Liebler proposed to set up a city crime mapping system through crimemapping.com, a national site dedicated to pointing out where, when and what crimes are committed in a digital and visual setting.

Liebler said during the presentation the crime mapping system will help the police force better engage with the community in terms of transparency. About 276 communities nationwide, including the city of Lansing, have the service already.

East Lansing police Capt. Bill Mitchell said the cost estimate of implementing the tool would be about $1,200 per year.

The service would map out icons showing the type of crime committed, the time of the crime and the block number of the neighborhood it was committed in during a six month time period, Mitchell said.

Such a website would benefit both the police department and the general public, he said.
“(The public) wants to know the crime that’s going on, and it would help us to track crimes and reports with more convenience,” he said.

Mitchell said the next step is for representatives of the police department to speak with neighborhood associations and hopefully gain their support.

The service could be of use to students, particularly when they are going to an unfamiliar part of town or as they search for rental homes or apartments to live in, social work sophomore Aubree Kugler said.

“We are really ingrained with the city of East Lansing, so it’s helpful for us, too,” Kugler said. “I feel like it’s probably a good idea.”

Council members generally supported the plan at the meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett said the benefits of the program would outweigh the small costs of purchasing a crime mapping system for East Lansing.

“It occurred to me last night … that we always have the police looking out for us, and this is a way for residents to look out for each other,” Triplett said.

Staff writer Beau Hayhoe contributed to this report.