Burnsville is the latest city to put crime maps online.
The new tool allows residents to "view locations of recent crimes, look at crime data, submit anonymous tips and register to be notified of crime alerts for their neighborhood," the city said. Neighborhood watch reports will automatically e-mail a breakdown of recent crime activity. There's also a mobile app.
BAIR Analytics offers the product free and ad-free.
"An informed public is more likely to report suspicious behavior if they are aware of similar activities in their neighborhood," Police Chief Eric Gieseke said in a written statement. "While Burnsville is proud to have a low crime rate, the ultimate goal of this product is to help make our community even safer."
The web address is www.burnsville.org/crimemap.
DAVID PETERSON
dapeterson@startribune.com
