Police post interactive crime maps online

Want to know if there was a break and enter in Bedford Park, or a vehicle theft in Leaside?

Now you can.

Toronto Police are now making it easier for residents to be aware of crime across the city and in their own communities.

Dubbed the TPS Maps and Data Portal, the interactive tool was launched on the Toronto Police website in early October, allowing everyone to view various crime statistics overlaid on a map of Toronto.

There is one map for homicides and shootings, with options available to toggle between viewing just one or both, as well as neighbourhood borders and police divisional boundaries.

The other map includes less serious crimes including break and enter, vehicle thefts and assaults, again with the option to choose how many or few to view at one time, with or without neighbourhood and divisional boundaries.

While the pins on the maps represent particular crimes, police said the locations are randomized, so the locations of the crimes are not necessarily accurate. Each pin includes links to the local police division as well as CrimeStoppers in an effort to try to solve the crimes.

Police said in a news release that the crime-mapping tool will be built upon, with future plans to incorporate linked news releases, story maps of events, and further statistics.

“This initial release highlights our continued efforts to streamline and standardize reporting internally and externally,” Ian Williams, acting manager of business intelligence and analytics wrote in the release.

Updates to the maps will be sent out through the new Twitter account @TPS_Maps_Stats each week.

The maps and data can be found at maps.torontopolice.on.ca.