The Abbotsford Police Department (APD) is adding a new feature to its website which will allow the public to obtain crime stats for particular neighbourhoods.
The "crime mapping" feature is expected to be available on the website abbypd.ca starting tomorrow (Friday).
Const. Ian MacDonald said the feature will allow people to select an area of Abbotsford and determine what types of crimes – such as break-and-enters and vehicle thefts – have taken place.
The map will list the type of offence, and the date, time and location it occurred.
He said the program fits in well with measures the APD has already taken to track crime throughout the community.
Three crime analysts and an assistant work with the APD to compile numbers and identify trends. Often referred to as "intelligence-led policing," the system helps police determine specific crimes that need attention and what areas of Abbotsford might be most impacted.
MacDonald said the new website feature will allow the public to do the same thing, on a smaller scale.
He said the crime mapping can help citizens become more aware of what's happening in their neighbourhoods, as well as alert potential home buyers of areas with higher crime rates.
"It speaks to our desire to be intelligence-led ... and our commitment to share information with the general public ... We're not afraid of saying, 'This bad thing happened on this date,' " MacDonald said.