Friday, June 30, 2006

The Future of Policing Chapterette I

It's one year into the future . . .

I awakened to my usual morning cup of coffee and decided to check my email. Yep, there it is - the daily email from Cyber-Posse alerting me to any criminal activity within a certain distance of my home. I selected 4 blocks because I know I can go to the website and look at the bigger picture if I want. It appears there have been a few car break-ins involving cars parked on the street. It looks like we need to be on the lookout for a late model, green, Z-71, Chevy pickup, occupied by a male white and a male black. Since this Cyber-Posse system was started by newly elected Sheriff John Harvey, things have gotten much safer and I've actually met my neighbors. Before, I didn't want to know who they were, now we exchange information and help watch out for the neighborhood together. Things are getting much better already.

It was less than a month ago that we were having those breakins and were alerted by the Cyber-Posse system. Several of us had purchased webcams and pointed them out toward the street like Sheriff Harvey suggested. When we got the news about the breakins we were able to pull up the video and the Sheriff's office arrested a man who had just gotten out of prison a week earlier. They found all the stuff he had stolen in his apartment, plus some drugs and a gun. I understand he is now residing in one of Sheriff Harvey's tent compounds while awaiting trial. I feel a lot safer now that crime is starting to abate!

I really like the emails I'm getting from Cyber-Posse about the warrants in my area too. I never would have known that the kid across the street was involved in drugs, but there it is big and bold, a warrant for possession with intent to sell. I'm firing off an email right now to the Cyber-Posse system to let them know what kind of car he drives and where he hangs out. I've already got a webcam snapshot of his car that I'll send along. I know he shoots pool at that bar down the street every afternoon and he also works doing yard work for that lawn company that started up last year - "Luttrell's Cutting and Edging". Now that's a company that knows how to cut!

Read additional chapterettes at Cyber-Posse

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I like the story, it helps me to understand what you are talking about. Keep it up and keep the ideas coming!