Motorists driving along Williams Drive may have noticed large signs warning drivers to take their belongings out of their vehicles, hide anything left inside and lock the vehicles doors.

The signs are part of a public awareness campaign to help reduce the number of vehicle burglaries in the city, and the campaign seems to be working, Police Chief Wayne Nero said.

In the past year weve reduced burglary of vehicles by 40 percent, Nero said.

In January 2013 the department began using PublicEngines software, which has allowed the department to analyze crime data and be able to identify trends in criminal activity.

Nero said the technology allows the department to be more proactive and less reactive as well as do intelligent policing.

What used to take 40 man hours now takes five mouse clicks, he said of the software.

Along with having a new tool to dig through mountains of data, the technology has a public component that allows Georgetown residents to track crimes occurring in their neighborhoods.

The software features a free smartphone app called CityConnect that allows users to tap into the police departments Facebook and Twitter pages and website with one click. The app also features a map that displays where crimes occurwithin about an hour of the report being filedwithin the city limits, Nero said.

Along with being able to see where crime is happening, the app also allows individuals to submit tips when they see crime occurring or give additional information about a crime that has already been reportedboth within the smartphone app and done so anonymously.

The more involved [the public is], the safer we are, Nero said. Having more engagement [with the public] is critical.