January 23, 2005-
SHERIFF'S
WEBSITE PROMOTES ACCESSIBILITY, COMMUNICATION
As written in its mission statement, the Gibson County Sheriff's Department
strives to establish "a positive relationship between the community, local
government and law enforcement," and to include "community members in
community problem-solving." With a large percentage of local residents
going online to access information, the department has expanded its use of the
Internet to accomplish these goals.
Under the direction of Reserve Deputy Brad Garnett for the past year-and-a-half,
the GCSD website ( http://www.gibsoncountysheriff.com/
) has further opened a line of communication between the Sheriff's Department
and the community it serves. "Probably the most beneficial item that has
been added to the website is the 'Submit Tip' page," says Garnett. "A
lot of tips have led to arrests and even the discovery of a meth lab."
Tips submitted through the website do not require any type of contact
information, and 80% of the tipsters have done so anonymously. The information
is reviewed by Garnett and passed along to the appropriate officers for
investigation. Drug tips are forwarded to Communications Officer Becky Beadles
who files a Dispatchers Against Drugs report which goes out to all local
departments.
The ability to contact the department isn't strictly limited to tips, however.
In addition to a comment section which encourages complaints, problems,
suggestions or praise, email addresses are also provided for persons who wish to
contact individual deputies, dispatchers or jail staff directly.
Garnett also seems to realize that many children use the Internet as much as
their parents. A year ago, he received permission from DARE America to install a
software package on the department's web server which features Flash- and
Shockwave-based games, tips on resisting peer pressure and other kid-friendly
information. Garnett states, "I am very proud of this program on our site
because, as many people know, DARE is a great program for kids and it develops
good relationships with kids and police officers."
The convenience of online accessibility offered by the Sheriff's website is
another asset for local residents. Applications for VIN checks, ATV
registration, gun permits, local criminal records checks and more are available
for download. There is also information regarding traffic tickets with payment
instructions and a detailed listing of fines and costs associated with various
offenses. Other resources include victim assistance information, an archive of
press releases and crime statistics, current Sheriff sales and a list of local
sex offenders.
Rounding out the website is historical information on both the jail and the
Sheriff's Department. A page is also dedicated to the four Gibson County
officers who have fallen in the line of duty: Harrison C. Hitch, William J.
Trees, Michael E. Deno and Jed Fisher.
Looking to the future, Garnett has a number of short- and long-term goals for
the website. He has received several emails regarding the live scanner feed
which has been unavailable for more than a year due to Internet hosting issues.
While the return of the live feed is on his wish list, Garnett is now
considering the inclusion of other audio and video content as a temporary
replacement.
To further the goal of accessibilty, Garnett hopes to one day offer
investigative reports on the website. "I know there is less than a handful
of departments in the state that have this feature available, with Indianapolis
PD being the only one that comes to mind at the moment." Access to the
reports currently requires a trip to the Sheriff's Department.
Other features such as a Most Wanted page and photos from the field are planned
for the near future. Garnett encourages additional suggestions from the public.
He states, "the most important aspect...is to receive feedback from
citizens of Gibson County and see what they would like to see added. This will
make us more efficient."
Gibson County Sheriff's Department Website:
http://www.gibsoncountysheriff.com/
DARE for Kids:
http://www.gibsoncountysheriff.com/darekids/
Source: GibsonCountyTalk.com
Author: Brent McNeeley
(01-23-2005 02:40; 26-23)
