UK Crime map having its own issues

An initiative by the National Policing Improvement Agency has placed maps online that show UK crime statistics.
As well as being able to compare overall crime rates, visitors to the site can view figures for: burglary, robbery, violence, vehicle crime and anti-social behaviour.

However,the voice of the Police Federation (the police 'union') that said this could help criminals, by letting them find specific crime hotspots, looks to be unlikely as the service is repeatedly unavailable today.

The reason "Due to very high popularity users may experience temporary intermittent issues accessing this site".

Either the Home Office never anticipated this level of traffic in its first week of launch (strange, given the curiousity around such a subject) or gangs of 'ner-do-wells' are using the service to plan their next set of heists, muggings and anti-social behaviour online.....

in reference to: Crime mapping for English and Welsh police forces (view on Google Sidewiki)

Tweeting in the name of the law

Its not just companies that can benefit from the use of social media, other organisations and bodies can participate in the conversation. Take for example this list of UK charities on Twitter compiled by eConsultancy, from Amnesty International to http://twitter.com/unicef_uk.

Now even the Public Order department of the London Metropolitan Police has got in on the Twitter act: http://twitter.com/CO11MetPolice
There are no further tweets from this unit at New Scotland Yard* than their intial one yesterday, but lets see what they say.

*(who I may have had some positive dealings with in the past)