Sheriff’s Apps to Help You Get Immediate Assistance

Ken Schul

(Retired Captain, CMPD), Director, StackBench

Society uses applications every day, multiple times per day. Apps are used for making dinner reservations, connecting with friends, learning a new language, or keeping track of workout routines. The prevalence of applications is steadily increasing in all aspects of life. Law enforcement agencies can also utilize this particular type of technology in daily operations. A sheriff’s app can connect deputies with their community and with their fellow co-workers in a fast and effective way.

App for Sheriff’s Office

An app for a sheriff’s office has numerous advantages. These include but are not limited to faster communication between personnel, a direct way to connect with community members, and the ability to enhance public safety.

Using a sheriff’s office mobile application allows law enforcement personnel to alert others on their shift of important information. How was this done before the development of an app? Prior to the existence of applications, before the shift began command staff and other supervisors would have to meet with deputies, call them on a landline telephone, or email them to alert them of sensitive information and safety concerns. With an application such as UCP Sheriff from StackBench, command staff can send an encrypted, secure message through the app. An app for a sheriff’s office is a great way to alert deputies regarding situations or information they cannot share over the radio. The UCP Sheriff app includes a feature that allows supervisors to view whether their message has been read or not by the personnel on their shift. This way, command staff can ensure everyone receives and has read the important message.

A sheriff’s app is also a great way to connect the community with their local sheriff’s office. Traditionally, if a citizen wants to make a report they must go directly to the sheriff’s office in person or call on the phone. However, with a sheriff’s office mobile application, the public can send a message directly to the sheriff’s department. In addition, the UCP Sheriff app has an anonymous option allowing citizens to offer informational tips and helpful leads to deputies with an incident while still maintaining their privacy.

The ability to alert the public through an app enhances public safety. For example, if there is a person of interest connected to an incident and deputies need to let the public know they may be dangerous, they can do so by making a post through the app. Sharing information such as this means the public may be able to offer sheriff’s deputies information about a person of interest or a situation law enforcement is looking into. Additionally, the convenience of connecting with personnel is also an effective way for law enforcement to communicate through the app.

Instant Connection

A sheriff’s office mobile application offers instant communication between deputies, command staff, and even citizens. The UCP Sheriff application enables allows citizens to upload photos and videos directly to their local sheriff’s office. For instance, if a citizen witnesses a burglary take place and is able to snap a picture of the getaway vehicle, they can simply upload the photo in the UCP Sheriff app and law enforcement will receive it immediately. Often law enforcement will have some type of description of a suspicious vehicle or individual, but the details may not be clear. Confusion of details may occur because of either a lack of communication or details may have become misconstrued after the initial call. This may occur when a dispatch center receives a call and either cannot hear the caller or the call gets dropped. By receiving an actual picture or video of a person of interest or a suspicious vehicle, law enforcement can properly identify the vehicle or individual and may be able to apprehend the person much more quickly.

The ability to provide information directly is advantageous for law enforcement agencies in many ways. Firstly, sheriff’s deputies can provide the public with alerts that are quick to create and easy to post. Secondly, providing citizens with a tool that allows them to communicate directly and anonymously to provide videos and photos to law enforcement enables deputies to respond to calls more quickly. The faster the response time, the faster the potential for apprehension of the subject will be. Lastly, if there is important information that must be related to deputies immediately for the safety of themselves and the public, supervisors and command staff can directly message deputies using the sheriff’s app. The UCP Sheriff application offers agencies the ability to send encrypted messages to their personnel so the message will remain confidential.

Today’s world is fast-paced and it can be challenging to keep up with each new trend, however, an app for sheriff’s offices can help law enforcement keep up with the fast-paced world of technology.

A sheriff’s office mobile application does not replace landlines telephones or handheld radios but instead, it provides another, faster way to communicate. An application enhances public safety as a whole. In addition, an app will update automatically, without the law enforcement agency scheduling an update to the application.

Situational awareness is one of the most important components of the success of public safety. Sheriff’s deputies are trained to be situationally aware at all times. Being situationally aware means observing what or who is around you. It also refers to the ability to recognize potential threats, dangers, or a possible route to get to safety if need be. When deputies are informed of potential threats from leads from citizens, they can be more vigilant and safe. Vigilance and situational awareness allow law enforcement to keep themselves, their co-workers, and the public they serve safe. Likewise, the public may be more situationally aware of their surroundings when their local sheriff’s office sends out alerts of potentially dangerous situations or areas of the county to avoid. An app such as UCP Sheriff makes it convenient for law enforcement to alert the public of any potential danger.

An app for sheriff’s offices can also fill in the gaps in other forms of communication between law enforcement and the public. For instance, if a citizen calls their local sheriff’s office and the call gets dropped, the dispatch call center will attempt to call the person back but at times they are unable to get ahold of that individual again. With an application such as UCP Sheriff, law enforcement can pinpoint where the tip was made. This particular mobile application can provide sheriff’s offices with the exact GPS coordinates of the person messaging the department. This specific feature is a great advantage to law enforcement; with precise GPS coordinates at their fingertips, deputies can ensure they are responding to the correct address and can arrive at the scene much more quickly.

Find a Sheriff’s App

Law enforcement agencies may find a sheriff’s office mobile application on the StackBench website. The UCP Sheriff app is customizable as well since every sheriff’s office is different in size and organization. Furthermore, every community differs which means the needs of every jurisdiction vary. With a customizable sheriff’s app, law enforcement agencies can tailor the application to the needs of the public they serve.

A sheriff’s office mobile application provides a convenient way for sheriff’s deputies to communicate with the communities they serve. After all, the majority of the public is familiar with smartphone applications and how to navigate them. By implementing a mobile application for sheriff’s offices deputies can provide the public with an easy way to communicate and connect.

Sheriff’s offices are often very rural and their jurisdictions are vast, it can be difficult for deputies to interact with the community they serve unless they are responding to a call. The more the public interacts with their local sheriff’s office positively, the more trust is built leading to citizens offering support and helpful leads to their local sheriff’s office.

Sharing information with the public with the hope of obtaining tips and leads from potential witnesses may result in citizens reporting potential leads to deputies. This exchange of information is known as community policing which in recent years has proven extremely helpful for law enforcement.

Mobile applications for sheriff's offices are economical for the agency and are free for the public to use. When a law enforcement agency implements a mobile app, the community they serve has the ability to download the sheriff's app on their smartphone and use it in seconds.

An application specifically designed for sheriff's offices will enhance and improve the relationship between an agency and the citizens within their community. An application such as UCP Sheriff will also reduce response time and may increase the number and type of leads a sheriff's office receives.

Take a look at StackBench’s website for more information regarding the UCP Sheriff app and how it can improve your agency and your connection with the community you serve.