In Janesville, Wisconsin, police are using digital billboards as the latest high-tech tool to help close cases and assist the department in its outreach efforts. This new way to get a message out to the public is available at no cost to the department and with very little effort. These billboards might also be available in other communities; if so, agencies should not hesitate to take advantage of them.

Janesville is a town of approximately 63,000 in south central Wisconsin, not far from the Wisconsin-Illinois state line. The Janesville Police Department (JPD) consists of 104 sworn officers and 15 civilian employees. Like many departments of its size, the JPD finds itself faced with increasing service demands and decreasing funding sources. Each year the department responds to approximately 68,000 calls for service. A significant number of those calls, including about 350 missing-person calls, are an excellent fit for the use of digital billboards.