Baltimore Tries Online Crime-Fighting Tools

BALTIMORE --

The push is on to turn cell phones into a crime fighting and tracking tool.

The Baltimore City Council president is urging the police department to send out detailed text messages when a crime occurs to generate tips.

There is a pilot program under way in southeast Baltimore that addresses the issue. The technology exists to tailor text alerts to a particular area -- even down to the street.

"People want to help. We just have to give them tools to be able to do that."

- Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

However, at a time when police are trying to stretch manpower to the max, the commissioner said he doesn't have the staff to stream alerts or handle those electronic tips.

Baltimore City police currently issue crime alerts through the social networking sites Twitter and Facebook.

Commissioner Fred Bealefeld said the programs have not revolutionized the way officers work a case.

"We have gotten some tips off of those systems, not nearly as many as you would expect," Bealefeld said.

City Council President Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she believes more people would participate if police could send out real-time text messages when a crime occurs and solicit anonymous tips in return.

"We could be giving information out about suspects. Who are you looking for, are you looking for a type of car. People want to help. We just have to give them tools to be able to do that," Rawlings-Blake said.

"We have gotten some tips off of those systems, not nearly as many as you would expect"

- Fred Bealefeld

The commissioner agreed that would be valuable, but he's concerned that the rush to share information could lead to inaccuracy and ramp up rumors. He added he does not have enough officers to respond to time-sensitive tips around the clock.

"I want them to get out, I want them to walk more. All of that takes away from trying to handle 1.2-1.5 million calls for service. You add on potentially hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of text messages?" Bealefeld said.

A Baltimore-based company called SpotCrime.com wants to help the city tackle those technical challenges for free. The site breaks down crime by type, neighborhood and timeframe.

Company vice president Evan Keyser said 300,000 Baltimoreans sign onto the site every month.

"They're not just focused on the shootings and the homicides in Baltimore. They want to know about assaults, thefts," Keyser said.

The question is whether that curiosity translate into more cases cleared. The police commissioner and the City Council president agreed to continue the debate.