Buchanan County Sheriff to roll out new app, enhancing community policing

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department is set to launch a new app designed to improve communication and keep the public informed with crime alerts and other essential services. 

The Sheriff’s department is collaborating with the Sheriff App brand to develop the key features of the app, which will include: scam alerts, press releases, weather information and educational content. 

“Our goal is to stay as engaged with our citizens as possible,” Buchanan County Sheriff Bill Puett said. “This application will even include a way to perform inmate look up. Everybody has a phone in their hands and it makes more sense that the quicker we put out important information to our citizens, the better off our community is.” 

According to Puett, the application will cost $10,000 to establish its first year and will cost $10,000 maintenance each consecutive year.  

The department is currently exploring funding options to help get the application running and it is expected to be released in a few months.  

For the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, the primary purpose of the application is to educate the public monthly about dangers circulating in the community—whether it's a new form of opioids or emerging social media trends. 

“The educational notification pieces will also be a primary focus for us when this application rolls out,” Puett said. “Once a month we’d like to do something to update the community on cyber scams and even threatening social media trends. 

The Sheriff’s department will keep the community informed about the application’s progress and announce when it is ready for use on social media platforms and news outlets.