SOUTH PORTLAND – The city has a new link on its Web site for faster and easier reporting of graffiti vandalism.

Also, police are planning to use a $113,000 federal grant to purchase new technology that will allow them to do such things as read license plates automatically and allow residents to report crimes online.

The City Council voted to accept the grant Sept. 9.

The initiatives are all ways for police to enhance their ongoing efforts to use new technology to help fight crime, according to Police Chief Edward Googins.

People can now go to the city’s Web site, HYPERLINK “http://www.southportland.org” www.southportland.org, and find an e-mail link, HYPERLINK “mailto:graffiti@southportland.org” graffiti@southportland.org, to report instances of graffiti.

Among the technology that the grant money will pay for are cameras and other special equipment for a patrol car to scan license plates and instantly be able to do a computerized check on them, Googins said. He said such checks are particularly useful for stolen cars.

Also, the money will pay for technology to allow people to report crime online to police. Googins said that would be helpful for misdemeanor incidents such as vandalism that might be discovered late at night. Instead of waiting to report such incidents the next day, residents can report them via the Internet that night.

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