New county crime mapping site to help residents, police spot trends

A new crime mapping software by Washington County is set to help residents more easily access and see where criminal conduct is happening in their area. Forest Lake is one of the cities utilizing this online system, crimemapping.com, that will make inquiring about criminal incidents and seeing criminal activity easier than it has been in the past.

“Traditionally, residents were required to submit a request in person. With our online system, residents can request reports by completing a simple form outlining their request and will receive automatic updates on the request progress,” Karen Haines, Washington County Public Safety systems manager.

For residents who simply want to see what is going on in their area, the software will track various crimes like arson, burglary, DUI, fraud, theft, homicide, vandalism or weapons violations. The website then shows a map of the city and places a pin where a crime was committed. Crime incidents will go through a vetting process by the department in charge of the case before it is posted on the website, where they will remain for 180 days. Each pin that signifies a crime will not be located directly where the crime occurred. Instead it’ll be within the closest hundredth block in order to protect the identity of victims and violators of the law. Sex crimes, sex offenders and sexual predators will not be reported on the site.

“I think it’s going to help the residents and also the police department kind of identify areas that you’d maybe call a hot spot, or where certain neighborhoods, certain blocks, are having issues,” said Forest Lake Police Capt. Luke Hanegraaf, who recently was promoted to the position after former Capt. Greg Weiss retired.

Developing this software that makes criminal incidents more accessible to residents has been a project that’s been discussed for several years as a way to help better inform communities about crimes in the area.

“Offering a crime mapping solution to residents is valuable, not only for general knowledge of what is occurring in communities, but it offers a platform where citizens can be self-reliant, especially benefiting community-oriented policing efforts,” Haines said.

The hope is that those efforts, such as neighborhood watch programs, will be reinforced by this new software. On Washington County’s website at co.washington.mn.us/2979/Law-Enforcement-Public-Data, reports can be requested using incident numbers that are stated on each pin on the map.

“The hope is that this tool will increase transparency between law enforcement and Washington County residents and will promote trust as well as identify problem areas in the community that may need attention,” Haines said.