By Austin Mirmina
Journal Inquirer
MANCHESTER, Conn. — The Police Department on Monday launched Atlas One, a hyper-local public safety app and crime-fighting tool that allows police to share real-time information with the community.
Atlas One allows police to send out immediate, targeted notifications to mobile devices that have downloaded the app, police spokesperson Lt. Ryan Shea said. Atlas One also provides the public with a verified source of public safety information. The app is free.
“One of the biggest reasons we wanted to go with a system like this is because there’s a lot of activity on people’s social media,” Shea said. “Twitter and Facebook only go so far when it comes to people paying attention to notifications that they get.”
MPD frequently posts information on Facebook and Twitter, but Atlas One will sync with the department’s social media accounts and allow them to easily send out notifications without having to create separate posts for each platform.
“As we continue to develop use of this alert system, you’ll see alerts not only go out through the Atlas One app, but over Facebook and Twitter as well,” Shea said.
MPD has been in talks with Atlas One since 2020, Shea said, adding that “we felt that at this time everything was in place for us to start using this system actively.”
The cost of using the program wasn’t immediately known.
Formerly known as MobilePD, the Austin, Texas-based Atlas One was introduced by a North Carolina police department in 2019, according to govtech.com.
Atlas One is available through the Apple and Google Play marketplaces.
https://www.facebook.com/manchesterpolicect/videos/470483394599838
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(c)2022 Journal Inquirer, Manchester, Conn.