PA State Police and Crime Stoppers Launch New Website

HARRISBURG, Pa., Nov. 17, 2011  /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Pennsylvania State Police and Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers today announced the launch of a new website that gives people who use social networks and mobile devices an easier, more effective way to help fight crime.

The new www.PACrimeStoppers.org website was developed in partnership with Crime Watch Pennsylvania and is part of the Crime Watch Network. The Crime Watch Network is a brand-new technology developed specifically for Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies. It is best described as a social media network that allows for the easy organization and dissemination of fugitive and offender profiles to the public.

"Through this new web portal, the public can view and share cases on social networks, through email and on mobile devices," said Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Frank Noonan. "Visitors to PACrimestoppers.org can sign-up for free to receive automatic notifications any time new cases or news releases are posted to the site."  

"This tool is the perfect entry point for us to start using the investigative potential of social networks without having to compromise the integrity of our organization and case data," said Jeff Fagan, President of Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers.

The new tool will enable the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers coordinator to quickly disseminate case profiles on the web.

"In the past we had to compile all of the case data and push it out to our supporters through a list-serve that had a limited reach in our communities," said Kira Lemmons, Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers coordinator.  "With the new Crime Stoppers portal, we can post cases once on the site and they will automatically be pushed out to our subscribers, as well as being posted on popular social media sites like Facebook and Twitter. This will expand the reach of the Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers program tremendously, helping to yield better results."

Development of the Crime Watch Mobile application is currently underway and will be released to the public in 2012. The mobile application is scheduled to be released on all mobile platforms and will be available to the public for free. Crime Watch Mobile will allow the public to view and submit tips for Crime Stoppers cases as well as allowing Pennsylvania State Police, U.S. Marshals, sheriffs, and municipal police departments to disseminate and share fugitive and arrest profiles all across the state.  

"This new technology will not only change the way that Crime Stoppers reaches the public, it will also open the doors for police in Pennsylvania and across the nation to create a network of eyes and ears on the streets like never before," said M.W. Bloom, President of Development for Crime Watch Pennsylvania. "The public has a natural sense of curiosity when it comes to viewing profiles of people arrested or wanted by the law; we're just leveraging that curiosity to create a much more proactive and efficient tool for generating investigative data on the web and through this mobile technology."

For more information or to view the new Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers web portal visit www.PACrimestoppers.org or visit www.Crimewatchpa.com

Learn more about the PA State Police online at www.psp.state.pa.us.

Media contacts:
Maria A. Finn or Sgt. Anthony Manetta, State Police; 717-783-5556
Kira A. Lemmons (PA Crime Stoppers), 717-787-4802

SOURCE Pennsylvania State Police Department