With a rise in public mistrust of police forces in cities across the country, many police departments have been refocusing their efforts on community policing to re-establish public trust.
USPDhub, from LogicTree IT Solutions, is a mobile app that helps bridge communication between local law enforcement and the community they are trusted to protect. The app allows law enforcement to easily communicate with citizens by sending push notifications or text messages to inform them of important and timely announcements, emergencies and alerts, as well as receive crime and safety tips from area residents and businesses.
“USPDhub simplified our police department’s process of distributing information to citizens and the media, as well as receiving crime tips from the community,” said Rocklin (Calif.) Police Captain Lon Milka. “It’s increased our department’s productivity with tools to create and send consistent crime reports, citizen alerts and media releases–especially during breaking events.We can push out information at the same time on multiple channels, including social media.”
Similar products, such as the Community on Patrol (COP) app, have not only led to more positive interactions between the public and police, but have also helped close cases by using community crime tips.
“Safe communities are not built safe–but are made safer with the help of the people that work and live in them by working with their law enforcement agencies,” said Rich Maddalena, CEO of LogicTree. “Community-police relations should be a two-way street, and USPDhub enhances and simplifies that communication link between the police and the communities they serve.”
A major complaint against police forces today is a lack of two-way communication between the public and police. However, police departments struggle with how to listen to their community’s complaints and requests. Police forces using USPDhub have found the mobile app helpful in consolidating the public’s feeding in an easy-to-use format.
“We have created polls and surveys that allow the citizens to provide us their input through anonymous and recorded methods,” said Portales (N.M.) Police Chief Pat Gallegos. “They are now also able to contact us directly through the app via phone, message, or email.”
