SALT LAKE CITY -- On a map of Salt Lake City, coloring in the crime over the last 30 days nearly fills the page, and it’s an image the Salt Lake City Police Department believes the public needs to see.
“It’s just another tool in their belt to try to protect themselves and their neighborhoods,” said Detective Richard Chipping.
They recently launched a system on their webpage to allow people to track crime right alongside them.
The online database goes back 60 months, allowing a user to look up an incident by a specific day or location in the city. There is also a page to view every call for assistance police received in the last 48 hours.
“As people see upticks in certain types of crimes in an area, they can electively try to deal with an issue,” Chipping said. “It’s going to be a constantly changing thing. As cases are investigated, they can be updated.”
In downtown, it’s helped paint a picture of some problems for residents.
“This is a lot more information, a lot more information,” said Michael Cohn, who lives near Liberty Park.
Over the last decade, Cohn has become actively involved in the community’s safety. Currently, he’s the co-chairman of the East Liberty Park Community Organization, a group that now utilizes the department’s online tool.
“You’re vulnerable if you’re not paying attention,” Cohn said, “Depending on what’s going on around you, it helps to know what to pay attention to.”
In an effort to improve and update the service over time, the department is taking feedback from the public. If you would like to leave a suggestion, visit slcpd.com/crimestatistics
