Sheriff: Community watch program is reducing crime
The community watch program developed by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office in 2013 to reduce crime is doing just that, according to Jackson County Sheriff Tim Morse.
“This last year, almost 11 percent of the population of Jackson County took part in the program,” Morse said. “That’s 1,400 people. It’s really helped curb crime by getting people involved. We have a limited number of deputies, and sometimes it’s like searching for needle in a haystack. So having a partnership with the public is very important. We have people paying attention and looking for what we’re looking for.”
Referred to as the “electronic posse,” county residents who participate in the community watch program sign up for free to receive an email, text message or both when an alert is issued by the sheriff’s office. The alerts are produced for a variety of situations, such as to notify the public to be on the lookout for a suspicious person or vehicle that’s been identified as a threat. Participants can also sign up to receive severe weather alerts.
“The program has increased the number of eyes in the community watching out for criminal activity,” Morse said. “And it has been instrumental in reducing crime, solving crimes and apprehending criminals.”
To sign up for the alerts, visit the Jackson County Sheriff Office website, www.jasoks.org.
As an extension of the community watch program, the sheriff office recently released a smartphone app for community members to report crimes and upload photos directly to the sheriff’s office.
“This is the other piece of our program,” Morse said. “Smartphones are so prevalent in our society that this allows people to send us tips instantaneously.”
The free app, which can be downloaded from the app store by searching “Jackson County Sheriff’s Office KS,” was developed by OCV, LLC and is still a “work in progress.”
Once downloaded, the app allows users to report incidents quickly, as well as upload photos to the sheriff’s office.
“It’s one thing to describe a vehicle to us and it’s another to get a photo of it or the license plate,” he said. “This allows them to report to us quickly and to take the county back in a lot of ways when it comes to home invasions, burglaries and crimes of that sort.”
The app also allows people to receive alerts and press releases directly from the sheriff’s office. Additional information accessible on the app is current weather conditions, the county’s current most wanted list and their photos, the current jail roster and a list of people with outstanding warrants in the county. This information is also available at the sheriff office’s website.
Morse said he hopes the number people who choose to participate in the community watch program continues to grow.
“It’s paying off,” Morse said of the program. “Everyone has a stock in it, and we’re working together. Very few crimes are solved without the public’s help in some way.”
