CHESAPEAKE, Va. — The Chesapeake Police Department has launched a new tool for residents to track crime in their neighborhoods. The online portal is called Citizen Connect. It's located on the City of Chesapeake's Crime Reports and Mapping website.
Homeowners now have an easier way to track crime where they live, and it works on desktop, laptop, or phone.
“It’s transparency for the citizens. So they can have a quick and easy way to look at areas where they live or work and want to know what’s going in that area," said Chesapeake Senior Police Officer Leo Kosinski.
Kosinski said a resident can look up a crime by case, address, as well as neighborhood names. The portal shows cases that are actively open and others that are closed.
Kosinski believes the portal is helpful a tool for people who are new to the city.
“For people that may be moving in the city or around the city, you can access it and kind of see the general crime trends if you will in certain areas," he said.
New Chesapeake homeowner Greg Dietrich agrees the Citizen Connect portal can be useful. He just moved into his neighborhood seven months ago.
“As a homeowner, somebody investing in your community, I always found it helpful to know you know what’s going on crime-wise in your community. One of the things that lead to why would you buy a home in a particular area. So I’m glad to know that it exists here," said Dietrich.
The Citizen Connect portal also shows how the public can request information about specific cases.
The portal does not show any citizen's personal information. Residents can also see crimes in their area as far back as 2018.