Crime Prevention in Your Pocket: Explaining the Best Cop Apps for 2024

Ken Schul

(Retired Captain, CMPD), Director, StackBench

Public Safety is all about keeping the public safe and decreasing crime. Crime prevention can be enhanced when police and their community interact. Community policing is on the rise as many law enforcement agencies have seen positive results by connecting with citizens to find more accurate information regarding an incident. A crime prevention app can pave the way to success concerning police and community contact.

Crime Prevention Tool

A police app for iPhone or Android can be an effective and convenient way to connect law enforcement with their local communities. A smartphone application is a technology most everyone is familiar with and confident in using. The best cop apps allow community members to connect with police in seconds. Law enforcement can use this instant information from citizens to enhance investigations, respond to calls faster, and acquire more leads.

Incorporating a police app into daily law enforcement operations provides police and the community with a crime prevention tool right in their pocket. For example, if there have been several burglaries in a particular area of town, police and citizens can exchange information which may lead to arrests. A crime prevention app allows police to post information they may be looking for in a case easily.

Since smartphones are used nearly constantly, an alert from a police app would be read by citizens instantly and they can remain aware of a particular situation. In addition, if an individual witnesses an incident or sees a subject that matches police descriptions, they can let law enforcement know exactly what they saw and where. The best cop apps include GPS coordinates, the ability to report anonymously and allow citizens to upload photos or videos of what they observed to police. These particular features in law enforcement apps for Android or iPhone are effective, easy-to-use tools that can potentially help combat crime

Best Cop Apps

The best cop apps will connect law enforcement and the community easily and effectively. In addition, a police app can build trust between law enforcement and the community. The more transparent a police department is, the more likely a community will be responsive when law enforcement asks for tips from citizens. Recent studies have proven that community policing and being transparent have had positive impacts on both police and the public. One of the easiest ways to accomplish both transparency and communication is through law enforcement apps for Android or iPhone.

The UCP Police app by StackBench offers cutting-edge technology to police and the public. This particular application is available for both Android and iPhone and includes features such as the ability to post on several social media outlets with the touch of a button, the ability to upload photos and videos, and GPS coordinates. The GPS coordinate feature is ideal for those citizens who wish to report an incident that has just occurred but are unsure of the exact address of where they are. With the UCP Police app, a citizen can let police know of a situation through a message and that message will have their exact location so first responders can find them quickly. This feature increases public safety and expedites response time for police. With no guesswork as to where the incident is located, law enforcement can arrive on the scene faster.

Citizens also can send information such as tips or leads to the pertinent unit within the department through the UCP Police app. By directly sending a detective unit information regarding a burglary, or vehicle information to the traffic unit, the situation may be handled immediately. UCP Police enables citizens to report any information they may have regarding a situation directly to the correct unit within a police department. This decreases errors in facts and communication since an individual can report an incident directly instead of the information passing through numerous channels before officers know about it.

Crime prevention apps are an excellent way for police to communicate with each other too. The UCP Police app has a category where command staff and shift supervisors may send messages to the officers on their staff. These memos are encrypted to keep sensitive information secure and supervisors may be alerted when a police officer has read the message keeping everyone accountable. This feature also ensures officers receive imperative information such as a suspect to be on the lookout for, or any other public safety information they may need to know for their shift. The more a police officer knows about situations in their jurisdiction the better they can practice situational awareness. Situational awareness is being fully alert and aware of one’s surroundings. Citizens should practice this but for police officers, it is vital for the job. Having a crime prevention app that provides faster and more accurate communication to law enforcement enhances situational awareness.

Additional Benefits of a Crime Prevention App

The best cop apps are customizable so that the application meets the needs of the public and law enforcement agencies. Every police department is different as is every community depending on terrain and population. These factors may change what a particular agency is looking for in a police app. However, when the law enforcement app for Android or iPhone may be tailored to the specific needs of that town or city, it can enhance public safety.

With UCP Police, departments can choose what categories they would like to include within the application. For instance, a police agency can include information about the department and its Chief of Police, as well as helpful resources such as health and wellness information. These extra features help bridge the gap between police and the citizens they serve. Offering resources such as additional public safety or health information is another way to assist the community. In addition, citizens may be more apt to use resources if they are available through a crime prevention app.

Law enforcement apps for Androids and iPhones provide fast and secure communication between police officers as well as citizens and officers. The job of first responders is to maintain public safety and to accomplish this, the sooner an officer can respond to a call the better. Fast response time can increase trust in local police officers too. When citizens see an officer responding in just a few minutes, they are more apt to feel comfortable and confident relying on their local law enforcement.

Choosing a Crime Prevention Tool

The more resources a police officer has the better they can do their job. Police apps for iPhone or Android help law enforcement put their best foot forward. It is important for police departments to connect and build a positive rapport with their respective communities. A police app is one way to achieve this goal. The more a community trusts their local law enforcement, the more likely citizens are to provide police with pertinent information they are looking for. When police officers and community members work together, the goal of public safety can best be achieved.

To learn more about how your department can enhance public safety and communication between officers, take a look at StackBench’s website. There you will find information regarding the UCP Police application as well as more details that will help your agency choose the best cop app. An application can make a positive difference in the way police officers and the community interact and can serve as an effective crime prevention tool.