Bridging Gaps: Multi-Agency Collaboration Powered by Mobile Apps in Law Enforcement

Inter-Agency Cooperation

In many jurisdictions and counties, several law enforcement agencies may combine their resources and form a unit for major crimes. The types of calls these units are called to are usually large, such as a homicide or another circumstance that may be extreme. Combining multiple agencies helps each involved party on many different levels. A major crimes unit provides additional support and boots on the ground, it establishes rapport with other communities and helps law enforcement professionals network. When a group of law enforcement officers comes together, everyone may be in the same career field but each person may have different talents or specialties. A multi-agency unit can provide more resources simply based on the expertise of each individual within the unit.
A law enforcement app can provide another way to connect within the unit through an easy-to-use form of communication. For instance, the UCP Police app by StackBench has a feature that allows police personnel to connect. This feature is encrypted so that all important intel that is sensitive may be kept secure between law enforcement personnel.

The more communication there is between law enforcement officers and their supervisors the more situational awareness is enhanced and officers can maintain safety for themselves, their coworkers, and the public they serve.

Mobile apps for law enforcement are also a great way to share information with other agencies that may be helpful. For example, if there is a suspicious vehicle that an agency is looking for, but it has left its jurisdiction and is entering another, they can alert the agency in the next jurisdiction of the suspicious vehicle headed that way. With a law enforcement app for Sheriff or Police, this information can be related quickly and received in seconds.

Working with other law enforcement agencies, even sheriffs and police working together can make a huge difference in a case. When multiple agencies are working together, cases may be solved faster and suspects apprehended more quickly. A law enforcement app such as UCP Sheriff or UCP Police can help agencies put their best foot forward on a case, together.

Community Policing

It has been proven that community policing has increased the rapport between police officers, sheriff’s deputies, and their citizens by being more transparent and offering potential leads. Community policing also helps law enforcement from other agencies in that if one agency makes a post regarding a suspect to be on the lookout for, and the community helps by submitting potential leads, all agencies in the area can benefit from that information.

For instance, if there is a robbery suspect that law enforcement has a photo of but needs more information on the individual or needs to locate them, they can make one post to numerous outlets simply by using a law enforcement app. Citizens and neighboring agencies alike can then provide any information they have on the suspect which may lead to faster apprehension.

Mobile apps for law enforcement such as UCP Police and UCP Sheriff are often customizable so that the application can be set up in a way that suits the department best. Agencies can offer additional resources to their communities such as wellness resources, helpful webinars, and sections that help citizens get to know their local law enforcement. The more a community knows about their police and sheriff's departments, the more comfortable they will be and the more likely they will trust their local police. When a community trusts their local law enforcement, they are more likely to provide leads that could help police officers.

Mobile App Advantage

As mentioned before, law enforcement agencies need to work together and network for a variety of reasons. Before mobile apps for law enforcement were developed, police and sheriff departments had to connect with other agencies via phone, email, or most commonly in person. However, through a law enforcement app police departments and sheriff's offices can communicate within seconds and the touch of a button.

The other advantage for police and sheriff agencies is that certain applications such as UCP Police and UCP Sheriff also have the ability to attach GPS coordinates to tips. This way when someone messages law enforcement the exact location of the incident is recorded. Having GPS coordinates readily available can cut down on response time and save officers from having to guess where a location may be.

Mobile apps for law enforcement make it possible for citizens to share information with police and for law enforcement agencies to share information. More cases have been solved through more than one agency working on the case. This is because typically when several law enforcement agencies work together they exchange different types of information that collectively can help solve a case. Implementing a mobile app into an agency that is available to both law enforcement personnel and the public naturally makes exchanging information easier and overall more effective. The convenience of an application may prompt citizens who normally may not want to take the time to call local law enforcement or may wish to remain anonymous. A mobile app such as UCP Police or UCP Sheriff offers the ability to offer a direct line of communication to police and provides a more direct way for police and sheriff’s departments to speak with their personnel and other agencies. A law enforcement app is typically free to the public and cost-effective for law enforcement agencies.

Crime isn't confined to one area and often a suspect will commit a crime in one location and go to a nearby location and commit another similar crime. Inter-agency connections allow departments to share information not only for apprehension purposes but also for establishing criminal patterns. Intel of this nature can help law enforcement set up patrol areas in certain parts of their city or town to increase public safety and deter crime from happening. A mobile app for police or sheriff’s departments can help create a network of intel to aid police in reducing crime.

Officer safety is another serious concern. Though officer safety has always been a concern, these days there is more cause for concern due to the fact the general outlook on law enforcement currently is not favorable. This is unfortunate, but it is a fact that law enforcement agencies must take into consideration for their personnel. A law enforcement app can increase situational awareness on many levels.

Firstly, an app that the public can access and use to provide police information can enhance safety for both officers and the public. For instance, if a citizen witnesses an assault, they can let police know through the app. The reporting party may be able to tell police what the suspect was wearing and may be able to provide a physical description. From there, law enforcement can share this information with surrounding agencies so that they may be on the lookout and can let the citizens in their county know to be aware of the subject. Simply by using an application to pass on information and intel to police, law enforcement officers may be aware of the potentially dangerous individual. Police officers and sheriff deputies can also post about the person to the public so they may be aware as well. With one message through an app, police officers can enhance the safety of their community. When more people are aware of a potentially dangerous subject police are looking for, the probability of finding that person increases.

Where to Get a Law Enforcement App

Law enforcement agencies can get an app to connect and their citizens as well as with other surrounding agents by going to StackBench’s website. Located on the site is information about the apps UCP Police and UCP Sheriff. Additional information may be found such as other customizable fields, how to request a demo of the app, and more.

There are numerous positive outcomes for law enforcement agencies that can be realized by using law enforcement apps. These types of applications usually update on their own with no need for the police department or sheriff's office to schedule a time for maintenance. In addition, the UCP Police and UCP Sheriff applications are user-friendly. Since most of the population has a smartphone and uses apps this makes learning how to navigate a police app easy.

Connecting with other law enforcement agencies can improve police intelligence and data collection, build rapport with the public they serve, and enhance situational awareness and public safety. Implementing mobile apps for law enforcement can improve communication between law enforcement agencies to increase safety and help reduce crime.