The Utrecht police are stepping up their fight against crime by using the internet. From Monday information on all break-ins in the city will be published online.

On the website www.stopdecriminaliteit.nl the locations where burglars have been active will now be flagged on a map. A police spokeswoman said, "We hope this will intensify crime prevention and make people extra watchful in their neighbourhoods."

Coloured labels specify the method the burglar has used to break into the building. The methods range from ‘fishing’ with wire to open locks through the letterbox, to drilling locks, using a crowbar, or smashing a window. Short video clips linked to the map explain what people can do to foil burglars trying to use the particular method. If local residents know what the types of burglary have taken place in their neighbourhood, the police hope they will be able to take the right measures to protect their property. Information on the perpetrator, evidence found at the scene of the crime, or video footage can also be linked to the burglary information.

Although in 2008 Utrecht recorded a six percent drop in the number of burglaries compared to the previous year, on average six break-ins a day take place in the city.

If the new website is a success, the Utrecht police will also post other crimes like car break-ins online. Crimes from other municipalities could also be published. The website will be updated daily.

Google
Dutch police forces have been experimenting with ways of using the internet for the past few years. Some have used the video website YouTube to find information on suspects. Utrecht police have also published parts of murder cases online so the public can aid detective work and provide tips.

On Friday police in the northern city of Groningen reported that they had used images on the Google Streetview website to solve the mugging of a 14-year-old boy. The website links street maps to panoramic pictures taken by Google cameras at street level. The boy found that pictures had been taken precisely at the time of his mugging. Although faces of people on Google Streetview are blurred to make them unrecognisable, the police contacted Google to obtain the original photos and identify the culprits.

Twitter
However, as the police increasingly use the internet in their efforts to frustrate the thieves, it appears that burglars themselves are also going online in order to track down likely victims. According to Dutch insurance company FBTO, criminals are becoming increasingly creative in the ways they use to find places to burgle. An FBTO spokeswoman says, "Burglars used to check the paper mailbox to find out whether someone was on holiday; now they look at the digital mailbox."

FBTO also has a warning for users of social networking websites like Twitter, Hyves and Myspace. The company reports that as the holiday season approaches, criminals are trawling such sites looking for information on people’s holiday plans. "Posting information about your holiday on Twitter or Hyves or keeping a holiday weblog provides burglars with a useful view into your personal life."