How Santa Cruz PD got access to over 30% of their population by releasing a mobile app developed by MobilePD.
The Problem
Santa Cruz Police realized that relying on traditional methods of communicating with the public, such as press releases or press conferences, wasn't enough to reach many in their community. In addition, they wanted to provide a tool that would promote transparency between the department and their residents while fostering positive relations with the community.
The Solution
In September 2010, Santa Cruz Police contacted MobilePD about developing a mobile app for their department. At this time, there were no departments in the entire nation that had released a mobile app, so by a collaborative effort, Santa Cruz PD Mobile was released to their community. The first version included News, Videos, Photo Albums, a Scanner Feed, Crime Maps, Tip Submit, and Nixle Alerts.
The Results
By releasing a mobile app, Santa Cruz PD accomplished everything they had hoped, and even more. SCPD was praised as the first department in the US to release a consumer focused mobile app, resulting in positive press. More importantly, SCPD now has a medium for disseminating information to the public in real time. This has resulted in a large amount of downloads, but more importantly, increased communication and tips received by the department.
Ready to Take The Next Step?
Schedule a personalized web demo and see how MobilePD can increase community engagement, prevent crime, and save lives.