Police detective develops phone app

A Peabody police detective has developed a smartphone application that is being used in more than a dozen other communities in Massachusetts and beyond.

The application, called My Police Department, is designed to make it simpler for police and the public to interact. The app enables smartphone users to report and send photos of graffiti or other public nuisances, search for accident reports, and fill out a departmental survey, among other possibilities.

Detective Peter Olson said he created the app because he was dissatisfied with the cost and limited usefulness of commercial products. He received permission from Police Chief Robert Champagne to launch an independent business of his own, called WiredBlue LLC.

The service was provided to Peabody for free. Other communities pay an annual fee based on their size. Costs range from $400 for towns with fewer than 10,000 residents to $1,200 for large cities. Each city or town also is charged a one-time set-up fee of $300.

The app provides 12 basic functions to choose from, including “Submit a Tip,” “Departmental Contacts,” “Questions & Feedback,” and “Commend An Officer.” While the functions are standard, each community that uses the app can create its own look. Ashburnham’s My Police Department app, for example, features a photo of officers gathered in front of the town’s public safety complex.

Many of the cities and towns that are using the application, including Salem, Revere, Everett and Chelsea, are close to Peabody. But inquiries have come from as far away as Florida, California’s Silicon Valley, and even Australia.

“I thought this would be a cool thing to do as a side job, but it might become bigger than that,” Olson said.