New App Allows Crime Reporting, But Not to NYPD
A smartphone app developed by a New York state senator allows residents to report crimes, but not to the police.
Instead, the suspected criminal activity will be reviewed by retired law enforcement volunteers who will share tips with investigators via a private Facebook page, the New York Daily News reports.
Sen. Eric Adams, D-Brooklyn and a former police officer, wants residents in high-crime areas to have a way to report criminal activity anonymously.
“It does away with the fear that people have—I don’t want to walk into a precinct. I don’t want to call the police and have them come to my house because the bad guys are going to see them,” Adams is quoted saying.
But not everyone is looking as favorably on the “Brooklyn Quality of Life” app, available via mobile site, iPhone or Android. Another state lawmaker, Sen. Marty Golden, R-Brooklyn and also a former police officer, said the app is “a recipe for disaster,” adding that the quickest most effective way to report crime is to call 911.
