Costa Mesa brings back online crime map

After a year’s absence, a city website that tracks crime reports in Costa Mesa was relaunched Wednesday.

Visitors to www.costamesaca.gov/crimemap can view where officers were recently dispatched within city limits.

Users can search for specific incidents or get a broad view. The map also tracks traffic collisions and violations of local ordinances.

The Police Department said the service will help inform the public by providing “more real-time communication to citizens.”

Costa Mesa police originally launched a crime-mapping website in July 2013, but the service went offline when the department switched to a new computer system.

The city has been working for the past year to get the new call log online, police said.

Updates were slow Thursday, but police said that when the website is working properly, it will post new information every 30 minutes.

— Jeremiah Dobruck

Twitter: @jeremiahdobruck