OPD releases phone app

For the last several months, the Odessa Police Department has been working on an additional tool that can be used by local law enforcement.
The OPD application went live recently and can be downloaded by Apple and Android users.
OPD spokesperson Cpl. Steve LeSueur said one of the most important features the phone application will use is push notifications. Those will include alerts from the National Weather Service, city notifications, content updates and recruiting.
“It’s very important to communicate effectively to the public,” LeSueur said. “It helps us get messages out right away… This gives them another avenue to use.”
The OPD app also has a tab for its social media channels, which include Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. The social media tab has news releases from fatal collisions, Odessa Animal Control and the Bustin’ for Badges Clay Shoot.
There’s also a tab that people can see OPD’s most wanted, COVID-19 information and numbers for all major law enforcement offices. People can also request open records and pay a traffic ticket.
LeSueur said there is a tab on the app where people can submit a tip to law enforcement, but a person would still have to call or come into the department to file a report. A person can also file a report online through the Citizens Online Police Report System.
“A lot of bigger (cities) have their own app,” LeSueur said. “It’s great. In addition to the website and social media that we already have, it’s another effective tool.”