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Haverhill
Haverhill first in state to put crime incidents online
Published: January 2, 2008
HAVERHILL - "To protect and to serve" is their motto, and Haverhill police are adding a new wrinkle to the "serve" part. They are introducing a free online service that will allow people to look up crime on a particular street, neighborhood or city.
The service is called "Crime Reports," and Haverhill is the first in New England to offer it.
If you were thinking about moving into a Haverhill neighborhood, for instance, you could learn about what kinds of crimes took place over a period of time in that section of town. You can narrow your search to a particular street or block, or view crime data for the entire city. Because of confidentiality restrictions, the system cannot provide crime information for a particular address.
At this time, police have loaded a year's worth of crime data into the system, ranging from homicide to vehicle theft, as well as quality of life issues such as disorderly conduct, alcohol and drugs.
Police Chief Alan DeNaro said he first heard about this service at a police chief's convention this fall. He said that at this time there are 10 communities in the United States that have registered with the Crime Reports service and are uploading their crime data. The information is then made available online at www.crimereports.com. You can also access the site through the city's Web site or Police Department Web site.
"It's another tool for the public to access information about their city," DeNaro said. "Some people may want to keep crime a secret. We have nothing to hide, and I think this service is a great tool for the public. The public has a right to know what's going on in their community, good or bad."
"I've never seen anything like this," said M. Mae Dunn, a crime analyst with the Haverhill Police Department. "You can also sign up for crime alerts via e-mail, and you can access various crime data charts, including bar charts, pie charts and trend charts."
City Councilor David Hall, head of the city's public safety committee, said this kind of service can only help to make the city a safer place.
"I think this is an excellent service because it keeps the population informed," Hall said. "This chief is on top of things, and he's always looking for new ways to do things."
DeNaro said the service is free to the city for a six-month trial period, then would cost a few hundred dollars a month if the city wanted to continue being part of the Crime Reports service.
The service is called "Crime Reports," and Haverhill is the first in New England to offer it.
If you were thinking about moving into a Haverhill neighborhood, for instance, you could learn about what kinds of crimes took place over a period of time in that section of town. You can narrow your search to a particular street or block, or view crime data for the entire city. Because of confidentiality restrictions, the system cannot provide crime information for a particular address.
At this time, police have loaded a year's worth of crime data into the system, ranging from homicide to vehicle theft, as well as quality of life issues such as disorderly conduct, alcohol and drugs.
Police Chief Alan DeNaro said he first heard about this service at a police chief's convention this fall. He said that at this time there are 10 communities in the United States that have registered with the Crime Reports service and are uploading their crime data. The information is then made available online at www.crimereports.com. You can also access the site through the city's Web site or Police Department Web site.
"It's another tool for the public to access information about their city," DeNaro said. "Some people may want to keep crime a secret. We have nothing to hide, and I think this service is a great tool for the public. The public has a right to know what's going on in their community, good or bad."
"I've never seen anything like this," said M. Mae Dunn, a crime analyst with the Haverhill Police Department. "You can also sign up for crime alerts via e-mail, and you can access various crime data charts, including bar charts, pie charts and trend charts."
City Councilor David Hall, head of the city's public safety committee, said this kind of service can only help to make the city a safer place.
"I think this is an excellent service because it keeps the population informed," Hall said. "This chief is on top of things, and he's always looking for new ways to do things."
DeNaro said the service is free to the city for a six-month trial period, then would cost a few hundred dollars a month if the city wanted to continue being part of the Crime Reports service.
BOX
Crime Reports and how it works
* Visit online at: www.crimereports.com.
* Click on the map of the U.S. and on one of the darkened states that is using this service, such as Massachusetts.
* Click on the drop-down box to select the police department you are searching for, such as Haverhill.
* Click on the crime symbols (on the Haverhill city street map) to obtain specific crime data.
* Selecting the "Analytics" tab at the top of the Crimereports.com Web site yields city crime data charts.
Crimes reported for Haverhill will include:
* Homicide
* Burglary
* Robbery
* Theft
* Vehicle theft
* Vehicle burglary
* Sex offenses
* Assault
* Disorderly conduct
* Alcohol and drugs
