If you have found your way to my first blog, then you have seen the MPD has just launched a brand new website: one I hope you will find to be user-friendly, informative, and visual!
Our internet technology staff spent countless hours designing what we believe is one the most cutting-edge municipal websites in the country. As your police chief, I believe it imperative that we take advantage of relevant social media tools as we look to build community trust, maintain transparency, and provide citizens with information they can use to stay safe and healthy. This blog, and the rest of what you will find on the website, also fit hand in hand with several departmental core values: service, community partnership, and continuous improvement.
I invite you to spend some time exploring the site. Here are a few of the highlights I think you might like:
• Two new blogs: this Chief's Blog, on which I will be sharing my insights and the important and impactful activities of the Department; and the Police Blotter, where you will find posts from our team about events, training, community initiatives, and so much more.
• Cutting-edge responsive design: as you view our new website on differently sized devices – your home computer, your tablet, or your smart phone – you will not experience any loss of content: the entire site is accessible and fully functional on all of your computing devices.
• Improved incident reporting and new mapping capabilities: incident reports are now searchable, will be pinpointed on an interactive map, and can now include images or video. We also are introducing a new First Calls for Service map, which will be updated monthly with data directly taken from dispatch; this feature is also fully interactive and searchable, giving users direct access to the data about type and frequency of calls are occurring in areas of interest to them.
• Navigation and content based on the way you are looking for information and using our website: The site has been restructured to give visitors immediate access to information about the department and our services structured in the manner we interact and engage with the community. The navigation has been structured based on the way visitors are commonly requesting, searching for, and accessing information about the Department. You will find sections specific to our districts, as well as the services we offer, and specialized sections and content of interest, such as information on Crime Prevention, Data and Information, and a Video Library.
• Social sharing capabilities on every page: We have made it easy to share current, educational, and interesting content with your neighborhood association, school organization, friends, and others with a Share function on every page. Visitors have the ability to immediately share by email, Facebook, Twitter, and many other social media sites any of our content.
The new site will also allow us to share with you many of the good things our officers are doing in our community, often in partnership with you. Together we can, and will, make Madison an even better place to live, learn and play.