By DARREL MAGER
Police are adding Websites to their arsenal, which may allow people to use computers to report minor crimes.
Police chiefs in Wellington want each of the 12 police districts to have a Website by the middle of the year in an attempt to get the computer-literate public to help them fight crime.
The sites will also be used to attract recruits, and down the track police may look at allowing the public to report minor crimes over the Internet.
A spokesman at police national headquarters, Stephen Patience, said there were differing opinions on whether allowing people to use their computers to report a crime was a good thing.
However, he said, "the potential is there."
Auckland police went online with their site, www.aucklandcitypolice.govt.nz, just before Christmas and it has already attracted 600 hits and helped to solve several boat thefts.
So far there are only limited details on top police cases, homicides, thefts and a section called "security camera," which shows bank pictures of suspected fraudsters police want identified.
But an Auckland spokeswoman, Noreen Hegarty, said police hoped to expand the site over the next few months to include a most-wanted list - complete with mugshots of the city's worst criminals - and information on sex attacks and robberies.
Porirua police have also launched an Internet site, which they have used to target the area's Mongrel Mob gang problem.
Mr Patience said the national headquarters site www.police.govt.nz) had proved very successful with major police operations such as the search for Ben Smart and Olivia Hope, which saw people from around the country and overseas using it to contact investigators.
Police intensify online efforts to fight crime
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