Information about crime trends, arrests and police news in Montgomery County is now available with a few taps of a finger on a county police smartphone app.
The app provides quick links to news releases, arrest data and crime trends, among other features, but it does not allow people to report crimes or other emergencies.
“We’ve now made it easier for our residents to stay informed about their police department,” Police Chief Tom Manger said in a video announcement.
“Montgomery County Police” is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play for both iPhones and Android devices. The app is free to download.
“It’s just another way that people can get information about the police department and what the police department is doing in the community,” police spokeswoman Sgt. Rebecca Innocenti said. “We recognize that a lot of people use smartphones, so this is just another means for them to get information quickly and easily.”
The department worked with a developer for several months to create the app, communicating with other agencies to determine what has worked well in similar settings, Innocenti said. Development of the app cost $7,500.
Police members tried out the app and the department worked out some kinks and added improvements, then it was released to the public on Monday.
The app has crime report information from dataMontgomery, the county’s open data portal, organized in a map format. Residents can see what crimes have occurred in their area down to the block, Innocenti said.
Residents can’t report crimes through the app and the department is not planning to add that capability. Residents should call 911 or the non-emergency number in those situations. The county’s emergency and non-emergency numbers are not currently equipped to accept text messages.
The department is continuing to perfect the app and encourages suggestions from users. The department’s app team can be reached at MCP.APP@montgomerycountymd.gov.
“We’re always looking for input from people,” Innocenti said.
