Bridgeport police create their own app

Bridgeport, Conn. (WTNH) - Bridgeport police say their new smartphone app is helping them solve crimes.

Bridgeport is the only city on the East Coast to have such an app.

Bridgeport saw two homicides in the first week of the new year and now police are hoping a new smart phone app will encourage residents to help officers solve these crimes.

Launched in October, Bridgeport police say the iWatch Bridgeport app is the future of policing.

"In a city that has 143,000 people and 18 square miles, and 400 cops working 24 hours a day, this is the ultimate cop," said Lt. David Daniels III.

So how does it work?

"When you want to submit a tip, you open up a menu and it will give you the ability to give a detailed tip and if you want to send pictures you can send pictures and video," explained Lt. Daniels.

Once folks hit send, it goes straight to police. Residents remain anonymous, something police say makes people comfortable to come forward with information.

"People have this, 'I'm not going to snitch' mentality, which is really stupid, but this gives you the ability to report crime anonymously and you don't have to worry about any of that,"" said Lt. Daniels.

Police say it's revolutionizing the way they fight crime and they say it's working.

Someone who witnessed the New Year's Day homicide used the iWatch app to send police some crucial information.

"Right after that murder occurred we got an iWatch tip from someone who had to be in the area," said Lt. Daniels. "The information was credible, it's panning out and I think it will actually help us solve that crime."

This app gives residents the power to report what they see and hear in their neighborhoods.

"This is where I was born, this is where I was raised, this is where I live, and this is the place I love and I'm a cop," said Lt. Daniels. "You should always want to leave a place better than when you came. I think this app will give us the ability to do that."

To get this app go to the application store and download it. It's free and it's available in both English and Spanish.