MBTA Police Getting Record Public Help Thanks To iPhone “App”
When you speak with MBTA Police Lt. Detective Mark Gillespie, Commander of the Criminal Investigations Unit, he will tell you that there is a solid and growing group of citizens using the MBTA police iphone application which is part of the successful “If you see something, say something” safety campaign.
“If you want to share something successful with other public safety groups I would tell them about our ‘see something, say something’ program.”
During a public safety meeting Commander Gillespie showed me just how easy the application is to use; here is the official description:
Description
“If you see something say something” for smartphones (Droid users as well)
The MBTA See Say App offers riders a quick and discreet method for reporting suspicious activity directly and instantaneously to Transit Police. Using this app, riders can send the MBTA Transit Police pictures, text messages, and locations of suspicious activity.
From the App home screen, riders have two easy options for contacting Transit Police:
* The “Report a Problem” button allows riders to send text or photos directly to Transit Police. To ensure discretion, the camera flash is automatically disabled when photos are taken through the app. When reporting an issue, riders can select station locations and report categories to assist transit police.
* The “Call Transit Police” button will connect customers directly to Transit Police.
The application is designed for the T. If you send a report in an area without cellular connectivity, it will be stored and sent when connectivity returns. The system is also design to send text before pictures so that Transit Police get reports as quickly as possible.
Additional FeaturesRiders can sign up to receive MBTA T-Alerts through the app to be notified of service delays and disruptions.
BOLO alerts. (Be On the Look Out) SeeSay may also display alerts from the MBTA. For example, SeeSay may display information about a missing person, such as where they were last seen. If you see this person you may call or send a report to Transit Police.
Here is a handy QRCode to the app for the savvy:
