AUSTIN, Texas — On Thursday, the Austin Police Department announced the launch of a new civic engagement mobile app – Atlas One.
Atlas One is a location-based network that sends mobile alerts about nearby community engagement, incidents and announcements. The app, which the APD says is free to smartphone users, gives the community "unprecedented" access to online city services and information.
“We are extremely excited to launch Atlas One to the Austin community today,” said Interim Chief of Police Joseph Chacon. “With Atlas One, we have the ability to send personalized geo-fenced notifications to an area as small as a building, allowing us to get information to the community in real-time. This technology will help keep our residents informed and possibly save lives.”
The app allows police to send geo-fenced push alerts when a public safety issue occurs near a user's location or places the resident cares about. These alerts are interactive and can include text, photos, videos, documents and voice recordings.
Users will also have access to APD services and resources, such as the APD website, social media accounts and contact information. Additionally, users will be able to explore nearby incidents, community engagement, places and interactive guides.
“As an Austin-based tech company, today is a major milestone for our team, both professionally and personally. Not only are we partnering with one of the most innovative police departments in the United States, but we are giving back to our community and providing an immensely valuable public safety service to Austin residents,” said Kushyar Kasraie, CEO of Atlas One. “We would like to thank Chief Chacon for his leadership and eagerness to increase transparency with the Austin community. We built Atlas One with the belief that radical transparency is the backbone to lasting community partnerships and a prerequisite to achieving true public safety. That we get to launch in our hometown is icing on the cake.”
Other features of the app include the ability for users to find their district representative officer and for police to publish incidents, events, places and guides, and include interactive information such as directories, maps, news updates, links and FAQs.
"Atlas One will provide Austinites with unprecedented access to real-time public safety information, while still protecting user privacy,” said Jamieson Johnson, vice president of Atlas One. “By sharing GPS location with the app, Austin PD will be able to immediately notify users if a critical public safety incident or emergency is occurring nearby their location. That said, we never track historical location or share personal data with any third parties, including Austin PD.”
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