Longview PD launches interactive crime map

Published: Aug. 26, 2016 at 2:22 AM CDT|Updated: Aug. 26, 2016 at 2:47 AM CDT
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(Source: KLTV Staff)
(Source: KLTV Staff)

LONGVIEW, TX (KLTV) - The Longview Police Department has launched a new site that will allow residents to see where different crimes happen in the area.

The new interactive tool gives you crime information right at your fingertips. Officer Kristie Brian with the Longview Police Department says it's meant to give the public more access to information.

"Maybe they see the police car down the street and they're like 'oh, I wonder what happened there?' Well about 24 hours later...they can see what was going on there," Brian said.

You can access the site for free right on the Longview Police Department's website. With the click of a button, you can see different crime information in the Longview area.

Once on the page, you can choose to see information about different types of crimes as well as instances between different dates.
Each crime type is specifically labeled with different colors and symbols. There's even an area to add in your address, which will then give you alerts if something happens near that address.

The data is updated every 24 hours.

"What it does it takes all the reports that have been generated and approved and it put those into the system and maps them out," Brian explained.

Many Longview residents are excited about the new tool.

"I kind of like it because it lets me know what's going on in my neighborhood before I go out," Cleveland Byrdsong said.

But others are skeptical.

"There could be some issues because everybody uses technology for different things so someone could use it for something else other than what they're using it for," Beverly Davis said.

The department did say that some crimes, such as sexual assault, will not be included on the map to protect the victims involved.

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