GETTING details of crimes in an area will soon be as easy as punching a postcode into a computer.
A website, launched today by West Yorkshire Police, aims to give crime prevention advice to thousands of people at the touch of a button.
The site - www.beatcrime.info - is one of the most comprehensive of its kind and gives people the opportunity to see the local crime picture in detail.
It was welcomed by Clr Mark Burns-Williamson, chairman of the West Yorkshire Police Authority, and senior police officers.
"We want people to be informed and involved," said Clr Burns- Williamson.
"We want to give people easy access to accurate, up to date information about crimes. This site does exactly that."
The unique feature of the website is the option of a map containing dots to indicate crime locations, so people can see at a glance where offences are happening.
Crimes on any given beat in the past month will be accessible, along with charts to explain crime trends over the past 24 months.
People worried about local crime levels will be able to do something about it, through links on the site giving crime prevention advice.
Crimes covered include domestic burglary, vehicle crime, violent crime, youth nuisance and anti-social behaviour.
People without home access can log on at local libraries or internet cafes.
