At 10:30 am D.A. Ed Marsico held a press conference with local law enforcement officials to announce the start of a public private partnership with CrimeWatch Technologies.

The online crime reporting platform provides the ability for neighbors, residents and individuals in the community to be the eyes and ears of law enforcement. "This system will allow the public and law enforcement officials to have two way communications to provide greater transparency," said Marsico.

Dauphin County Commissioner George Hartwick described the system as, "Engaging the citizenry to play an active role as part of the solution as opposed to complaining about what's happening."

The online service is hosted by Crime Watch Technologies of Carlisle, Pa. The system provides a county wide network for local police departments and residents to solicit and receive real-time updates about events occurring in their area.

Swatara Township Police Chief Jason Umberger credits the system for helping to make two arrests in Swatara Township after receiving tips through the online reporting platform.

It appears that there is serious potential for citizens to make an impact within their communities while not having to fear retribution of reporting a tip. Matt Bloom, President of CrimeWatch Technologies, pointed out that the system allows for anonymous reporting while enabling users to share information across major social networking platforms.

When asked about how the system was funded, District Attorney Marsico informed us that it was paid for with County Gaming Funds via the Violent Crimes Task Force.

The website is located at http://dauphin.crimewatchpa.com. It includes information relevant to local police departments, mug shots of suspects, crime maps for neighborhoods and more.

Photo by Natalie Cake.