McHenry County sheriff puts crime data on online map

WOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP) - McHenry County Sheriff's Office is putting its crime data in an online map as it tries to get the public involved in reducing crime.

The Northwest Herald (http://bit.ly/1vX3E0V ) reports the map includes all types of crime, and that names and exact addresses are taken out of data that's posted publicly.

Sgt. Mike Muraski with the sheriff's office said the data allows them to forecast where crime will likely occur and deploy deputies there. But it's hard to tell how much of an impact the public map has had since it launched in 2012, Muraski said.

"It's a tool, it's not a crystal ball," he said. "The computer crunches the numbers and says there's a high probability a crime is going to occur in this area, based on past data."

The sheriff's office map only includes data from unincorporated areas of McHenry County. Critics have said it'd be better for all police agencies in the county to contribute to a more inclusive map, especially helpful for tracking bigger crime rings.

The village of Huntley launched a similar program last fall that's modeled after the sheriff's office map. But Huntley does not post domestic violence incidents, medical calls or traffic stops.

"The most important thing is having an informed public," Huntley Police Sgt. Amy Williams said. "If they see on the map that there's been car burglaries in their neighborhood, hopefully that reminds them to lock their own doors."

___

Information from: The Northwest Herald, http://www.nwherald.com