Oklahoma has a new app for reporting suspicious activity, and it’s paying off. The state said this is to stop crimes before they occur.
This app is designed to be easy to use. Oklahoma Department of Public Safety officials said they had already investigated a credible threat.
When bad things happen, people hear and read about them. “Research shows that in many school shootings and mass shootings in various communities, there is always someone who knows something,” said Sarah Stewart, director of media operations for the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety. “I’m doing it,” he said. She said: “We don’t want children or adults to feel afraid when they go out in public.”
The app Protect OK gives people a place to report suspicious activity. “Report any kind of threat,” Stewart said.
Tips from this app are sent to the Oklahoma Counterterrorism Information Center (OCTIC). “We have intelligence analysts who monitor intelligence,” Stewart said.
While working as a television news journalist, Stewart worked in front of the camera to inform people about crimes after the fact. She said the app is all about learning information in advance to prevent crimes from happening. “Right now, law enforcement seems to be shifting from just responding to the question, ‘How do we get ahead of this problem?'” Stewart said.
Public safety means something to Stewart. A photo in her office explains why. She is a parent herself and wants her children to be safe. Stewart’s daughter Kate was at the state fair when the shooting occurred in September. “She was close to the building, so she started everyone running,” Stewart said. “As a mother, I was angry that this is what my children now have to deal with.”
Stewart said “Protect OK” could prevent the issue from becoming a hot topic. “It’s time for the state of Oklahoma to use something like this,” Stewart said.
Stewart said they are already tracking credible threats, such as “possible school shootings.”
Stewart said he has a hard time explaining the app’s success. “It’s hard to say,” Stewart said. “What is success? There is no such thing as success.”
However, that’s good news. Because sometimes the best news means there’s nothing to report. The app is free and anonymous, allowing anyone to upload suspicious videos and photos. Here is the link to download the app: