General 

Posting a crime

Feature a crime posting

Submitting and/or receiving a tip

Police generated crime information

POSTACRIME.COM shop

Signing up  

POSTACRIME.COM is a free service for anyone to upload photo or video content of burglary, theft, vandalism, or other criminal acts that have been caught on camera for the purpose of identification by the public.  Users can also search our crime database by address or zipcode and view crimes committed near their homes and places of work, and submit tips should they have information about a specific crime.

POSTACRIME.COM was started to help business owners and loss prevention managers fight back against retail crime, but it also has a much broader appeal to the general public.  Anyone who has had their car or house broken into or their property vandalized can post details about the crime (with or without photo or video evidence) to share with their neighbors and community.  Other POSTACRIME.COM members can search this database of crimes and offer tips and share information about specific crimes for which they have knowledge.  Crimes posted on POSTACRIME are generally non-violent and involve loss of property only.  POSTACRIME.COM is not intended to be used for posting crimes like murder, assault, rape, or other violent crimes, and these types of crimes should not be posted to POSTACRIME.COM.  If you have information about a violent crime, please contact your local law enforement agency directly. 

POSTACRIME.COM exists to provide an avenue for all of us to contribute to making our homes and communities a better place to live and work. 

What is a Poster or Tipster? 
A Poster or Tipster refers to people posting crimes and people submitting tips. A "Poster" is a user that posts a crime to the POSTACRIME.COM network, while a "tipster" is anyone visiting the website that submits tips for these postings. 

I own a business, why should I sign up for POSTACRIME.COM? 
There are several reasons to sign up for POSTACRIME.COM. Being a member of the POSTACRIME.COM network will discourage potential criminals from entering your business. As a member you will also be well informed of criminal activity in your city through the email notifications that you will receive informing you of criminal acitivity geographically near your business.

Posting your photos/videos on POSTACRIME.COM provides an opportunity for millions of people to assist in identifying the perpetrator and which can result in the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator. Finally, a business owner should sign up for POSTACRIME.COM in order to help form a nationwide security network dedicated to assisting law enforcement in identifying, apprehending, and prosecuting criminals.

I'm in charge of security/loss prevention for my company, why should I sign up for POSTACRIME.COM? 
POSTACRIME.COM provides Loss Prevention Managers an information database that can be used in a variety of ways. POSTACRIME.COM can lead to the identification of criminals, recovery of stolen property, and decreases in losses. By posting signs and decals identifying your membership in POSTACRIME.COM you will significantly discourage potential perpetrators from commiting crimes against your business. You will also be able to receive email notifications of crimes in your geograpical area so you will be aware of trends.

I'm in law enforcement, why should I sign up for POSTACRIME.COM?
The primary benefit of POSTACRIME.COM for law enforcement is as a resource to offer businesses and individuals who have surveillance video evidence of crimes. By instructing businesses to post their photos/videos at POSTACRIME.COM, law enforcement can do something that will assist law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting criminals. 

Why should I post my crime to POSTACRIME.COM?
Anyone who has been been a victim of theft or vandelism knows how frustrating it can be when the police don't have enough information, are too busy, and are unable to investigate your case. By posting your photo/video on POSTACRIME.COM, you'll be exposing the criminal(s) on your video to millions of people worldwide, increasing the likihood of identifying them. The information you receive from other POSTACRIME.COM users should then be turned over to police to aid them in their investigation and bust criminals. 

How do I search crimes? 
There are several ways to search for crimes. On the home page you will find a google map that contains red balloons. Each balloon represents a crime. You can click on any balloon you see. This will pop up a window display a title, a photo thumbnail, an address, and a money bag icon should there be a reward offered for this crime. If you then click on the thumbnail or hyperlink it will take you to a full description of the crime.

On the home page you will also see a tab entitled "Find Crime" If you click this tab it will take you to a zoomed in google map displaying the part of the country that corresponds to the zip code you used when registering with POSTACRIME.COM. Below this zoomed in google map is a list of thumbnails. You are also able to initiate a crime search by several variables including zip code, type of business, or type of crime. Simple select one or all of these variables and the specified crimes will be listed below. Finally, there is also an Advanced Search option which is located on the far right side of the "FIND CRIME" area on the home page. By clicking this you can further narrow your search additional variables such as reward status and a specific address. 

Are usernames and passwords case sensitive?
Yes.

I can't remember my password.  What do I do?
At the top right of the POSTACRIME.COM homepage you will see a "Forgot Password" link.  This will take you to a page where you enter your username and a new password will be sent to your registered email address.  Go to your email to retrieve your new password.  When you log back into POSTACRME.COM, you can go into your user profile and reset your password to one of your choosing.

I can't remember my username.  What do I do?
At the top right of the POSTACRIME.COM homepage you will see a "Forgot Username" link.  This will take you to a page where you enter your registered email address.  Your username will be sent to your registered email address.

How do I change my password?
Log into POSTACRIME.COM. Once logged in click on the "user profile" which is located at the top right of the homepage right above indicator showing how much available space is remaining. This will take you to your profile. Scroll to the bottom, enter your new password, and click on the save button

Can I post a crime photo or video that I found somewhere else on the internet?
No.  We ask that you not post crimes that you are not directly involved in.
 
