Full Notification

The Santa Cruz Police Department has released an iPhone app that will let you get your Nixle alerts, crime maps, scanner feeds and more on your phone for free. More information is below:


The Santa Cruz Police Department, working with two recent UC Santa Cruz graduates, developed what is believed to be the first consumer-focused law enforcement iPhone application in the country. The free mobile application is available via iTunes and the Apple store.

“This mobile application will give our community a remarkable amount of information in the palm of their hand,” Police Chief Kevin Vogel said. “It is an essential step toward ensuring greater access to our department. This easy-to-use interface will provide an unprecedented amount of information to the consumer; regardless of where they are in the world.”

The app was designed by EZ Axess Inc, a Sunnyvale–based start-up company founded in the Spring of 2009 by UC Santa Cruz graduates Kushyar Kasraie and Jamieson Johnson. The firm was a finalist in the 2009 UCSC Business Plan Competition, which was sponsored by the City of Santa Cruz.

“We believe that applications like this build bridges between the community and their local government,” EZ Axess CEO Kushyar Kasraie said. “We are excited to play a role in connecting Santa Cruz with their police department and assuring there are no barriers to access of information.”

The mobile app will provide access to the police department’s scanner feed, online crime maps, videos, photos and a new departmental blog. In addition, consumers will be able to submit crime tips from their mobile phone and view Nixle alerts.

• Tips: Provide crime tips right from your iPhone!
• Maps: View real-time crime maps of activity occurring in your community.
• News: Get the latest news written directly by the Chief, department officers and staff.
• Video: Watch videos from our SCPD YouTube channel.
• Photos: View SCPD’s most wanted and browse through albums of images from recent police events.
• Alerts: View trusted, instant alerts directly from Santa Cruz Police (integrated with Nixle)
• Scanner: Wondering why the police are in your neighborhood? The live scanner feed will tell you.
Santa Cruz Police Department officials contacted EZ Axess after reading about their successes in creating mobile applications for college campuses. “We recognize that people are consuming information in new ways,” Chief Vogel said, “law enforcement needs to make their information as transparent and readily-accessible as possible to meet the expectations of our communities.”

According to new research from the Pew Internet and American Life Project, nearly half of all U.S. adults get at least some local news and information on their phone. While other iPhone applications have been designed to aid law enforcement officers in the field and a number of localities are designing citywide applications, this is believed to be the first consumer-focused law enforcement application.

EZ Axess is in the process of expanding the development to other smartphone platforms (such as the Droid). In the meantime, the app’s features can be obtained through any web-enabled phone via the Police Department’s newly launched mobile website http://m.santacruzpolice.com. This app will also work on the iTouch and iPad.

The mobile application connects with broader technology initiatives the City of Santa Cruz is undertaking. "I am very proud that our Police Department is leading the way in using technology to engage the public to solve some of our most pressing public safety issues,” Mayor Ryan Coonerty said.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/santa-cruz-police/id426170145?mt=8