By Pete Gawda
It is now easier to keep tabs on crime in the area. In an effort to provide a more visual representation of crime, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office has transitioned from a text format to a map, called the Community Crime Map, to depict crime.
The map can be viewed via the sheriff’s website: https://www.epcsheriffsoffice.com. (Click on “Services” and then “Crime Reports and Maps.”)
At first, the map displays the entire United States so it is necessary to zoom in on El Paso County. Colored dots represent the location and types of crime. Clicking on a particular dot provides details of that crime. Icons across the top of the map display information; for example, one icon shows the color code for the different types of crimes. Another icon displays the participating law enforcement agencies in the area, shows when the last upload from that particular law enforcement agency was completed and also shows the types of crimes not reported by that agency.
In El Paso County, the Colorado Springs Police Department, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the Fountain Police Department, the Manitou Springs Police Department and the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Police Department contribute to the Community Crime Map.
The Community Crime Map is provided by a company called LexisNexis Risk Solutions, which is a data analytics provider that services industries such as government, law enforcement and public safety, financial institutions, health care and insurance companies. According to the company’s website, LexisNexis “provides customers with solutions and decision tools that combine both public and industry sponsored content with advanced technology and analytics to assist them in evaluating and predicting risks and enhancing operational efficiency. … We also work with law enforcement to solve crimes.”
Editor’s note: When the NFH attempted to get an interview regarding this program, the public information officer from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office referred us to a press release only so we could not get any verbal information.
