Law Technology Today From the ABA Legal Technology Resource Center
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Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. When most people think of apps they think of the most popular games and social media apps. Of course there are apps for all sorts of things out there, but there are few that provide law enforcement officers with the tools they need to succeed. The following apps make your job easier, and they help both police officers and the public.
US Cop
US Cop is one of the most popular apps for law enforcement officers. The app includes a wide variety of resources for any street officer and has over 900 pages of information for only $5.99.
Some of the resources in the app include:
- Accident investigation formulas
- Pill identifier with photos of commonly abused prescription drugs
- News feeds from American Police Beat, Officer.com, and PoliceOne.com
- Training articles regarding detecting concealed weapons, interview & interrogation, detecting deception, rookie drug mistakes, Drug Recognition Expert training and more.
- Video tutorials for new CPR guidelines.
- Videos on weapon detection, interview and interrogation tactics, and drug recognition
- Case Law resources for probable cause
- The ability to take a photo and have a date/time stamp, GPS location and address appear in the photo’s top margin for evidence. Photos can be stored and organized in a folder system that also allows the photos to be shared or deleted
- An integrated work calendar to maintain your rotating work schedule.
RAIDS Online
Former police officer and crime analyst Sean Bair created RAIDS Online to improve public safety and reduce crime. The app can be used by the public or by police officers. It creates a public crime map for users to access at any time so that they can make informed decisions about how to stay safe. RAIDS does more than just show you where previous crimes have occurred though. It identifies high-crime areas and alerts you about recent crime activity in the area. You can also view details about a crime including crime type, date, time, address, and distance from your location. If you download RAIDS and don’t see your city listed contact the law enforcement agency in your area to request that they start sharing crime information with you through RAIDS Online.
Police Spanish Guide
With the growing Hispanic population there is a wide language barrier between police officers and those they are trying to communicate with. There are currently over 37 million Spanish speakers in the United States, and this guide will help you break the language barrier. The guide allows officers to research and practice common Spanish phrases even when they’re not communicating with others. All phrases can be read aloud from your device, and they’re all asked in a simple yes or no format so that non-Spanish speakers can understand the responses. The guide can either be used while communicating with Spanish speakers, or you can practice your Spanish with the flashcards whenever you want to brush up! The app is free in the app store, but if you want to be able to use its full capabilities it costs $.99.
The topics in the app include:
- Introduction
- Basic Questions
- Routine Traffic Stop
- Traffic and Driving Violations
- Field Sobriety (DUI/DWI)
- Lost Child
- Domestic Disputes
- Interrogation/ Ask Witness
- Medical
- Booking
- Body Search
- Commands
- Miranda Rights
Bonus App: Silent Partner
Silent Partner was designed by KOVA Corporation and can be used by not only law enforcement officers but by anyone who spends time out in the field. Silent Partner turns your smart phone into a secure mobile recording device. It can capture any data that your phone does including photos, videos, and sound clips. You can even easily tag and organize the information you collect. Silent Partner can also be set to cell phone monitoring mode where it can record any phone calls that you make. Right now it is not available for consumer use, but if you’re interested you can contact KOVA to find out more information.
