Latest news with #CitizenApp
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
New app arrives in Tampa, aiming to keep community informed with help of artificial intelligence
The Brief Tampa police have reported a spike in recent street takeovers and racing. St. Pete police have reported an uptick in youth gun violence. The Citizen public safety app has expand its services to the Tampa Bay market. TAMPA, Fla. - An app expansion using artifical intelligence and a dedicated team has arrived in Tampa, allowing neighbors to keep each other in the loop. It's called the Citizen app. "If there's something you want to share with your community that can help keep your neighbors safe, you can certainly do that on Citizen," Juliana Pignataro, the director of distribution, said. The backstory The Citizen app has been making waves in major metropolitan areas for nearly a decade, including Orlando. The app has gotten feedback from residents to come to Tampa. Now safety alerts, live video, and an array of other features are now available. "Citizen has a 24/7 team with help from AI with multiple information streams, so anything posted from law enforcement, announcements from missing people, missing pets, severe weather to generate citizen alerts," she said. Dig deeper Earlier this year, Tampa police reported a decline in violent crimes like murder and robbery. But, they've seen an uptick in street takeovers and drag racing. St. Pete Police reported an increase in youth gun violence and car burglaries involving guns. All are incidents that can be reported on the app. The app also shares updates on severe weather and can be used as a tool during this hurricane season for damage and flooding. "Our goal is to be as transparent as possible with people in the community so that people understand what's happening around them and have the information they need to stay safe and keep their loved ones safe," she said. To learn more, click here. The Source The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13's Jennifer Kveglis. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app:Apple |Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
6 hurt when armed carjacking suspect crashes with kids inside car
A brief police chase ended in a crash that left six people injured and led to two people being detained in Inglewood on Tuesday morning. According to the Culver City Police Department, officers were attempting to take an armed carjacking suspect into custody in Inglewood when he fled, but not recklessly or at a high speed. 'However, it appears he ran a red light and collided with another vehicle,' Culver City police said, adding that, in addition to the suspect, there was a woman and two children in the vehicle. 'The pursuit only lasted a couple of minutes.' None of the injuries sustained in the crash were considered to be life-threatening, authorities said. The Los Angeles County Fire Department told KTLA that firefighters arrived at the scene within four minutes of the crash, which occurred around 10:12 a.m. near the intersection of Centinela and La Brea avenues, and were assessing six patients. Video from the Citizen App shows that debris was left scattered in the intersection in the aftermath of the crash. One of the cars involved, a white BMW sedan, sustained damage to its front end. Another involved vehicle, a silver Acura SUV, appeared to have ended up on the sidewalk as a result of the collision, according to the Citizen App footage. A user captured footage of the two people being detained at gunpoint by police. The same user's footage also showed first responders taking the two injured children from the vehicle and assessing them for injuries. Nidia Becerra contributed to this report. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
New crowdsourcing app could complicate law enforcement efforts, officials say
A new crowdsourcing app will soon be available to people in western Pennsylvania. Developers say it's designed to help empower people to keep their communities safe, but some in law enforcement believe it could make their job more difficult. The app has been around for a decade and is running in several cities across the United States. The app, called Citizen, acts as an online crowdsourced clearing house for local information regarding everything from police calls, video of local news events, scanner traffic, as well as suspected criminal activity reported by subscribers, developers say. "I think it would be cool if the app used the data the police use to track it, like they do in other cities," one resident told KDKA-TV. But the app and its information aren't necessarily verified by emergency officials, which can lead to people taking the law into their own hands. "They're responding to incidents that are unverified or untrue, and they're taking action on their own behalf, and that could create an even more dangerous situation," according to Deputy Chief Brian Kohlhepp of the Ross Township Police Department. The app has led to problems in the past where subscribers publish wanted posters online for people who have done nothing wrong, like taking a walk and checking out their new neighborhood. Deputy Chief Kohlhepp says these scenarios can waste police assets and worse. "It could be someone from the app responded, and now we're dealing with an adversarial situation, and we [have to] untangle that," Deputy Chief Kohlhepp added. "If you don't have the facts and the information yourself, don't speak on it, and I would say don't act on it," said Joe Allen of Dormont. That's exactly what law enforcement says is the best course. If you see something, say something to the police, not the app. "If you see something suspicious, call 911. Remember, these apps are not monitored by any law enforcement agencies," Deputy Chief Kohlhepp said. KDKA-TV reached out to the developers of the Citizen app and is awaiting a response to address concerns law enforcement and residents have with the app. The western Pennsylvania version of the Citizen app is expected to become available on June 20.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Overturned Castaic Lake paddleboarder identified but still missing
Authorities have identified a paddleboarder who overturned amid strong winds on Castaic Lake Sunday afternoon, prompting an ongoing search. Los Angeles County Fire Department responded to the 32000 block of Castaic Lake Drive after receiving reports that a man and a woman had flipped over in the lake's lower lagoon area. The woman, who was wearing a life jacket, was quickly pulled out of the water to safety, but her companion was not seen after the incident. He was identified as 61-year-old Espiridion Philip 'Speedy' Camez by the L.A. County Sheriff's Department on Monday. Camez was described as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing about 210 pounds. He has hazel eyes and was last seen wearing a black tank top, blue shorts and white water shoes. Footage of the incident posted to the Citizen App showed onlookers, as well as first responders, scanning the lake as rescue crews conducted their search on Sunday. A Sheriff's Department helicopter was also circling the lake, looking for signs of the missing man. Officials on Monday said that the call initially came out as a missing kayaker, but investigators discovered it was a paddleboarder after arriving at the scene. The Sheriff's Department also confirmed Monday that Camez remained missing. Anyone with further information was encouraged to contact the Sheriff's Department's Missing Persons Detail at 323-890-5500. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Violent crash kills motorcyclist in Los Angeles' Westchester neighborhood
One person is dead, and another possibly injured after a crash involving a vehicle and a motorcycle in Westchester. Details are limited and it's unclear exactly how the accident unfolded, but officials with the Los Angeles Police Department told KTLA that officers responded to the intersection of Centinela Avenue and Alvern Street just before 5:45 p.m. on reports of the deadly crash. In video footage posted to the Citizen App, a large presence of police can be seen with yellow crime scene tape cordoning off an area outside the sprawling Playa Summit luxury apartment complex. Just before the crosswalk, a white canopy was set up to cover the deceased motorcyclist. The victim's helmet was on the ground just outside the tent. Medical personnel with the Los Angeles Fire Department also responded to the scene, but did not transport anyone to the hospital, KTLA confirmed. 12 Mexican migrants 'jettisoned by pleasure craft' arrested in Long Beach The area was expected to be closed to traffic for several hours while investigators with LAPD's Pacific Division marked evidence, spoke to possible witnesses and looked for potential surveillance video that may have captured the incident. No information was provided on the age or gender of the deceased victim, nor were any details provided about the possible second victim. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
