Washington County Sheriff's Office launches app
The Washington County Sheriff's Office has launched an app to provide another way to inform community members and to receive tips in situations that aren't immediate emergencies, said Sgt. Carly Hose, spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.
"It does not replace calling 911," Hose said.
Such an app would have been useful in late March when the sheriff's office put out a description for a homicide suspect authorities were looking for, Hose said.
With the app, the sheriff's office can push such information out immediately to users rather than relying on people going to social media to look for possible posts, Hose said.
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Among the notifications on the app on Tuesday was a warning about a new scam in which someone claiming to be Capt. Sanders calls and asks for money to avoid a warrant.
Submitting a tip through the app does not require the tipster to submit their name, email and phone number. Those are optional fields.
Not everyone feels comfortable calling a tip in via phone or perhaps they have pictures to submit with the tip, Hose said. The app accommodates both.
Not all of the features are ready yet. There is one for "most wanted" that shows the news and alerts page info instead for now.
Hose said the sheriff's office can change the app's offerings for what works best for the community and sheriff's office.
The free app is available to iOS users through Apple's App Store and to Android users through Google Play.
When searching for the app, there are multiple Washington Counties in the country so be sure to download the one for Maryland. The app's promotional materials show "Washington County MD Sheriff's Office" on the app homepage and a picture of two of the department's marked SUVs.
Hose said the app, developed by TheSheriffApp.com, does not track people.
The app asks for permission to know a user's location, which Hose said aids in map features. One of the app's features is a sex offenders map.
Hose said the sheriff's office used grant funds to pay for the app.
This article originally appeared on The Herald-Mail: Washington County Sheriff's Office in Maryland launches app
