People have a new way to alert police to information about suspects in unsolved crimes — things like names, identifying scars and even the suspects' hangouts.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office posted a website Thursday that features images of suspects in crimes ranging from petit theft to burglary and beyond. If the public recognizes a suspect, they can click a button to submit information that might help solve the crime.
The Unsolved Crimes website is available on the Sheriff's Office's site at jaxsheriff.org. The Sheriff's Office characterizes it as one more tool to partner with the public on crime fighting.
"The Unsolved Crimes page is a natural way that this agency can marry the use of technology and community policing to hold offenders accountable," Sheriff T.K. Waters said. "Crime victims deserve justice, and it is our hope that our engaged community will regularly access this page to help us solve crimes that in the past might not have had a high degree of solvability.
"To the public with whom we are charged to serve, you can make a real difference in the life of a person in our community who has been victimized by crime."
The Unsolved Crimes website has 12 images per page. Right now, there are five pages of images showing men, women and sometimes pairs of people, along with the case number, type of incident and general address where the crime occurred. Many of the images came from security cameras.
If someone recognizes a suspect from photographs or videos on the web page, they can click a "Submit Tip" button to pass along information. They will be asked for their name and phone number plus information about the suspect, including nicknames, identifying marks, hangouts, associated groups, vehicles and other information.
Investigations and Homeland Security Chief Mark Romano proposed the idea of the website. Waters said officers often collect photos and videos when investigating a crime, but they end up in the property room as evidence if an investigation goes cold.
"That is where the evidence would stay, in the property room and never be seen by the public," Waters said. "Our Unsolved Crimes page will change that process."
The website does not replace the suspect information that the Sheriff's Office regularly posts on its Facebook and Twitter pages, Waters said. It also does not replace the agency's new monthly Cold Case Spotlight, which began a few months ago. That is done in addition to the quarterly cold case spotlights that a homicide detective gives to local news outlets.
"If a person wants to provide information still anonymously, they can still do that," Waters said. "It's another tool."
The new website also works separately from First Coast Crime Stoppers, which allows tipsters to remain anonymous and be eligible for a possible reward by calling 1-866-845-8477 (TIPS). And, as always, anyone with information on any crime can contact the Sheriff’s Office at (904) 630-0500 or via email at JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org.
