Free app connects community, promotes school safety

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has released a free mobile app to connect with members of the Lincoln County community through their smartphones and tablets.

The new app allows Lincoln County Sheriff personnel to quickly disseminate emergency alerts and post news about missing persons, traffic delays and weekly crime reports. In the event of an emergency, app users receive instant notification via their mobile devices. This does not replace the county emergency alert system, but enhances it for day-to-day communications.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office has teamed up with participating Lincoln County schools giving students access to a “School Threat” button allowing them to report weapons, threats, cyberbullying, drugs or other crimes. Notifications will instantly be directed to the school administration and Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office for response. Participating schools are Almira, Christian Heritage, Creston, Harrington, Odessa, Reardan, Sprague and Wilbur. We hope students would report concerns directly to the school or law enforcement through traditional means. It has been shown, however, that they often prefer anonymity, and the app allows students to report a concern that way. The school administration will receive an email and then text to whomever the designated person within their respective district is, as well as the Sheriff’s Office. This allows us to work together to try and resolve conflict, Sheriff Magers reports, before it gets out of hand. The app provides many other uses in addition to the “School Threat” option.

Citizens can easily send comments, praise a deputy and send crime tips — anonymously if they wish — and place calls to Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office with the touch of a button. They can notify the department about suspicious activity and easily include images through the app.

Anyone using Android, Windows or Apple platforms can download the app simply by going to the app store and searching for the Lincoln County Sheriff app.

“The app provides an easy-to-use method for two-way communication between our department and community members,” said Magers “It’s a valuable tool for keeping Lincoln County safe.”

The app also allows the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to post photos and images, bulletins, a calendar of events and even conduct community surveys.

The app supports the department’s commitment to engage with the community in a timely manner through all sorts of social media. News that is distributed through the app also can be set to automatically post on the department’s social media accounts and distributed to the news media.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office app is not meant to replace calling 911 for crimes and emergencies in progress. Those experiencing an emergency situation should continue to call 911.