HOULTON, Maine — Reaching out to local law enforcement agencies is now a little bit easier thanks to the efforts of the Houlton Police Department.
Both the Houlton Police Department and the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office have taken the plunge into the world of digital technology by releasing a smartphone application.
Houlton Police Chief Tim DeLuca unveiled his department’s app Thursday morning, while the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office rolled out its own app in the fall of 2016. Both applications can be downloaded for both Android or iPhone users.
The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office in Houlton has created its own smartphone app for people to stay in touch with sheriffs. (Joseph Cyr)
The Houlton Police Department’s app is through “MyPD,” a free police application that can be added to smartphones to allow users to communicate with the local police.
“What our app allows you to do is submit an anonymous crime tip, has contact information for all our department personnel, and also has the ability to commend a police officer if they have done something worth recognizing.”
Laura Beals, a student at the University of Maine at Presque Isle, assisted in the development of Houlton’s “MyPD” app as part of a professional development class, the chief said.
The app also allows users to connect with the department via Facebook or Twitter, get local weather reports, and also view the sex offender registery.
“Social media is the present and future,” DeLuca said. “This app allows for quick, easy and anonymous way for people to communicate with us. A lot of crimes in communities are solved by anonymous tips.”
The “MyPD” app is being utilized nationwide and being used by hundreds of thousands of individuals, the chief said. MyPD serves approximately 200 cities and towns of various sizes around the United States. Many successful police investigations are a direct result of tips provided by concerned citizens. “It takes a community in partnership to most effectively keep a watchful eye.”
While dispatch and police personnel will be monitoring the information, Chief DeLuca stressed that the app is solely for the purpose of informational gathering and does not replace 9-1-1 for emergency services or a call to dispatch for business matters.
“We are excited about using social media to communicate more effectively with our citizens,” he said. “We encourage everyone to download the app and join in an exciting more effective way to communicate with your local police department.”
(Contributed photo)
The Aroostook County Sheriff’s Office app has been downloaded “hundreds” of times according to Google Play. It can be found by searching for “Aroostook Sheriff.”
“It works well,” Sheriff Darrell Crandall said. “It has a location function that allows people to see their location on a map and get their exact GPS coordinates, a one-touch dialer button to our dispatch center and as indicated below, active contact links to reach us by email and text SMS. Because of the way those links are configured we can’t tell how many calls, text messages or emails start with the app.”
Crandall added very few people in today’s society are not in possession of a smartphone.
“It is an obvious extension of our variety of existing efforts to remain connected with those we serve,” he said. “We have received no complaints and some positive reviews. We do all we can within our resources to stay modern and effective in our efforts to serve the people of Aroostook County.”
