Avon and Somerset police launch online crime tracker

Site allows victims of crime to follow the progress of investigations

The Avon and Somerset police service has launched an online crime tracker to provide the public with access to information extracted from its systems.

The force hopes that the website, named TrackMyCrime, will help cut the time people spend waiting for police officers to call them back about their enquiries, as they will be automatically be updated by email or text.

Victims of crime are also able to send messages back to the investigation team and view information, for instance, about their stolen or damaged property.

Scott Fulton, head of e-services for Avon and Somerset, said: "No one wants to be the victim of a crime, but if you are, then you want it to impact on your life as little as possible. We developed this system to provide victims of crime with more choice about how they are updated and with a better service.

"You can check your bank account and track parcels online, it makes sense to provide a service where you can check details about your crime too."

Rob Beckley, deputy chief constable at the force, said that the website will help Avon and Somerset do things in a more streamlined and efficient way.

"It combines policing with modern technology and gives victims more choice about how they want to receive information from us," he said.

This article was originally published at Guardian Government Computing.

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