Police to release App to boost public safety

The police are developing a mobile phone app to facilitate emergency calls in situations in which it is not safe to have an open telephone conversation, the Police Corps Presidium spokesperson Denisa Bardyova told media on Sunday. The trial phase of the app will start in Bratislava in the first few weeks of 2020 and will be available free of charge for Android and iOS operational systems. "One of the functions of the mobile phone app will be to summon a patrol with a security button in cases when placing a call to the 158 emergency line would be deemed too risky. I can envision the use of the app in recent repeated incidents in Bratislava's Old Town, but also in cases where a woman is the victim of domestic violence and is seeking sanctuary from an aggressive man in another room," said Police Corps President Milan Lučanský. The app will also open the door for witnesses to report crimes. In a later stage, more functions should be added to the app, such as receiving notifications of a terrorist attack, a shooting incident or natural disaster.