The Tech Edition
April 09, 2008
Sheriff’s Office leads the way to 10 Most Wanted and more
By NANCY RUMP
Staff Writer
The Cape May County Sheriff’s Office debuted on the Web in the late
1990s due in large part to computer-savvy Sheriff’s Officer Jeffrey
Cohen. Today, Cohen remains the site’s sole webmaster.
What began as an expanded forum to inform the public of the county’s “10
Most Wanted” has grown into a vast resource on the inner workings of the
Sheriff’s Office itself, including a history dating back to 1692 and
responsibilities that extend far beyond operations at the county jail.
When the site was first created, the Internet was gaining recognition as
an “informational tool,” a place to go after hours or on the weekends to
have questions answered that prior might have required a phone call or
visit during normal working hours.
“It was discovered to be a great way to get information out to the
public,” said Cohen, who quickly took advantage of the new technology by
posting the photos and descriptions of Cape May County’s 10 most
sought-after criminals.
The root of the Sheriff’s Office’s presence on the Web was the “10 Most
Wanted” and is still the most popular, Cohen said. The office has
received phone calls that aid in the apprehension of these criminals
because of the site he said.
However, the second-most popular feature is a far cry from public
interest in crime. It is the regularly updated listings of sheriff’s
sales. One of the functions of the Sheriff's Office is to conduct the
sale of real property after foreclosure proceedings have been completed.
The site explains how these properties are auctioned off and sold to the
highest bidder. It also offers a list of available properties that will
be on the auction block and where and when the auction process will take
place.
Cohen said traffic on the sheriff’s sale page is continually high.
The site also garners a multitude of hits regarding the county jail,
specifically where inmates are concerned.
“The big one is the visiting hours,” said Cohen.
Those are listed under the link for the correctional center. Other
information can be found on the FAQs (frequently asked questions) page.
This includes directions on how to send an inmate a letter or money
order for the commissary and the direct phone number to find out bail
status.
Providing this information online has cut down the amount of telephone
inquiries to the correctional facility, Cohen said.
When visiting the Sheriff’s Office’s website, online users will notice
the design and layout has been kept simple. There are not a lot of bells
and whistles. Cohen said this is done on purpose to keep the site
“organized and flowing.”
All of the site’s main “buttons” (or links) are kept on the left-hand
side of the page. They go with the user when one is clicked and the home
page changes to the page now visited. A scrolling banner across the top
of the home page is also omnipresent. Cohen said he uses it for frequent
updates that alert visitors to new information contained on the site’s
many pages (or buttons).
Presently, the scrolling banner is advising, amongst other things, a new
Crime Stoppers toll free number. Clicking it while visible will take the
user to the crime prevention page (also accessible via the crime
prevention button).
According to Cohen, crime prevention is another highly trafficked area
of the site.
“People are extremely interested in that,” he said, “and the services
that are available through the Sheriff’s Office.”
These include child, school and adult safety programs. For the past 15
years, the Sheriff’s Office has offered child fingerprinting services to
the parents of kindergarten age students in Cape May County schools. The
site details the process. It also provides information on various phone,
mail and door-to-door scams and how to protect yourself against identity
theft.
Other organizations that assist with the prevention of crime are also
listed, along with their contact information and, in many cases, a link
a those websites.
All links open in a new window, a layout function Cohen uses so that
visitors to the Sheriff’s Office never lose where they were originally
on the site.
Included in the crime prevention section is Project Lifesaver. Links
take the user to a special page devoted to the innovative program.
Project Lifesaver also has its own ubiquitous button on the left-hand
side of the home page due to growing interest in the service. Explained
are the steps caregivers and families can take to secure a wristband
device for loved ones suffering from Alzheimer's disease and related
disorders such as Down syndrome and autism that may cause a patient to
wander and become lost. The wristband acts as a tracking device that can
then be used by local law enforcement to locate the individual.
Other aspects of the site include contact information for the
correctional facility and the court house as well as maps and directions
and a link to Map Quest to determine the best route from your exact
location; the history, mission statement, memorial page and duties of
the divisions and units within the Cape May County Sheriff’s Office; and
information and a downloadable application form for employment with the
agency.
Also featured is Explorer Post 1692, a program for teens ages 14-19
interested in careers in law enforcement. Included is a meeting
schedule, bulletin board and photo album for those involved or those
looking to get involved.
In developing the site, Cohen said he sought to make it user friendly in
both its navigation and its content, so parents can feel safe in viewing
various content with their children, such as a page devoted to the
duties of the K-9 Unit. Here visitors will find information on the
training facility and photo profiles of the county’s canine officers.
An online calendar of events alerts users to events planned by the
Sheriff’s Office like regularly scheduled child safety seat inspections
and appearances by McGruff the Crime Dog at local schools. There is also
a link to McGruff’s official webpage.
“The idea behind the site is to address what the public would like to
see,” said Cohen. “If there a particular question people are asking
about the functions of the Sheriff’s Office, the site attempts to answer
it.”
There is even a catch-all page entitled “Improv” where Cohen posts
current events, milestones and other achievements within the Sheriff’s
Office such as retirements and promotions.
“It’s another way for the site to keep visitors up to date about what is
going in the Sheriff’s Office,” Cohen said.
Averaging about 80,000 hits last year, the site is doing its job. And
that’s not all local traffic, it’s national and international, Cohen
said.
“We advocate people checking back,” he said, “because there is always
new information and the pages continually change.”
Most recently is the appearance of the Sheriff’s Office official
newsletter. The project was started in December 2007 and immediately put
online. Compiled by members of the Sheriff’s Office, the information
contained within is the most immediate within the agency and includes
detailed accounts of activity at the jail, the courthouse, and on the
road, as well as a little law enforcement humor the general public can
enjoy.
Visitors to the Sheriff’s Office website can subscribe to the newsletter
and have it delivered to them via e-mail or read it when posted online.
For more information on the Cape May County Sheriff’s Department, visit
sheriff.co.cape-may.nj.us.
Nancy Rump can be e-mailed at
nrump@catamaranmedia.com or you can comment on this story by calling
624-8900, ext. 248.