West Columbia Police Offer Crime Map

The West Columbia Police Department now has an online crime map called RAIDS Online that maps and analyzes crime data, alerts West Columbia citizens about crimes in their area, and allows the department to quickly alert the public about crimes as they occur.

West Columbia citizens can view a map and grid with all of the crimes in their area, sign up for neighborhood watch reports that automatically email a breakdown of recent crime activity, and submit an anonymous tip about a crime directly to their law enforcement agency, according to the department.

RAIDS Online automatically syncs with the West Columbia Police Department’s records system to keep crime information updated online and in the mobile app. RAIDS Online cleans and geocodes the crime data, then displays all of the incidents on a map, grid, and analytics dashboard along with some basic information about the incidents, including the type of crime, location type, block-level address, date and time.

“The West Columbia Police Department’s participation in RAIDS Online highlights their commitment to proactive communication with the public they serve,” Sean Bair, founder of BAIR Analytics, said a in a release. “We’re excited to partner with the West Columbia Police Department to provide this free service for their public.”

Typically, agencies can spend thousands of dollars annually through other crime mapping providers. BAIR Analytics offers RAIDS Online and the RAIDS Online Mobile app as a free service to any law enforcement agency that wishes to participate. RAIDS Online is ad-free and BAIR Analytics does not sell the data to third party vendors, thus the agency remains in complete control over their data, the company said in the release. 

“We wanted to do something to help law enforcement in these tough economic times. We consider this a basic service that we are more than happy to provide to the public and our law enforcement friends,” said Sean Bair, a former police officer and analyst and the founder of BAIR Analytics.

Police Chief Dennis Tyndall stated: “We are excited about the opportunity to provide the public with access to current information about our city.  The ability to do so at no cost makes this a tremendous asset for our agency.”

Anyone can visit West Columbia’s crime map here.