The overwhelming response to our August 1996 FaxBack question indicates that agencies use the Internet in a wide variety of ways to communicate with citizens. Law enforcement agencies large and small, rural and metropolitan, have established home pages. And, respondents report almost universally that these sites have proven more successful and popular among citizens than department administrators originally envisioned they would be.
All of the responding agencies use their home pages to provide basic information about their departments to citizens. This information generally includes an agency's mission statement, a brief history of the department, and a message from the commanding officer. Agencies also feature local fugitives (some even include a list of the FBI's Ten Most Wanted), crime prevention tips, and crime tip hotlines. Some agencies use the Internet to obtain product information or simply to contact other police agencies. The majority of responding agencies provide a listing of state and local criminal statutes.
In addition, many of the agencies use their Internet sites to provide citizens with detailed information about criminal activity occurring in the community. The King County, Washington, Police Department worked with a local computer firm to develop a software application that enables the department to include electronic pin maps on its home page. These maps-which quickly became one of the most popular features of the site-display information on all arrests, residential burglaries, aggravated assaults, auto thefts, and other crimes occurring throughout the county.
Departments also use the Internet to streamline operations while reaching out to an ever-growing number of computer users. Many responding agencies include recruiting information on their home pages. The Chicago, Illinois, Police Department developed an online form for residents to register their bicycles with the department. Since implementing the electronic registration program, not only has the number of registrations increased, but the process has become more cost-effective for the police department.
The Beaufort City, South Carolina, Police Department issues press releases to local media via the Internet, eliminating the scheduling problems caused by officers having to meet in person with different news organizations that need information. The department now posts all press releases on its web site, making them instantly available to media groups and the general public alike. In Davis, California, the police department's youth services division assisted in the development of an online coloring book that allows young students to color pictures via the Internet. When completed, the pictures-each of which reinforces a different safety message-can be printed or sent via electronic mail (e-mail) to other computers.
In addition to creating home pages, several responding agencies have applied more interactive approaches to their web sites. The Wakefield, Massachusetts, Police Department established an interactive e-mail capability coupled with voice mailboxes routed to officers' work stations. This capability allows citizens-most notably crime victims and witnesses-to leave messages for individual officers.
The Des Moines, Washington, Police Department hosts various e-mail conferences on its Web site-including a popular "ask a cop" conference in which citizens get direct answers to law enforcement-related questions. The city of Tempe, Arizona, recently established several computerized information kiosks that draw information from the Internet server. This year, the police department's home page will be included in this system, significantly broadening its potential audience.
Several of the responding agencies noted that creating and operating their own Internet sites enhance their ability to investigate computer-related crime. Given the dramatic growth in computer and Internet use during the past 5 years, this expertise is fast becoming an integral component of policing.
Despite the many benefits of increased computer networking capabilities, law enforcement must be prepared to address an inevitable downside. One respondent from North Richland Hills, Texas, for example, related a case involving a high school hacker that falls outside the boundaries of current state law. The youth-who had been expelled from school for planting a virus on the school computer-subsequently included the name, as well as the work and home telephone numbers, of a former teacher in a provocative ad placed on a "match makers" Web site. The teacher received unwelcomed calls from all over the country.
In Florida, the Office of the Attorney General has implemented an aggressive program to assist local agencies in establishing an online presence. Since its inception in April 1995, the initiative, called "Operation Electronic Substation," has sparked a dramatic increase in the number of municipal agencies throughout the state that have established their own home pages.
The popularity of police home pages and other online sites is evidenced by the number of times citizens access them. Many small to medium-sized agencies generate a surprisingly high level of citizen feedback with their sites, given the relative size of the communities they serve. The town of Arroyo Grande, California, with a population of 15,500, has just over 700 computer sites with Internet access. Still, the police department home page averages 475 hits per month. The Township of Fairfield, New Jersey, Police Department's home page receives between 400 and 500 hits in any given month. The Chula Vista, California, Police Department's home page receives 700 hits per month. In its second week of operation, the Beaufort City Police Department's Web site recorded over 1,000 hits. The Davis Police Department, serving a city with a population of 51,000, receives approximately 20,000 hits per month on its Web site. The Chicago Police Department tops out our unofficial survey with 40,000 hits per month.
Such numbers reflect very strong public interest in accessing crime- and police-related information via the Internet. Not surprisingly, several respondents noted that the number of hits their sites receive has increased at a steady rate, as the number of Internet users grows. Ironically, many of these same agencies initiated their online sites reluctantly-unsure if public interest would warrant the effort. Law enforcement agencies that have not yet established an online presence might be missing out on an exciting opportunity to advance their computer expertise while they enhance their relationships with the citizens they serve.
Sidebar
Responding agencies with Web addresses:
Responding agencies with local systems, bulletin boards, or e-mail addresses
The growth of the Internet has provided new ways for law enforcement agencies to interact and share information with each other. The Bulletin would like to further this information-sharing by publicizing agencies' online addresses. If you would like to share your agency's homepage address with other readers, please forward it to us via fax or e-mail. We will compile the addresses and print them in upcoming issues of the magazine.