How many videos/photos can I upload?
A free account permits you to upload a total of 2MB of data.  Premium accounts will be available soon for $14.95 per month which will permit up to 2 GB of uploads. 

How long will my video/photo remain on POSTACRIME.COM?
Your video/photo will remain on POSTACRIME.COM indefinitely or until you remove it. 

How do I search the video on my surveillance system?
Since we don't know the specific manufacturer of your surveillance system, we asl that you consult your user's manual or installation company for instructions on how to search recorded video. 

Can I put a video/image on POSTACRIME.COM if I have a VCR and not a Digital Video Recorder?No. At this time only images from a digital recorder can be uploaded. Digital Video Recorders are available for purchase at the Postacrime.com store, click here for more information or to purchase a Digital Video Recorder. 

What video/image formats will POSTACRIME.COM accept? 
Postacrime.com accepts nearly all image formats including .jpg, .gif, .avi & .mpg.      

 Posting a Crime 

How do I post videos/photos on POSTACRIME.COM?
It is very simple to upload a video/photo to POSTACRIME.COM.  First you need to register for an account and login using your new username and password.  Next, click on the "Post Crime" tab at the top of any page, fill out the relevant information and description of the crime.  If you want to include a photo or video, simply click on "Browse" and located the photo or video file on your computer and click ok.  You may repeat this step for up to four photos/videos.  After you are finished, accept the terms and click Post Crime... and you're finished!  Your newly posted crime will instantly appear on the google map for the world to see.  Your crime will also be listed in the "My Crime Postings" page under your user menu.

My posting has been deleted, what gives?
All postings are monitored by our staff, and any postings that do not comply with the terms and conditions and/or the spirit or intent the Web site will be deleted at our sole descretion.  As a reminder, violent crimes, pornographic content, bogus or fake postings, and copyrighted material will be removed immediately.

How do I receive tips?
You can receive your tips two ways.  When a tipster sends you a tip you will receive an email alert notifying you that you have a tip. The email contains a link that you can click which will take you right to your tip.  You can also check to see if you have alerts by logging into your account and clicking on the "My Received Tips" tab near the top of the homepage.

What do I do with the tips I receive?
If you receive a tip from another POSTACRIME user, you should immediately contact your local law enforcement office and provide them with that information.  Information received shoulded be treated as confidential and should not be used in any way unless directed by law enforcement.

 
What if I want to know more information about the tip I received?
There is an option when you receive a tip to "clarify" the information you've received.  When logged in, click on "My Received Tips" and then click the "clarify" link.  An email will be sent to the tipster with your request for additional information.  It is important to not that anonymous tips can't be clarified.

Do I have a way to contact the person who submitted the tip?
The only option we provide is to ask for a clarification of the received tip.  When logged in, click on "My Received Tips" and then click the "clarify" link.  An email will be sent to the tipster with your request for additional information.  It is important to not that anonymous tips can't be clarified.

Feature a Crime Posting 

Why Feature My Crime Posting?
This option allows you to maximize the exposure of your Crime Posting by adding it to the Featured Crimes Section on the POSTACRIME.COM Home Page. Tipsters visiting POSTACRIME.COM will see your crime posting featured prominently in this section, giving your crime posting maximum visability on the POSTACRIME.COM network. 

What does it cost to Feature My Crime Posting?
Your crime will be featured on the Home Page for 14 days for $9.95.
If your tip leads to the conviction of the perpetrator, the business or person that posted the crime will contact you via email to inform you on how to obtain your reward. 
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Where do you get the police generated data to display on the map?This data comes from local police departments who provide their police report data to POSTACRIME.COM in order for citizens to view the criminal activity in their community in an easy to use, easy to understand format.  For some cities the data represents yet unverified crimes that have been called into the police dispatcher.

Why don't I see any police generated markers in my city?We probably haven't started to receive data from your police department yet.  Please click here to email us, let us know where you live, and we'll contact your police department and ask them to participate in the POSTACRIME.COM community.  We do not charge any department to be a part of POSTACRIME.COM.

What do the different symbols mean?
The different symbols displayed on the map represent the type of crime that occured at that location.  The table below defines each marker:

	Assault
	Drug Related Crime
	Fraud
	Other Crime
	Robbery
	Sex Related Crime
	Traffic Incident
	Theft
	Violent Crime
	Multiple Crimes at Location

What should I do with the information I recieve from a tipster?
Tips that you recieve from other POSTACRIME.COM users should be forwarded to Law Enforcement immediately. 

What should I do if I receive a tip or see a posting that appears to be bogus?
Each posting has a "Flag as Innappropriate" option. Simply click this button and our staff will be notified and investigate the posting. Bogus tips should be forwarded to admin@postacrime.com and we'll investigate its validity. Users knowingly submitting false information are in violation of the POSTACRIME.COM terms and conditions and can be banned from the website and/or face criminal penalty. 

Provide a detailed description of the person(s) in the video.
Provide a detailed description the person in the posted photo or video.  This is especially necessary when there are multiple people in the video so the poster can differentiate between people.

Provide the name of the person(s) in the video.
Provide the persons name or alias if known. 

Additional Information. 
Provide any information you know about this person including home address, telephone number, company the person works for, work address, establishment person is known to frequent, vehicle make/model, license plate number, etc. Any information could be helpful in the resolution of this crime and the arrest of individuals involved