Sheriff puts county's 'most wanted' on web site

By KURT NESBITT

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Some local law enforcement officials are hoping that the Internet will further aid their efforts to gather information about crime and criminal suspects.

The Brown County Sheriff's Department announced the addition of a tip line and a "most wanted" section to its website on Tuesday.

The office made some additions to Brown County's website roughly a year ago with the addition of pages about each unit in the sheriff's department as well as contact information.

The website was updated two weeks ago to include the tip line and the mugshots in hopes that that by putting information in a place where the public can easily get at it, that it will generate more public participation.

Practically every county sheriff's department in Minnesota seems to have some kind of website. Several law enforcement agencies in Minnesota already use the Internet as a tool to gather more information about suspects and crimes, although few local departments use the internet for that purpose. Brennan said the idea of using the county's website is an idea that's been discussed before but was only recently implemented.

The TipLINE page is a short form where users can submit messages to the sheriff's department including a name, e-mail adress and a phone number and can also indicate whether they want to be contacted by phone or by e-mail or be contacted at all.

Brennan said e-mailers can send messages anonymously and that the department can track the number of hits it receives and who has visited the site.

The "Warrants" portion of the website has mugshots of people who Brennan said are Brown County's most wanted suspects. It presently features 12 people and lists their names and the offenses of which they're charged.

Brennan said the number of active warrants continually changes as arrests are made and as more warrants are received from the courts. He said the sheriff's department presently has about 184 active warrants.

The TipLINE and the Warrants section is located at: www.co.brown.mn.us/Departments/LEC/Sheriff.htm