A new iPhone app allows New York City residents to notify police of crime and activity in their area.
The Brooklyn Quality of Life app works as a 2-way communication tool. Residents can send pictures or reports of crime as well as receive alerts on crime in the area. The information sent in from citizens is then screened by retired detectives to ensure anonymity of the informants. The screened information is then sent to police via a secured Facebook page.
Eric Adams, a New York State Senator and former police officer, initiated the design of the application. He worked together with Mobile App Depot, a designer of mobile apps for small businesses, who created the app for free as a public service.
The NYPD has not started working with the app yet and was not notified of its creation. Senator Adams says he will send the department an explanatory letter soon.
Brooklyn Quality of Life is supported by iPhone and Android operating systems. Android users can use the app now, while iPhone users will be able to use it in the coming weeks.
