Reporting Crimes Online with Our Police App

Ken Schul

(Retired Captain, CMPD), Director, StackBench

One of the most used ways of reporting a crime is by placing a phone call. Police boxes were the original way to get ahold of local police. From there, dispatch centers were organized and established to receive emergency calls from any landline telephone or, eventually, cell phone.
Police apps have taken the purpose of a police box and have developed it into a smartphone application that can be used in seconds on any iPhone or Android smartphone. A police app connects citizens to their local police quickly, which decreases response time to crimes that may be in progress.

Crime Prevention

A police app is a great way to connect the community with local law enforcement. When citizens can communicate easily with police officers trust is built as well. Presently, there is a strain on the relationships between the public and law enforcement in many communities. However, when trust is built there is a higher probability that the public will offer tips and leads to law enforcement regarding situations where police may be looking for information. It is for this reason that a police app can be an effective crime prevention tool. A cop application can close the gap in communication between police officers and the public.

Community policing is an effective way to reduce crime. Community policing builds rapport between law enforcement and the citizens they serve. There have been positive results for those law enforcement agencies that utilize community policing. A police app can be a crime prevention app that helps law enforcement maintain public safety. This is because a police app makes it easier and faster for citizens to report incidents to their local police department.

For instance, if there is a particular neighborhood that has been burglarized over a few weeks, the more tips citizens provide to police the faster police officers can apprehend the suspects. In addition, if there have been several calls about thefts in a certain area of town, command staff can ensure officers patrol those particular areas closely. Close patrols provide peace of mind for citizens since having a heavy police presence will often reduce crime in general.

The best cop apps such as UCP Police from StackBench offer citizens a convenient way to relate information to officers. Though dispatch call centers are still imperative to the operation of law enforcement, a police app can help reduce misunderstanding and can decrease response time as well.

Often a caller may not be able to articulate the exact location of the incident. When this occurs, it takes law enforcement longer to respond to the incident. With a crime prevention app such as UCP Police, police officers can utilize the GPS feature to find an exact location quickly. When an individual reports an incident through the UCP Police app, their GPS coordinates can be shared with law enforcement. The faster police respond to a call the more public safety is upheld.

With the best cop apps such as UCP Police citizens can upload photos and videos of a crime they have witnessed in real-time. This way, officers can have a photograph of persons of interest, vehicles, or locations involved in an incident. In addition, law enforcement can put out an alert through a social media post letting the public know of the incident or to be aware of a suspicious person or vehicle. When police officers are given a photograph or video they can have an accurate description of a subject or vehicle immediately. Having this type of information so quickly can expedite the apprehension of a subject.

For example, if a citizen witnesses a hit and run and can take a photo of the vehicle fleeing, they can upload it directly to their local police department through the crime prevention app. Police can then send a push notification and social media alert about that vehicle to the public. That way, if a citizen sees the car, they can report when and where they saw it to the police.

Exchanging information is the basis of community policing and the best cop apps can make sharing information easy. The UCP Police app also has a feature that allows reporting parties to remain anonymous if they do not wish to share their name with law enforcement. Often citizens may want to report an incident or details about an incident police need information for but they may not want to share their name. With the option to remain anonymous, the public may be more likely to provide law enforcement with leads.

How a Police App Works

A cop app is cost-efficient for law enforcement agencies and is free for the public to use. Crime prevention apps work similarly to all applications, which makes navigating these types of applications convenient as more and more of our digital world goes mobile. The UCP Police app is an effective platform for law enforcement to share information with the public. By doing so, law enforcement agencies can be transparent which in turn increases trust between law enforcement and citizens.

The UCP Police app is one of the best cop apps because it is customizable. The more a department can customize an application the better it will be for the citizens they serve. Every city is different and the needs of every community vary. By implementing the UCP Police app into daily operations, law enforcement can tailor the app to the specific needs of their respective communities.

The categories included in the UCP Police app include wellness resources, get to know your chief, and other community policing tools that help citizens connect with their local police department. The ability to upload information through an application directly to law enforcement through a smartphone is a game changer.

A police app will enhance public safety as a whole, the more information local law enforcement can tell the citizens they serve, the more the public will be aware of situations to watch out for or avoid. Law enforcement can send out important alerts regarding areas with heavy police activity or places the public should avoid such as large vehicle accidents, road closures, or areas that may be dangerous due to weather conditions. By making one post through the UCP Police app, command staff can share that post across several different platforms with the touch of a button.

Additionally, officer safety is enhanced through the use of a police app. Unfortunately, officer safety is often compromised, especially while officers are assisting motorists on the roadside. In the span of nine years, from 2011 to 2020, there were over 400 police officer deaths that occurred on roadsides. This is a staggeringly high number and efforts should be made to reduce this occurrence. A police app can help reduce line-of-duty deaths by alerting the public of where an accident or other incident may be located so that they may be aware of the presence of police officers or they can avoid the area completely.

A police app such as UCP Police is not only an excellent resource for the public, but a crime prevention app is an effective tool for command staff in police departments. By using an application, supervisors can ensure their subordinates receive important information regarding events or incidents before their shift. In addition, the UCP Police app makes it convenient for command staff to send memos to their personnel. There is also a feature that lets supervisors know if the message they sent out was read and by whom. Police departments are constantly busy and command staff may not always have the chance to properly brief the police officers on their shift of incidents that occurred earlier in the day. Having a briefing at the beginning of the shift is imperative as it is the best way to ensure that everyone on duty is aware of situations that require attention or follow-up. By using a cop app, command staff can make sure the police officers on their shift are well-informed and situationally aware.

Where to Find Your Police App

You can find more information regarding the best cop app on StackBench’s website. On the site, you can find out more about the advantages of the UCP Police application as well as more information on why your department should implement a crime prevention app into their daily operations.

Community policing has proven to be an effective way to connect police and the public they serve. It is also a helpful tactic for gathering information. When citizens report crimes they have witnessed it provides law enforcement with more leads which may lead to faster apprehension of suspects. The ability to report suspicious activity through an application on an Android or iPhone increases the probability of the public contacting the police with helpful information.

A police app enhances public safety as a whole, increases situational awareness, and is an effective and convenient way to connect law enforcement with the public they serve. Take a look at the UCP Police application on the StackBench website. Incorporating the best cop app will make a positive impact in your community and will enhance officer safety as well.