New software and technology is affording police in Farmville and at Longwood University a new way to track reported crimes, more effectively patrol and predict where crimes are likely to occur.

Through Crime Reports — one facet of the new software — residents can access maps, locations, times, types of calls and a history of reported offenses after they’re entered into the police department’s databases using the online application.

Command Central — the second part of the new technology — allows police officers to query reported offenses and incidents back five years, which enables mapping of detailed crimes, along with their respective reports.

Trendcaster, a tool associated with Command Central, can forecast where a specific offense is likely to occur in town, using police department records, and can break the data down by approximate time, date and location.

Available online by visiting www.farmvilleva.com, selecting departments and choosing Farmville Police Department, Internet users can see icons that depict a certain type of reported crime, and select the symbol for detailed information. Users can also query the department’s database for specific crimes during three-, seven-, 14- or 30-day periods.

“As a citizen, when you open this up, every 24 hours, when we write a report … it automatically will upload here as long as the report has been approved,” said Farmville Police Chief Curtis Davis.

Using the zoom tool, the user can see specifically what street block an offense occurred in.

“A citizen can kind of get an idea of the types of crime. Now, there’s some things you have to keep in mind,” Davis said. “Sometimes agencies … when they put the stuff out, there’s very little opportunity for explanation. So, people may see a tremendous amount of crime they believe that’s occurring. Of course you don’t have anything to compare it to because this wasn’t available last year.”

The system is also able to send crime alerts to registered users.

“The purpose of this is for the police department to be more open with the community,” Davis said. “[It] gives them an opportunity to see a picture of what’s happened within the past 30 days or three days or whatever they choose to look at, and being more open.”

“The only thing that automatically populates are the crimes which we have predesignated for the public to see,” said Special Operations Lt. William “Bill” Hogan. “They can go under settings … and they can choose different [categories] … We don’t put traffic stops on there.”

Command Central is available to the department only and not the public, Davis said.

“When the officers come in, one of the things that we’ve done in the past year is … create patrol strategies for our officers. When they come in, not only are they responding to calls for service and patrols, but they’re also have a strategy for what they’re trying to do — reduce specific crimes, target problems that are reoccuring in areas,” he said.

He said Command Central was an easy way for the officers to access data.

“We’ve got five years worth of data in our system, so, the reason that we have that is every year, there’s going to be some consistencies with the way crime occurs. It could have to do with weather,” Davis said.

The system can break down offenses by specific type, date, location — and can also map the crimes out.

“It will tell us when we are experiencing our most assaults,” Davis said. “So, if I wanted to work patrol to reduce assaults … I would adjust schedules to put the majority of folks out in the time period.”

He said operations have to become more flexible around the crimes.

“You look for consistencies. Where the assaults, burglaries and thefts overlap the most in the red dot areas, that’s where you would concentrate your patrols to concentrate reduction on all three.”

Officers can also easily access offense reports for each call queried.

“It allows the officers [a] much faster opportunity to work and create plans and get the most effectiveness out of what we’re doing. For every minute we’re patrolling, it has to have a value to it. It can’t just be random.”

The system’s Trendcaster is able to predict where certain crimes are likely to occur based on past reports and data, offering locations, times and days of the week for police to be wary of.

“This is not a crystal ball. This is just a tool,” Davis said. “It’s an educated guess that goes along with the officer’s already established knowledge.”

Offenses reported at Longwood are included in the system.

“It’s definitely changing the dynamics as far as policing goes in town now,” said Capt. A.Q. “Andy” Ellington. “It’s giving [officers] a more modernized way of policing. They have direction when they come in.”

The software — which is grant-funded for five years — costs about $5,000 annually.

According to Longwood Police Chief Robert “Bob” Beach, the program will allow both police departments to be proactive in keeping the community safe.

“It will allow each agency, through their community policing programs, to inform its community of trends and circumstances that not only allow for deeper knowledge of situations in the community but be able to assist the law enforcement community with information and support that provides for the overall safety of the community,” he said.

Crime Report’s map “will allow for real-time updates on trends, concerns or efforts that the community members can draw on for their own preparation to participate in the overall community’s safety.”