Tempe police goes mobile after launching new app

TEMPE, Ariz. — The Tempe Police Department has gone mobile with the launch of a new smartphone app.

Officer Naomi Galbraith with the department’s social media unit said the new Tempe Police Department app has many useful features for residents and visitors to Tempe.

“This app is basically for the community to have the ability to get ahold of us in a way they’re most comfortable,” she said. “We have a way for them on this app to call us, to email us, they can submit tips about crime anonymously or they can provide their information.”

The app also allows users to view unsolved cases and submit tips, view a map of local sex offenders and access other resources and information, such as the contact of a local school resource officer, among other functions.

Galbraith said the department has been working on developing the app for nearly a year and wanted it to be a one-stop-shop for residents.

“We wanted them to be able to do a lot of things and this app gives them the ability to communicate with us in a lot of different ways, and go one place to find that,” she said.

Tempe police also expects the app to be a good way to cultivate better communication between the department and the city’s younger college community, who tend to be very tech- and mobile-savvy, Galbraith said.

The app is available for free on Apple and Android devices. Galbraith said they are still working to improve the app and in a few weeks users will be able to see crime data and statistics in their surrounding neighborhood.

The launch of the app also comes with a revamp of social media for the Tempe Police Department, as Galbraith said both police and fire were previously under one umbrella on social networks, such as Twitter and Facebook.

Now, Galbraith said they have separated the accounts as a way to tailor their posts and crime prevention tips on social media.