By Monique Roth
L’Observateur

LAPLACE — The St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office recently rolled out a new website design, which in addition to being more aesthetically-pleasing, offers never-before accessible features and links showcased to serve residents in a variety of useful ways.

Sheriff’s Office Records Division Supervisor Kenny Oubre, who maintains the website, said the technology department worked hard on the redesign, which had been in the works for months. He said there are several new features designed to better serve residents.

Brand new to the website, stjohnsheriff.org, is a crime mapping feature, which allows residents to type in their street address and instantly view crimes committed in the area. Users have the option to narrow search results down by crime types, as well as time ranges.

Up to a two-mile radius can also be searched from any area in the parish.

Another high-tech addition to the site is a spot in which residents who own home video surveillance cameras can register them with the Sheriff’s Office.

“Registering your camera with the St. John Parish Camera Registry helps us all work together,” the website reads. “Simply register your home or business camera … and should there be a crime in your area, we may contact you to review footage that could help solve a serious crime.”

Oubre said registering your camera helps keep yourself, neighbors safe and the entire community safe by helping the Sheriff’s Office identify criminal offenders.

Other new website features include areas for public feedback, a crime-tip submission button and a special detail request area.

Oubre said an enhanced feature of the site makes it easier to identify parish prison inmates, and unlike the old website, the new page has mug shots attached to the listing.

Online ticket payment, public records, road closures, arrest reports and lists of active warrants and most-wanted subjects are available on the site, as well.

Oubre said foreclosure listings will be available in the next few months, and St. John Parish Sheriff Mike Tregre said the department would continue to upgrade the site and add more features to it.

“We are taking full advantage of any technology,” Tregre said.

He hopes residents appreciate the redesign as more user-friendly and use the website to its full potential.