The Saint John Police Force is preparing to roll out a new-and-improved website.

Last week, Saint John Police Commission members were told it should happen in the next few weeks.

Chief Robert Bruce said they want to make information more accessible to residents of the city.

“The website prior to that was very difficult to navigate, you couldn’t get things you wanted. We’re trying to be more accessible to the community in what we do,” Bruce told reporters after the meeting.

“It’s very user-friendly, it gives you everything you need. That wasn’t the case before. It’s back to listening to the needs of our community.”

One of the biggest additions to the site will be a new online crime reporting tool.

It will residents to report certain crimes through an online form rather than calling the police.

“We only take reports that are under $5,000 in value and there can’t be any known suspects involved,” Staff Sgt. Sean Rocca told police commission members.

Eligible crimes include lost or missing property, mischief or damage to property or a vehicle, theft, and theft from a vehicle. Residents will also be able to submit driving complaints or a tip.

Loss prevention officers can submit shoplifting reports, gas station attendants can report theft of fuel, Crime Stoppers can submit their tips, probation officers can report breaches of probation, and the provincial jail staff can submit reports, said Rocca.

“You don’t have to wait for a police officer, you don’t have to call and wait on the phone. You can do it from the comfort of your own home. It takes about 15 minutes to complete a report,” he said.

In addition to the ease of reporting, Rocca said online crime reporting will also be an analysis tool for the police force.

“You may not necessarily require follow-up investigation, but we’re going to encourage you to report because it helps us conduct more analysis,” he said.

Bruce, meanwhile, said he thinks they will see more crime reported because it will be easier to do so.

It cost the police force about $9,000 to develop and implement the new website and online crime reporting.

Monthly subscription and maintenance will cost $1,512.25 USD for the online crime reporting and $340.00 CAD for the website.