Berwyn Police Department

[MindoverMatter]

Add this to your favorites:  www.berwynpolicedepartment.com is coming soon.  Berwyn Police James Ritz unveiled the department's new website --featuring cutting-edge crime-mapping—to public officials and media representatives, including State Rep. Lisa Hernandez and, Berwyn City Clerk Tom Pavlik, and Berwyn's 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th ward aldermen. 

The website—to launch in time for next month's National Night Out—was designed by Sgt. Joseph Fitzgerald and dispatcher Wayne Sedore, and gives users the ability to map crimes in their own neighborhoods.  The user can choose to see a type of crime—say, burglary, theft, battery and the like—for a selected time period and a specific neighborhood.  A zoomable map pops up, showing coded flags representing specific incidents at the location of the crime.  The website also makes it easy to map area sex offenders.

According to Chief Ritz, "This is the tip of the iceberg of what's out there.  This is a state-of-the-art program.  I know of no other department that has a program like this operating."

A grant, good for three years, keeps the website fed with information updated every 24 hours.  The grant covers CAPERS and Crime Reports; the latter automatically extracts basic information from incident reports generated within each 24-hour period. 

The version available to the public will be simplified, with "what, where and when" available for search by any user.  A more comprehensive version will be open to use by public officials.  And the most thorough crime-analysis statistics will of course be at the fingertips of the Berwyn police department in time for rollcall each morning, enabling them to hit the "hot spots" with the most up-to-date information to guide them. 

I would like to know why is this not being offered to all the alderman vs. public officials and media representatives, including State Rep. Lisa Hernandez and, Berwyn City Clerk Tom Pavlik, and Berwyn's 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th and 8th ward aldermen? 

[OakParkSpartan]

Probably because the aldermen have no reason to be looking at detailed crime reports?  Do you really think an alderman needs to know details of a rape or violent crime? 

[Homebody]

It will be a good tool for the Berwyn Police Department. I believe that only those at the command level that plan strategy for deployment of officers will really be using it. I won't have special access to information; just what the public will be able to access. The hope is that the City will be able to add a full time analyst to the BPD who will just do the number crunching and crime trend development.

City officials were invited to hear a presentation given by the BPD developers who were understandably proud of what they were able to build. We saw some of the "bells and whistles" of the program and talked about how it can enhance the BPD's ability to fight crime. I think that the BPD will provide a lot of information to everyone with just public access. Marge

[MindoverMatter]

Probably because the aldermen have no reason to be looking at detailed crime reports?  Do you really think an alderman needs to know details of a rape or violent crime? 

Maybe I should be clearer...why will some alderman has access and others don't?

[Bonster]

According to Chief Ritz, "This is the tip of the iceberg of what's out there.  This is a state-of-the-art program.  I know of no other department that has a program like this operating."

Chicago's been using this for many years.

[watcher]

Probably because the aldermen have no reason to be looking at detailed crime reports?  Do you really think an alderman needs to know details of a rape or violent crime? 

Maybe I should be clearer...why will some alderman has access and others don't?

Maybe you should read the item over again. It says that the website was unveiled TO the named people.

It could not be shown to people who weren't there. Why would you assume they will not have equal access to the site when the item clearly states:  "A more comprehensive version will be open to use by public officials" ?

[Homebody]

Put your concerns to rest. All Aldermen were invited to attend the unveiling of the system. The meeting was held at 5:30 p.m. I was able to make it at that time. I am assuming the Aldermen who were unable to attend could not get there at that time. Again, the Aldermen are not getting special access to the site. We will have the same "public access" as you will. I have already determined that the amount of public information that can be gleaned from the site is too much for me. I'll rely on the Berwyn police as the expert trend spotters.

One thing good about the system; if the police say the number of XX offenses is down, it can be easily verified by culling the stats on their own site. Chief Ritz did say that the system will bring transparancy to the department. Marge

[jake]

This will do wonders for home prices in some areas. 

[MindoverMatter]

Put your concerns to rest. All Aldermen were invited to attend the unveiling of the system. The meeting was held at 5:30 p.m. I was able to make it at that time. I am assuming the Aldermen who were unable to attend could not get there at that time. Again, the Aldermen are not getting special access to the site. We will have the same "public access" as you will. I have already determined that the amount of public information that can be gleaned from the site is too much for me. I'll rely on the Berwyn police as the expert trend spotters.

One thing good about the system; if the police say the number of XX offenses is down, it can be easily verified by culling the stats on their own site. Chief Ritz did say that the system will bring transparancy to the department. Marge

Thank you