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LEHI — According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Lehi is the fifth fastest-growing city in the country, a fact Officer Gabe Westover is well aware of.
"(There are) a lot more calls that we respond to," said Westover. "It just keeps us a little bit more busy than when I started here."
In the four years he's been on the force, he's learned his workday can include just about anything, such as "people that lock their keys in their car" or "a fight over at the El Pollo Loco earlier today."
Just as the city evolves, welcoming major growth, especially in the area of technology, so has the police department.
Indicating his laptop computer, Westover said of a new tool, "It maps where things have taken place: DUIs, deaths and anything else you can think of."
It's called RAIDS online and it works like this: When an officer answers a call and generates a police report, it automatically uploads to the system. The crime shows up as an icon almost in real time.
"You can look at it on your desktop," he said. "You can also download it as an app on your phone."
The public crime map isn't just for police officers. Anyone who downloads the free app knows about that fight at El Pollo Loco, or any other crime in the city.
"If you're curious what's going on it will show exactly what's going on in your neighborhood," he said.
Westover said not only does it keep citizens informed, it helps with department transparency and officers focusing their efforts.
"As an officer, you can see where these are occurring and go and do extra patrols, helps us cut that crime rate down," he said, making the city this officer's grown to love that much safer.
For information on the program, visit RAIDS online.
