Lungren Urges Public to Go Online to Help Fight Crime

Atty. Gen. Dan Lungren on Thursday showed off the latest tool proposed for enlisting the public’s help in fighting crime: the Internet.

It’s about time law enforcement joined the journey into cyberspace, and rely “less on milk cartons to find children, nab fugitives and solve murders,” Lungren said.

Once up and running, information on thousands of individuals being sought by police agencies would be available to the public by computer via an Internet connection that Lungren demonstrated for reporters, he said.

Legislation authorizing the innovative search method has been introduced by state Sen. Ross Johnson (R-Irvine) and is expected to meet with little opposition at its first Senate committee hearing on April 16.

The system would allow a personal computer user to connect to a Department of Justice web site and choose a subject such as missing children, wanted criminals or unsolved crimes. The user could search through a state database containing pertinent names, descriptions, last known whereabouts and other information.

Pictures would be displayed with text and could include videos, if available, in the case of missing children.

Computer users nationwide could access the information from California, helping track down 5,000 to 10,000 fugitives wanted in the state, join the search for about 1,000 missing children or provide possible clues to outstanding crimes, Lungren said. In California, about 8% to 15% of households have computers capable of accessing material on the Internet, according to various studies.

“The bottom line here is using modern technology to expand the information base available to average citizens who may be able to assist us,” Lungren said.

Typically, he said, if a computer user scanning the state system comes across an individual being sought, he or she would contact the local police detective assigned to the case by calling a telephone number displayed on the computer screen.

Later, aides said, the system could be upgraded to allow citizens recognizing a wanted fugitive, for example, to immediately send e-mail to state officials who would pass on the information to local authorities.