Police in Arlington County, Virginia, are encouraging local residents to download a smartphone app that allows users to anonymously report suspicious activity in the wake of last Wednesday’s shooting rampage in San Bernardino, California.
Virginia became the third state in the country to adopt the See Something, Send Something app for iPhone and Android devices in 2013. The app allows users to share photographs and tips with local authorities in the event that they encounter something suspicious.
The Arlington County Police Department is urging vigilant smartphone owners to install the app in the aftermath of the San Bernardino rampage, in which a husband-and-wife team went on a shooting spree, killing 14 people and wounding 21 others. The couple later was killed in a gunbattle with police.
“Citizens are encouraged to go about their normal business while paying particular attention to their surroundings. You are the first line of defense against terrorism and by providing information to law enforcement, you may help deter possible terrorist activity.
Report suspicious activity in Arlington County using the Homeland Security Tip Form or to nationwide intelligence centers using the See Send smartphone application. Together, we can help keep Arlington County safe,” the police department said in a statement.
The app works by taking tips and photo attachments captured by an iPhone or Android and then feeding it to state-run fusion centers, where authorities work around the clock investigating leads.
“It’s just another way to have residents feel comfortable interacting with police. And if they’re able to provide us information that can lead to intelligence or keeping the community safe, we are all for this app,” Dustin Sternbeck, a public affairs officer for the police department, told a local Fox News affiliate this week.
When area police departments began using the app in 2013, Maj. Rick A. Jenkins, deputy director of the Virginia State Police’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, noted that the program isn’t an alternative to dialing 911. Rather, it is an additional outlet for expressing concerns with authorities as smartphone apps replace more traditional means of communicating, he said.
“The fundamentals of investigating and solving a crime haven’t changed,” Maj. Jenkins said at the time. “But keeping the public engaged with us through the crime-solving, tip-sharing process has evolved, and now so have we. This app is simply the 21st century version of the traditional telephone crime tip line or hotline.”
• Andrew Blake can be reached at ablake@washingtontimes.com.
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