CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The West Virginia State Police now has its very own smart phone application to assist in fighting crime.
“We are really excited to have this app,” said State Police spokesman Sgt. Michael Baylous.
The goal of the app is to enhance the communication between the West Virginia State Police and the public.
Baylous said the new tool offers many helpful features.
“It allows you to keep in contact with our Facebook, Twitter, our website, the Sex Offender Registry and Detachment information,” he said.
The new app can also help the public locate the nearest Detachment by using the GPS on their phone. On top of that the app allows the department to get information out quicker.
“It gives us the opportunity, if we need to, we can send out blast messages which would be beneficial if there was a Amber or Silver Alert or event just some information we wanted the public to be aware of and know about,” Baylous explained.
The State Police could send out messages containing information regarding major criminal incidents or, for example, the vehicle description of a car being driven by a suspect.
However, department officials remind people that they should not be using the app while driving, but rather pull over to the side of the road where it is safe to do so.
Baylous said this tool is going to be a great benefit to both the public and the department, but admits they are going to need to public’s help to get the maximum potential from the app.
“This is new, it’s a work in progress and if the public has any suggestions or comments for improvements, we will gladly listen to those,” he said.
The app can be downloaded for free at the iStore for Apple products and at the Google Play Store for Android devices.