also use it when asking for the public’s help in finding a suspect, he said.
Bedford police post criminal activity on the Web page to keep the public informed, Roberts said.
Other departments, including Haltom City’s, make use of the Crime Web Network, a national Internet-based service that works like an e-mail list and notifies residents about crime, community programs and general information. At www.crimeweb.net, anyone can register for free with an e-mail, password and ZIP code, officials said.
“We actively use CrimeWeb.net to disseminate timely information to citizens and local business owners regarding crime, department programs and community concerns,” Haltom City police Detective Terry Stayer said.
Grapevine police Sgt. Bob Murphy said his department is upgrading www.ci.grapevine.tx.us/depts/police.”We are in the process of redesigning the department’s Web page,” Murphy said. “It will have numerous interactive capabilities, links to other particular Web sites, maybe e-report capabilities and information about each division within the PD.”
Ben Tinsley, (817) 685-3821 btinsley@star-telegram.com
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