This week we have learned how to embed feedback forms within the simple websites that we have created. Providing feedback to the site creator is a great way for people to make suggestions on how to improve upon what they have already accomplished. But feedback forms are only one example of forms that web designers use in order to reach their audience.
Most local police departments nowadays have adjusted to life with the Internet. Even the smallest of departments have some form of a website where contact information is listed. Some bigger departments however, have embedded feedback forms for the public to provide feedback on the services that the police department is providing. This feedback can be a simple suggestion page to suggestions on where and when to do traffic enforcement. As small as some towns are, it is difficult for officers to be in the same place all of the time. With help from the public, especially residents of a certain area, the department is able to send a cruiser to enforce traffic during the times that residents notice the violations occurring.
For an example of a department's feedback form, please follow the link to the Pittsburgh Police Department. At the bottom of the page there is a link for visitors to submit comments as well as topics of concern. The form allows for users to leave their name and phone number however this is entirely optional, which is great for those who want to remain anonymous and would otherwise be hesitant to leave feedback in fear of retaliation from officers. The page does require for the visitor to provide an email address, however this is used so the department can request more information about a particular incident if they feel an investigation into the visitor's comments warrants more attention.
Larger cities, like Houston (TX), use forms embedded into their website for people to file "simple" police reports online. In a big city with a lot of call volume, past incidents, such as a theft from a vehicle overnight, would be classified as a low priority call for service, though the victim may feel otherwise. A low priority incident is usually one that has happened hours before it is actually discovered and there is no threat of harm to the victim. In addition, it is more than likely that the suspect(s) is no longer in the area. Due to the large call volume that the police department receives into its dispatch center, depending on time of day, victims of these low priority calls, can wait upwards of 30 minutes or longer for an officer to respond. This is particularly frustrating for some citizens, especially if they walk out of their house in the morning to go to work and find that their car stereo was stolen from their car during the overnight hours. The victim is already upset that the stereo was stolen and is now late for work because of the time it is going to take to speak with an officer. To help reduce some of the frustration, the Houston Police Department has provided this form, so that victims can continue on their way to work, and file the report of the stolen stereo from their work computer, provided they have Internet access.
Simple forms such as these are yet another way that technology has changed the way law enforcement operates.
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