Nixle in action: Using Nixle to make residents aware of local crimes

A study conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics demonstrates that crime is typically impacted by different seasonal trends. Household larceny and burglary crimes, for instance, are higher in the summer compared to all other seasons. Aggravated assault crimes also tend to be higher in the summer months compared to the rest of the year. Fortunately, these trends haven’t gone unnoticed by public safety officials, as more departments look to capitalize on seasonality to proactively anticipate trends.

For example, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI recently experienced several larcenies from vehicles in the early summer. The Department of Public Safety decided to take action by using Nixle to notify their neighborhoods about the location and nature of these crimes. Residents were urged to call the police department or 911 if they saw any suspicious activity. The police also noted in their Nixle alert that these are “crimes of opportunity” and that residents should remove any valuables from their cars and ensure that they are locked.

This is just another example of resident engagement and the value of communicating with your community, particularly during the months where crimes are higher than usual. Nixle also provides the ability for residents to provide anonymous tips to public safety officials. When a resident population has a means to easily and anonymously report a crime, while having an established trust with their public safety officials, they will be more likely to report any crimes in action immediately to the police. At the end of the day, an informed and engaged community is a strong community.