NYPD developing app for officers with crime scene data and criminal records
Deputy Chief Ruben Beltran gave a sneak peak Tuesday night to the app, which will only be available on department-issued smartphones. Officers will have access to data on bad guys living in building they’re dispatched to, and will be able to look up criminal and vehicle records.
By Denis Slattery AND Bill Hutchinson / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
Published: Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 10:16 PM
Updated: Wednesday, April 10, 2013, 12:00 AM
Todd Maisel/New York Daily News
The NYPD will have another weapon in their fight to keep the city safe: a smartphone app that has access to criminal and vehicle records, as well as a list of bad guys living in buildings they're dispatched.
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The NYPD is developing a high-tech smartphone app that will give cops the lowdown on crime scenes before they even roll up to trouble.
The crime-fighting gadget has been under wraps, but the NYPD’s tech czars unveiled a sneak peak Tuesday night.
Deputy Chief Ruben Beltran said the app will give New York’s Finest a tech-savvy tool that could save their lives in any hairy situation.
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In a speech Tuesday at Manhattan College in the Bronx, Beltran revealed the app is being tested by 400 officers.
“So far our tests have been positive,” Beltran said.
With just a few taps on their department-issued smartphones, officers will be able to call up data on bad guys living in any building they’re dispatched to.
James Keivom/New York Daily News
New York Police Department's Deputy Chief Ruben Beltran introduced the app that the NYPD has been developing for its officers.
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Ideally, the app will give officers information on outstanding warrants, gun charges, high-risk sex offenders and previous domestic violence incidents at any given address.
“They allow officers to do person lookups, vehicle lookups and criminal history,” said James Onalfo, NYPD deputy commissioner of information technology.
“Very simply, we have a portal to a website that can be accessed by laptops, tablets and hand-helds,” Onalfo said.
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With the app, cops will no longer have to enter buildings blindly.
“Today, (police officers) go into buildings and they have no idea what they are walking into,” said Onalfo.
JUNG YEON-JE/AFP/Getty Images
The NYPD app will be available for department-issued smartphones.
The department has been collaborating with several engineering companies to develop an app that’s compatible with the city’s broadband network. Commercial phones are currently not compatible with the network, Onalfo said.
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It’s not clear when the apps will be officially deployed.
Bugs still need to be worked out and funding approved.
“We’re looking at different price models. We have worked with different telecommunications companies,” Beltran said.
The NYPD’s tech team is planning to soon present its proposal to Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly.
Elsewhere, apps have been used by cops to battle crime.
Mexico City police recently began using an app that allows citizens to contact local beat cops at the press of a button and allows police to track people via their smartphones.
If successful, the app will enable Mexico City cops to react faster to emergencies, while building connections between citizens and police. It may help prevent drug violence from making inroads there, officials hope.
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