New breed of website helps in battle against graffiti and vandalism

CrimeReports.com: local accountability

Web sites that enable users to report on 'hyper local' issues such as graffiti and vandalism can encourage better, faster communication between residents and local authorities. It's already happening in the US.

The new web-based systems are built around Google Maps and allow users to post complaints about problems that occur within a set of boundaries on the map. The site communicates the problem to the appropriate agency and marks the problem on the map. Users can comment on the issue or label it resolved. Government agencies or police can post on the site to respond to residents, and report that the issue has been resolved

A number of such websites - free to use - are well-developed in the US, including www.SeeClickFix.com , www.EveryBlock.com and www.CrimeReports.com. In the UK we have www.FixMyStreet.com which features discussion between residents and local government and www.communityfix.co.uk which has been running for some time.

In the US the systems are used to identify the location of criminal offences, graffiti, acts of vandalism and the location of registered sex offenders. Increasingly local authorities there are adopting the system to improve communication - and accountability - with residents. Www.CrimeReports.com, which claims to be the leader in crime mapping, says that it is used by more than 600 law enforcement partners throughout the US.

For a journalist's take on this new breed of community website, read this from the New York Times