Track Neighborhood Crime 'Hot Spots' with Glouco Alerts

With the help of the Gloucester County Alert System, residents will soon be able to track neighborhood crime trends as easily as tracking weather patterns on everything from laptops to hand-held devices.

The alert system has been established for several years, but the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office recently announced an expansion to provide notifications on traffic emergencies, be on the lookouts (BOLO) and neighborhood crime trends. Crime trends will include burglaries, car break-ins, missing persons notices and information on crime “hot spots.”

The updates will be sent on via various digital platforms including email, cell phone, text pager, Blackberry, Palm Pilot/PDA. Residents can register by signing up through the prosecutor's office website. All information obtained through registration will be kept confidential.

“By sending out as many as 18,000 messages a minute, we are putting additional eyes and ears on the streets and it’s a great benefit to the law enforcement community,” said Joe Chila, freeholder and liaison to the Department of Public Safety. “I would encourage all residents to subscribe to this free service as this proactive approach will make Gloucester County a safer place to live and work.”

Logan Township Police Chief and president of the Gloucester County Police Chiefs Association James Schmidt said that not only is the alert system beneficial to residents, but also to law enforcement—describing it as a tool for distributing information to specific areas and as way to dispel any circulating rumors through social media.

To register or for additional information on the alert system, visit the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office website.