By Taylor MacPherson

P.A. Police developing mobile app

Sep 11, 2017 | 10:37 AM

Finding up-to-date information on crimes in your neighbourhood is about to get a lot easier in Prince Albert.

The Prince Albert Police Service is developing a mobile application and redesigning their website, two projects previewed this morning by the board of police commissioners. Police Chief Troy Cooper said the app will include an interactive crime map in its features, which will let residents see data on reported crimes broken down by city block. Reported crime statistics are currently presented as city-wide numbers or are broken down using policing zones or wards, which Cooper said is not especially useful to most citizens.

“For the average person who wants to know what their neighbourhood is like or what their block is like, they can just plug in their own block and take a look,” Cooper said.

“People who have an interest in a specific area or a specific crime… they can look on the application and filter down to locations, or filter down to certain offences or dates or trends.”

Although the design and content of the app have not yet been finalized, Cooper said it will also include online crime reporting tools which will cut down on the volume of calls received at their dispatch centre, links to the police service social media accounts, emergency alert messages, a police directory and answers to frequently-asked questions. The next step in the development process, he said, is to get feedback from the police commissioners and then the public before rolling the app out city-wide.

Lighting it up

P.A.'s Zablocki leads Regina to victory on Day 4 at Esso Cup

18h ago

WORLD SOFTBALL

Group stages officially set for Men's Softball World Cup in P.A.

Apr 24, 2024

Safety first

Safety concerns and tips surrounding discarded needles in P.A.

Apr 23, 2024

The American software purchased for the new app carried a price tag of $20,000 U.S., Cooper said, and the capital expenditure was approved as part of last year’s police budget. The app, he said, will bring the Prince Albert’s crime reporting up to the same standards as larger urban centres like Saskatoon.

In addition to the app, Cooper said the police force is also redesigning their website to make it more eye-catching and easier to navigate on mobile devices and tablets. Cooper described the current website as “flat” and said it is “long overdue for a refresh.” According to Cooper, the redesigned site will include live feeds from the police social media accounts, as well as information about the latest events and news.

System Programmer Ankil Patel said the app will be available on both IOS and Android devices, so everyone can have the latest police information at their fingertips. There is still a lot of development work to be done, Patel said, but he is hoping to have the app and revamped website available to the public before the end of the year.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews