The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office has released a new interactive crime-data dashboard where members of the public can view current and historical information about criminal activity in unincorporated Whatcom County. The Crime Stats dashboard shows data related to the following categories:
- Accidents
- Burglaries
- Stolen Vehicles
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Vehicle Prowl
Crime Stats dashboard users can choose from various date ranges and see side-to-side comparison periods for each option (example: “30 Days” compares the current 30 days to the previous 30 day period). Crime Stats also enables viewers to see incidents or offenses on Google Maps, allowing them to see crime hotspots and their proximity to those incidents. Also, residents can see the days of the week and/or hours of the day when criminal activity is occurring and being reported.
While there are many factors that affect crime, there are generally three things that must exist in the same time and place for most criminal activity to occur: a suitable target (person or object), a motivated offender, and an absence of guardianship. Informed citizens and communities can take proactive steps to reduce the likelihood that they will be a victim through awareness and making themselves and their property more secure. The presence of guardianship can be provided by law enforcement, security measures, and attentive community members that call 911 when they observe suspicious or criminal activity occurring.
“Having access to this information will enable residents to have a better understanding of what is happening in their communities,” said Sheriff Bill Elfo. “The Sheriff’s Office utilizes this type of information to identify emerging crime trends and historical patterns of criminal activity to allocate resources and provide targeted patrols.”
The dashboard is updated every 24 hours with data from Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Records Management System (RMS). The direct URL for Crime Stats is www.whatcomcounty.us/CrimeStats.