Crime data service paying off for Gilbert
Aug 4, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 6:18 am
PHOENIX – A high-tech crime program is paying off in one Valley city.
The city of Gilbert began using Data Driven Approaches to Crime and Traffic Safety, also known as DDACTS, about two years ago and reports it has been seeing large reductions of crime in its communities.
DDACTS allows police to analyze and map crime data to determine where high density crime areas are within the city of Gilbert, according to a press release, and that has resulted in an 11 percent reduction in violent crimes over the past two years and a 39 percent reduction in burglaries in the same time span.
Gilbert is also attributing a successful drug investigation that saw several search warrants served and arrests made last week in part to the data compiled by DDACTS.
The search warrants were served on three houses in Gilbert and in a coordinated effort with other warrants served in Phoenix and Chandler, saw 39 arrests as well as pounds of heroin, cocaine, methamphetamines and marijuana taken off the streets.
The city also reports that active and concerned citizens have also played a role in the program’s success by reporting suspicious activity through the DDACTS mobile app. The city announced that has played a significant role in the cultivation of crime data and effectiveness of the program.
