January 6, 2000
Web posted at: 11:02 p.m. EST (0402 GMT)

In this story: Clicking the mouse to track crime Community activists and police applaud project RELATED STORIES, SITES

OAKLAND, California (CNN) -- The first city in the United States to put its crime statistics on the Web -- Oakland, California -- is touting an anti-crime program that uses new technology to employ an old idea: "Knowledge is power."

Mayor Jerry Brown, a former California governor, is promoting the project.

"Every neighborhood precinct can be called up, and therefore the citizen knows what's happening, as well as the police," said Brown. They "can identify a pattern of criminality on a daily basis and then do something about it -- interrupt it, change it, stop it."

On Oakland's Web site, www.oaklandnet.com, various symbols are marked on a city map to identify specific crimes such as homicide, assault, armed robbery, rape, child abuse and car theft.

Another click provides the Web user with a police report.

Neighborhood activists such as Deborah Acosta have applauded the $250,000 project.

"As the community realizes ... as real estate agents have this information, (they say) 'This impacts me now. It impacts the value of my home,'" Acosta said.

"(They say) 'It impacts the willingness of people to move into my neighborhood and go to my local school. I guess I'd better do something,'" she said.

Oakland Police Chief Richard Word said he agrees that keeping residents informed helps to fight crime.

"The information we now have is made available to them, so they essentially will become equal partners, and we can work with them," Word said.

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