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Check neighborhood crime online [Aiken Standard, S.C. :: ]
[September 07, 2014]

Check neighborhood crime online [Aiken Standard, S.C. :: ]


(Aiken Standard (SC) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Sept. 07--The Internet has put the world at a person's fingertips -- and that includes the crime happening in their neighborhood.

The City of Aiken has an online database available that keeps track of calls that the Aiken Department of Public Safety receives.

"The city is broken down into 49 separate neighborhoods, just for crime data and fire reporting purposes," said Lt. Jake Mahoney, a spokesman for Aiken Public Safety.

To view the website, visit http://bit.ly/1nBfZ11.

After going to the website, use the drop-down menu on the right to select the neighborhood you want to view crime statistics for.

"It will tell you the types of calls that we've responded to in that neighborhood," Mahoney said. "It doesn't get down to specifics, but it tells you what types of calls." A user can select the time frame they would like to view, which are available in months. You can view the crime statistics for a neighborhood for a single month, for six months or for the past year.



The first result is a map that uses blue balloons to show the locations of calls that Aiken Public Safety responded to in that time frame.

Under that, the site shows the total number of calls officers responded to in that time frame, followed by a breakdown of the number of calls for each type of incident -- vandalism, simple assault, DUI, burglary, drug violations, etc. The site also includes bar and line graphs illustrating the number of crimes each month.


The information is updated monthly using information from the incident reports that officers complete at each call. The online database has been available for several years, and the information can be searched back to 2009.

"It gives you a snapshot of the types of calls that have been reported in that neighborhood," Mahoney said, adding that it's also useful for someone considering a move to a neighborhood or for parents who want to see the types of crime happening around their children's school. Officers use the same information to target their patrols and crime suppression efforts.

"Being aware of what is occurring in your neighborhood and staying informed helps you not only protect yourself, but also be on the lookout for specific activity," he said. "If your neighborhood is having a high number of burglaries or car break-ins, once people are aware those activities are going on, they tend to be a little more observant and alert, and they tend to take the steps to protect themselves." Teddy Kulmala covers the crime and courts beat for the Aiken Standard and has been with the newspaper since August 2012. He is a native of Williston and majored in communication studies at Clemson University.

___ (c)2014 the Aiken Standard (Aiken, S.C.) Visit the Aiken Standard (Aiken, S.C.) at www.aikenstandard.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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