Do-It-Yourself Hillsborough Crime Blotter Possible With Online ‘Crime Mapping’

Forget the newspaper’s crime report and review the data yourself, straight from the source, with the newly released online “Crime Mapping” feature offered through the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office.

Search the crime blotter for the areas you care most about, with no limitations of space or deadlines.

The online Hillsborough County Crime Map allows for the review of crime data based on date range, ZIP code, place name or address. Victims’ names are not included but noted is the type of crime, location, reference number and date reported.

The search results appear as points on a map, or as clusters.

A pie graph details the number of occurrences for each crime category.

A link to Crime Stoppers, with each incident featured, allows for the anonymous reporting of tips to aid in the investigation of crimes and subsequent arrests.

A quick Brandon Patch review of the crime map showed that:

• On March 22, countywide, reported were two assaults, 14 batteries, 21 burglaries, five drug offenses, one DUI, seven cases of fraud, two cases of harassment, eight crimes of mischief, one robbery, 25 cases of theft and 20 traffic violations.

• This month, through March 22, deputies covering the area encompassed by Brandon ZIP code 33511 reported 79 thefts, 64 traffic violations, 26 batteries, 17 drug offenses, 15 burglaries, 15 cases of mischief, 11 DUI’s, 11 cases of fraud, one case of harassment and one robbery. Total reported incidents: 240.

• This month, through March 22, deputies covering the area encompassed by Brandon ZIP code 33510 reported 17 thefts, 16 traffic violations, 13 batteries, 10 cases of mischief, nine burglaries, six drug offenses, three cases of harassment, one assault, one DUI and one case of fraud. Total reported incidents: 77.

• Attempting to search for incidents year-to-date was not possible with one date-range search, as the “maximum number of 1,000 records” had been reached. To acquire this collection of data would require multiple searches. From Jan. 1 to Jan. 6, for example, there were 879 crimes reported, including, in order of the highest number of incidents, 193 cases of theft, 168 burglaries, 149 traffic violations, 129 batteries and 95 cases of mischief.