MOUNT AIRY, Md. (WDVM) — The Mount Airy Police Department is launching a new platform called CrimeWatch. This platform originated in Pennsylvania and provides a secure network that helps law enforcement manage and publicize sensitive criminal justice information to the community.

“I know through my previous experience as a chief in the Pennsylvania area have done good things with the crime watch program there and it’s having a lot of success and I want to bring that success to our department and the state of Maryland,” Doug Reitz said, the chief of the Mount Airy Police Department.

Chief Reitz says right now, his department uses Facebook as their primary source to inform the public. He says this new platform will enhance its community outreach.

“Mug shots from arrests, any type of incidents that the police are involved in, anything that’s newsworthy, camera registry you can use it for bike registration, a bunch of different things,” Reitz said.

The chief also says it will be a better way for the department to have multiple social media platforms as opposed to just one.

“One of the unique features is it allows for posting instead of making three or four different posts on different social media networking, you make one post and it goes to all of them together,” Reitz said. An app version of the network for mobile devices will also be available. Officials say the network program is set to launch later this month.