POCOMOKE CITY, Md. - Pocomoke City Police have launched a new mobile app and updated website, a move city and police leaders say is aimed at getting accurate information to the public more quickly while expanding access to safety resources and department information.
Police Chief Arthur Hancock said the department began working on the project about six months ago with the goal of combining the app and website into a more direct communication tool. He said the department wanted a way to share real-time information and be more transparent with the community.
“What we wanted to be able to do is be able to put live time information and be transparent with our community on events as they have been, and for them to be getting accurate information,” Hancock said. “This is the best way for us to be able to do it.”
Hancock said delayed information and misinformation on social media had been a problem in the past, something he believes the new system can help address. He said the department can now quickly send out alerts involving public safety concerns, street closures and other incidents that may affect the community.
Corporal Jon Laverty, who Hancock says was the "primary guy and why we're here" with the project, said the app and website were built with a primary focus on getting quick, accurate information to the public. He said alerts posted through the system can also be pushed to the department’s social media accounts, allowing the same message to reach people across multiple platforms at the same time.
“The whole process is automated so everyone can get the same notification at the same time,” Laverty said.
Laverty said the platform also includes access to the sex offender registry, VINE resources and National Weather Service alerts, along with features that allow people to submit concerns, compliments and crime tips. He said the app also offers a “Meet the Team” page and direct information on officers, which he described as part of a broader effort to build trust and create “a window into the police department.”
“So that way people aren’t guessing as to what’s happening,” Laverty said. “It comes directly from the source.”
Mayor Todd Nock said the app puts information directly into people’s hands and fits into a broader push to modernize communication in Pocomoke City. He pointed to features like crime tip submission, weather updates and direct alerts from the department as examples of how the app could improve how people stay informed.
“Everybody doesn’t have Facebook, but a lot of people are able to download apps,” Nock said.
City Manager Brandy Matthews said the platform could also help during town service disruptions or infrastructure issues by making it easier to quickly notify the public. She said the city is also planning its own updated website with push notification capability for issues such as trash service delays and weather-related updates.
“Well, for Pocomoke as a whole, it’s real time getting that information out as quickly as possible,” Matthews said.
For downtown business owner Keith Hornberger, the app offers another layer of awareness for people trying to stay on top of what is happening nearby. Hornberger of Wulfhause Productions says he had already downloaded it and sees it as a useful tool for both business owners and the broader community.
“I really like the whole idea that I can tell immediately what’s happening in the neighborhood,” Hornberger said. “If there’s something I need to know about, if I need to go ahead and lock the door or anything.”
Officials said the app is now live on the App Store and Google Play, and will continue to be updated as the department and city look for more ways to improve communication with the public.
