The city of Pflugerville and the Pflugerville Police Department recently debuted two new initiatives to keep residents engaged in crime prevention and awareness.

On Friday, the city launched the online Pflugerville Police Department’s Community Crime Map, a crime data portal that is updated with information on a daily basis. The interactive tool allows residents to search crime data by the type and location of crime.

“The program was selected to increase transparency and provide a robust reporting system in conjunction with the city’s updated record management system and computer aided dispatch," Pflugerville Police Chief Jessica Robledo said in a news release Friday.

City staff have uploaded 2018 data that residents can sort by range and type of crime.

The launch of the online interactive tool comes two weeks after the police department launched a community outreach crime watch initiative. On Feb. 15, the Pflugerville Police Department announced it is partnering with Pflugerville residents who may have home surveillance systems installed on their houses.

The Digital Neighborhood Watch program asks residents to voluntarily notify police if they own exterior-facing surveillance cameras. Participation in the program does not grant the police department remote-access to the equipment. Once the surveillance system is registered, residents will only be contacted by police when there is a crime in the vicinity of the household.

Ultimately, the goal of the program is to build a database of surveillance cameras so police know who to contact when a crime occurs in a particular area, according to a Feb. 15 press release.

“Residents are not always aware that their system may have captured information that could help solve a crime that occurred nearby, but having a list of contacts who have potentially vital footage can help us close a case or identify a suspect," Pflugerville Police Department Sgt. Jared Bruno said in the press release.

Terri Toledo, public information officer for Pflugerville, said that 124 households have already registered their equipment with the city. Pflugerville residents can register their information here.

According to the press release, the Pflugerville Police Department has used surveillance videos in accordance with social media to make multiple identifications and arrests, particularly in the investigation of package thefts, burglaries, evading suspects and more.