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QUINCY, ILL. -- It's the new neighborhood watch.

The Quincy Police Department and the Adams County Sheriff's Department have partnered online to help better inform you of crimes in your area.

"A lot of people want to know, hey, what's been going on in my neighborhood? I want to know what's been going on. Have there been a lot of criminal damages? I saw someone suspicious the other night. I wonder if something happened," Sgt. Kathy Schisler, with QPD said.

Now, there's a way to access that information without picking up the phone. For Quincy and Adams County residents, it's a click away at www.RAIDSonline.com. You can type in your address, or a radius of where you'd like to look.

From there, you can check off the crimes you'd like to view, from DUI's and vandalism to the more serious assaults, robberies and homicides.

"The collaboration with Quincy is vital, because there is no jurisdictional boundaries. We're in a Tri-State area, so whether you're in Iowa, Missouri or Illinois, Quincy or out in the county, activity is going to happen," Sheriff Brent Fischer said.

Crimes do not appear online in real time. You can expect to see them online in the next day or two with updated maps Monday through Friday. The database will take you as far back as a year from the day you log on.

There's also a backside to the RAIDS system that provides more details for law enforcement agencies.

"It allows for law enforcement to go in and see if there's patterns, if there's suspects and vehicles. Was there forced entry or not? All those things are important for us to hopefully lead to an arrest," Fischer said.

Residents can access the crime map from any location with Internet access, including cell phones with Internet browsing capabilities. 

There are mobile apps for RAIDS Online as well. The service also allows residents to sign up for customized e-mail reports of crime activity near their homes.

Citizens who use RAIDS Online to become aware of crime trends can make more informed decisions on where they live, shop, play, send their kids to school, and other important choices regarding their personal safety. Bair Software provides this service at no cost to the Quincy Police Department and Adams County Sheriff’s Office or their citizens. It uses Google maps to display location and basic information for crimes.