Bloomington has established a Web site at which citizens can report "minor crimes," such as vandalsm, lost property or thefts under $750 for which there are no suspects. It is being touted as progress made possible by technology:
The goal of the new system is to save police and victims time. BPD Records Division Supervisor Joan Manning said she estimates the BPD makes about 250 to 300 reports for minor crimes every month.
“Take maybe one fifth of those that will meet the criteria for reporting online,” she said.
Canada said he estimates he looks at about a dozen reports daily that would be considered minor crimes. Canada said the new online reporting system should save about 30 minutes per report for officers.
I don't know, though. Many people already feel they get the runaround from police if the crimes they're reporting aren't "worthy" enough. ("If it's a burglary, don't even bother to call," is something I've heard a time or two.) Creating a system for lesser crimes that involves even less interaction between police and public seems likely to just fuel the cynicism, which will make the police's jobs even harder.
