The Chattanooga Police Department is as close as the nearest smartphone with the release of “Chattanooga PD Mobile,” a free app the department hopes will improve communication with the public and increase responsiveness to crime.
Users of “Chattanooga PD Mobile” can receive safety alerts, view CPD social media sites, find department contacts and submit anonymous crime tips.
“Many community members want to help police but prefer to keep their identity private,” CPD Chief David Roddy says. “Our mobile app addresses that by allowing tipsters to remain anonymous.”
Roddy adds that the app does not monitor users in any way.
Leading by example is Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke, who’s already installed the app. “The police department’s new mobile app is one more innovation that helps better connect the people of Chattanooga with the men and women who keep them safe,” Berke says. “Communication and responsiveness are at the heart of any effective public safety strategy, and this new technology improves both.”
The app is available for download on Apple and Android devices. It was developed by Mobile PD, a mobile app developer focused on law enforcement and public safety. The company works with about 100 other agencies across the country and in Canada.
The CPD received $40,000 in grant money to pay Mobile PD to develop the app and will pay the company $15,000 annually to maintain and update it.
The app is not designed or intended to replace 911, which residents should still call if there is an emergency or a crime in progress.
Source: CPD