Community Information

During the first month of the LAPD Blog many people forwarded excellent ideas.  As we continue to learn more about this technology, we welcome your input.  One idea posted by a commentator, "rim" suggests we establish tabs for specific neighborhoods. For example, a "brentwood tab," "echo park tab," "highland park tab," etc, where information specific to that neighborhood could be housed. 

Rim's concept has much merit, and we are taking a very serious look at this idea.  Until then, the Department very recently unveiled two new programs, "E-Policing" and "Crime Maps" both that can be found on the home page of www.lapdonline.org.  E-Policing allows Los Angeles residents and business merchants to receive "timely" information about crimes, wanted suspects, police programs, and other information via their personal e-mail address.  All you have to do is sign-up, and the system will link your address to the concerned Senior Lead Officer of your Division/Area.  Unfortunately, the address must be within the City of Los Angeles, and does not cover the county, or adjacent cities.   

Crime maps provide you with a system to identify the crime trends in your neighborhoods, again in a timely manner, as the information is updated Monday through Thursday.  Other links available to you on the home page can connect you to the proper authorities should you have information about a crime, or wanted suspects.  You see the LAPD is not alone in the fight against crime, we need the public's help to both solve and prevent crime.   

Lieutenant Ruben De La Torre,
Public Communications Section

Comments

[z]

LT why dont you tell these citizens exactly how many officers are out on a daily basis throughout the parts of the city.. I think that would explain alot on slow response times and reacurring crimes in their city.... or maybe not they would be pissed!!!!

[King Rodney]

I enjoyed this blog so much, I went out and beat a motorist.

[Mike Alderson]

Please see the below post from my blog

Regards

Mike

EPolicing - LAPD style

I have been watching the evolvement of the LAPD Blog with interest.

Whilst I believe that they have fundamentaly missed the point of blogging as a mechanism to offer an insight into the views, thoughts, and issues facing the leadership of the LAPD ( a conversation with many, making the leadership visible, accessible and familiar ) and have chosen instead to use it as a broader vehicle for press and PR purposes, it is nonetheless engaging.

If you're listening LAPD, I would still argue strongly for a separate blog to this for the Chief and the leadership team ! People (including staff) want an insight into the issues and challenges facing the top team and want to know where they stand and what their views are. Blogs aren't for PR press releases and recycled speeches. They are about personal interaction.

With Tony Blair's speech on services designed for the customer and fit for the 21st century in mind, it was interesting though to see the way that the LAPD is developing its EPolicing content.

Their recent post states: 'The Department very recently unveiled two new programs, "E-Policing" and "Crime Maps" both that can be found at http://lapdonline.org/e_policing. E-Policing allows Los Angeles residents and business merchants to received "timely" information about crimes, wanted suspects, police programs, and other information via their personal e-mail address. All you have to do is sign-up, and the system will link your address to the concerned Senior Lead Officer of your Division/Area. Unfortunately, the address must be within the City of Los Angeles, and does not cover the county, or adjacent cities.

Crime maps provide you with a system to identify the crime trends in your neighborhoods, again in a timely manner, as the information is updated Monday through Thursday. Other links available to you on the home page can connect you to the proper authorities should you have information about a crime, or wanted suspects'

I have long ranted about the way that crime and incident information is generally presented by forces in the UK and I believe that there is little excuse for the information not being current and easily accessible. LAPD update their information Monday through Thursday and have an effective partnership with Google maps. Now that's heading towards 21st Century service provision !

[Postigo Luna]

Lt. De la Torre,

From the Philippines, I have been watching the growth and development of the LAPD blog with much interest.

I work for a government agency here that is much maligned - sometimes unjustly - and generally distrusted. It is ironic that we are the election management body of the Philippines.

I have recently launched a blog of my own - nothing official yet as that would require many approvals and signatures - that tries to correct the many public misperceptions about my agency. And I have been learning much from the LAPD blog.

I was wondering, however, if you can share any documentation about this project. I would very much like to pitch this idea to my superiors here as I think this is an excellent way to reach the youth in my country.

Thank you very much, and I would be greatly obliged for any assistance you can give me.

[Quinn]

Hint hint hint: allow HTML in comments. Will allow for more linking and increase traffic, plus facilitates search engine bots.