Toronto Police Service has just become the latest Canadian police department to offer a mobile app.
The app comes out on the same day that a deadly shooting took place at a OVO Fest afterparty at Muzik nightclub.
“It’s no secret that 80 per cent of Canadians that are connected through a mobile device.” said Toronto Police Services Superintendent Hugh Ferguson at the press conference where the app was unveiled. “And it only made sense that we make an app to connect with citizens, particularly those that are victims and witnesses.”
While it’s not as feature robust as the app Calgary’s Police Service released in June, what is here works well. It’s not much to look at, but it is one of the more quick and responsive apps I’ve used. Moreover, a lot of the information the app is designed to provide is already preloaded. So there’s no need to connect to the Internet when accessing an included collision checklist, for instance.
According to Ferguson, the police force did this so that the information could be accessed anywhere. Unfortunately, any information that is preloaded is denoted by the use of grey text, which makes it difficult to read, especially in sunlight.
Aside from that, you’ve got your standard police services app. Using the app, it’s possible to do things like file a report, see a map of local police divisions and submit feedback to the police force. There’s also a feature called “Virtual Police Officer,” though what that amounts to is a FAQ with a fancy name.
“This app gives people an opportunity to report crimes when it’s convenient,” said Ferguson. Although he was quick to stress multiple times that the app will never replace dialling 911 in the case of an actual emergency.
The Toronto Police Services mobile app is currently available on Android and iOS. A BlackBerry and Windows Phone version is forthcoming.
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