Want to know about arrests, 911 calls, crime in Bluffton? It’s now a click away
Anyone curious about what Bluffton police are doing can now check the town’s website.
The Bluffton Police Department began publishing reports online on Friday of 911 calls that officers respond to, which include information on crime and arrests in the community.
Called the “Public Information Log,” each entry provides the nature of the crime or incident, the address where officers went, the time they arrived, and a brief (but limited) description of what happened.
In a city news release, Interim Bluffton Police Chief Scott Chandler said, “Providing the public easy access to these records promotes transparency. The public lives, works, and visits Bluffton, so they have a right to know what is happening here.
The log, the release said, will be updated online every weekday, except for holidays.
Joy Nelson, the department’s community liaison, said these reports are typically put into a binder made available at their offices. However, the department building has been closed to the public due to COVID-19 since mid-March.
“We’ve been wanting to do this for a while,” she said of the change. “Everyone at home can see what calls our officers have taken.”
“This is just another way our residents can see what’s going on,” said Bluffton Police Department Capt. Joe Babkiewicz.
According to S.C. Freedom of Information law, “reports which disclose the nature, substance, and location of any crime or alleged crime reported as having been committed” are public information.
The Bluffton Police Department joins the Beaufort Police Department, which also recently began posting daily crime reports online.
This story was originally published September 8, 2020 at 2:46 PM.
