CPD adopts new website to track crime
The Columbia Police Department partnered with analytics company Bair Software to launch a new crime mapping and analysis website called RAIDS Online for the city last May.
Crime analyst Jerry East said the police department decided to switch to RAIDS Online from another crime tracker, Crime Reports, because RAIDS Online provides a comparable service for free.
According to RAIDSOnline.com, cities in 25 states use the crime tracking software.
“The tool is designed to help people be aware of what is going on around them in their community,” East said in an email.
The website features a map pinpointing crimes occurring within city limits and also lists those crimes by the nature of each incident and the address where it occurred. It also provides several grid and chart breakdowns of the types of crime occurring in the city.
East said a link to RAIDS Online can be found on the CPD webpage. He said students should take the information provided into consideration while living in Columbia.
“It can be used to research areas of town when looking for a place to live,” East said.