N.H. Department Deploys Notification App
The Manchester (N.H.) Police Department will begin supporting Ping4's Citizens Alerts app, a notification tool that brings a variety of public safety alerts to smart phones within a jurisdiction.
Screenshot: Ping4
The Manchester (N.H.) Police Department will begin supporting Ping4's Citizens Alerts app, a notification tool that brings a variety of public safety alerts to smart phones within a jurisdiction.
Manchester officers will begin sending alerts today about crimes in progress, dangerous storms, missing people, traffic gridlock, and other public-safety emergencies.
The hyper-local "geo-location" app is similar to Nixle or Twitter, yet it offers the department greater flexibility because alerts can be sent to users who don't "follow" the agency, Chief David Mara told POLICE Magazine.
"It's going to be a good tool for us to keep the public informed," Chief Mara said. "It's an overall concept in community policing to keep the public informed. Let them know what you are doing. Try to reach out and get their help."
Chief Mara said various members of his 210 sworn personnel will input alerts using Ping4's proprietary software. Personnel could include a detective seeking leads on a case, a traffic unit officer alerting drivers about a gas leak, or a dispatcher with suspect description information.
The Citizens Alerts app provides users real-time emergency messaging within defined geographic areas that can be as small as a parking space or as large as a continent. Police can now alert citizens in specific, tightly defined locations such as along a subway line, along a highway, in a specific store or shopping mall, or an entire city or state.
The app also enlists help from the community in solving crimes via an anonymous A-Tip feature. The app has the ability to wake up the phone in extreme emergencies with an audio alert.
The Citizens Alerts app features local merchant deals and offerings through its Citizens Rewards program. It also includes a search tool with compass and mapping information.
The free app works over GPS and cellular networks as well as in Wi-Fi hot spots. The app doesn't tap data-plan minutes or place undue strain on a smart-phone battery. Citizens Alerts is available via Apple's iTunes App Store or the Android Marketplace.
By Paul Clinton
More Technology
Vasco Electronics Adds Automatic Language Detection to Vasco Translator Q1
Vasco Electronics’ software update introduces hands-free language switching and expanded offline translation across 45 language pairs, empowering law enforcement, healthcare, and front-office enterprise teams
Read More →
North Miami Police Department Deploys Mark43
The North Miami Police Department has deployed Mark43 as part of its Five-Year Strategic Plan that represents its collective vision and goals for a more proactive police department, anchored by a core commitment to leveraging modern technology to enhance efficiency and public safety.
Read More →
Cellebrite Genesis for Enterprise Now Generally Available
Made available to the public sector in June, Cellebrite Genesis is serving a growing mix of national, regional, and local agencies worldwide, including some of the largest regional and metropolitan police departments. It is now available for enterprise organizations.
Read More →
2026 Vision FirstNet Users Summit to Host Emerging Leaders Training on Grassroots Advocacy for Public Safety
“Emerging Leaders Training: Understanding the Importance of Grassroots Advocacy for Public Safety," a session during the 2026 Vision FirstNet Users Summit, will offer a roadmap for unified advocacy at the federal level.
Read More →
Motorola Solutions Completes Acquisition of D-Fend Solutions
Motorola Solutions has acquired D-Fend Solutions, an industry leader in counter-drone technology. This deal provides public safety and enterprise customers with access to advanced counter-unmanned aerial systems.
Read More →
ZeroEyes, Advantech & Camden Police Partner to Bring AI Gun Detection Technology to Delaware School District
ZeroEyes has partnered with Advantech and the Camden Police Department to deploy ZeroEyes’ AI gun detection and intelligent situational awareness platform at Delaware’s Caesar Rodney School District (CRSD).
Read More →
Leonardo U.S. Cyber & Security Solutions Introduces SignalTrace, the Next Evolution in Electronic Signature Detection Technology
SignalTrace reflects years of product refinement and a clearer expression of the technology’s purpose of recognizing and correlating electronic signatures in publicly broadcast wireless signals to reveal patterns, relationships, and trends that might otherwise go undetected.
Read More →
Pimloc Launches Secure File Sharing to Streamline Release of Redacted Video
Pimloc’s Secure File Sharing lets organizations deliver redacted video, audio, and documents through expiring, passcode-protected links, accelerating delivery while reducing security, compliance, and chain-of-custody risks.
Read More →
2026 Vision FirstNet Users Summit to Explore How FirstNet Fusion and LMR Are Redefining Mission-Critical Communications
One of the sessions at the 2026 Vision FirstNet Users Summit will highlight hybrid devices bridging broadband and LMR. “Bridging Broadband and LMR: FirstNet Fusion and the Rise of Hybrid Devices” will explore how public safety agencies can modernize their communications environments while maintaining the reliability of land mobile radio.
Read More →
Cellebrite Expands Exclusive SkySafe Partnership to Deliver Immediate Drone Detection and Airspace Intelligence for Digital Investigations at Scale
By integrating SkySafe's drone detection and airspace intelligence with Cellebrite's platform, agencies can connect real-time and historical UAV flight data with mobile forensic evidence, all in one place.
Read More →