Cranston Police Launch Smartphone App

CRANSTON, RI—Now, giving the Cranston police department a tip, suggestion, offering praise—or a complaint—is as easy as posting a status update on Facebook.

The department has just signed on to provide quick and direct access to the department through the MyPD smartphone app.

“The Cranston Police Department is committed to enhancing the relationship between the police department and the citizens we proudly serve. This free app is yet another example of our commitment to provide new and innovative ways to stay connected to our residents and business owners. We are pleased to be the first police department in Rhode Island to offer the MyPD app, which is available at no cost to the user”, said Colonel Michael J. Winquist, Chief of Police.

Along with offering tools to contact police on a variety of issues, the app includes resources and information about key issues like victims’ resources, domestic violence, missing children updates and more.

The app also provides a direct link to the department’s social media accounts, which are regularly updated with the latest crime reports and alerts from the department.

There are also four background screens to swipe through and can be updated with pictures of wanted persons, missing people, or announcements.

Sending a tip through the app is easy, and it can be anonymous. Photos and GPS locations from incidents can be attached from the phone’s gallery of with a live camera. camera.

While the app links to or integrates with some social media, it is not another social network. There are also no ads on the app and no account is necessary to use MyPD.

“The Cranston Police Department has been active on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube for quite some time,” said Captain Vincent McAteer of the Office of Community Outreach. “The MyPD app is not meant to replace those or be another social network. It is a tool for citizens to keep on their phones so when they need a phone number, to send a crime tip, or want to research something they have it readily available in an easy to use app.”

While the app is not a social media platform, it does have some social aspects to it and has a feature where users can “unlock” badges the more they use the app and interact with the police department. The app also now lets users share some basic anonymous data about their age, gender, or how they found out about the app. This is optional and if shared will help the department to better understand who is using the app, how they found it, and if they live or work in the city.

MyPD is free for residents, contains no advertising, and users do not need to share personal information or set up an account to use the app. Any information sharing is optional. Citizens looking to connect with the Cranston Police Department should search for “MyPD” in their app store.

Or, get it from the Apple App Store HERE.

You can get it from the Google Play Store HERE.

Once the app is downloaded and the agency chosen it will always open to the Cranston Police Department and our resources. For additional information about the My Police Department app users can visit MyPDapp.com.