In this day and age, apps play a very important role in carrying out daily activities and jobs. Even the police are getting in on this and will be using an app to help learn more about suspects and aid their police-work. The city of San Francisco has developed a mobile application that aims to increase police effectiveness and make it easier for police officers to carry out their jobs.
The ingenious crime app, JusticeMobile, seeks to reduce the time that police officers take to track down information on a suspect or criminal. It is linked to state and federal criminal databases and can be accessed using a smartphone or a tablet, much like any other app. However, due to the fact that it contains a wide variety of confidential information, it would be a highly secure app and would require multiple verifications prior to using it. According to the San Francisco Police, roughly 600 officers have used the app on a test run and an extended version will be released to more than 5000 police officers in both San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Currently, police officers would have to call or radio back to their stations to get information on a suspect or criminal. With the introduction of the app, they can now immediately search for information on a potential suspect from their smartphones, increasing effectiveness. Speaking at the launch, Attorney General Kamala Harris said that “law enforcement hasn’t had the tools to access important criminal justice information on hand-helds and tablets until now”. She added, “JusticeMobile is a quantum leap forward for public and peace officer safety”.
This is another step taken towards a policing with high technology services, which can create a better force to safeguard the public. Recently, the Santa Cruz Police Department also deployed a predictive policing software aimed at reducing crime. However, the issue many are concerned about with using technology is safety and confidentiality of information. JusticeMobile claims to be very secure and data on the application can be wiped out in the event of the phone being stolen or lost. There is on-going research and testing on this clever app, with developers hoping to create a very rigorous and sturdy app for the police force.