iPhone App Helps Canadian Co. Sheriff’s Office Track Deputies

An iPhone app is helping the Canadian County Sheriff’s Office save time and track its resources.

Among other features, the GPS software, called GeoSafe, pinpoints the locations of deputies.

Undersheriff Kevin Ward said the Sheriff’s Office ran a 90-day trial using the app in June 2016. And saw its value during a pursuit that ended in the arrest of a man who bailed out of a stolen vehicle.

One of the benefits of GeoSafe, Undersheriff Ward said, is instead of being tied to the deputy’s vehicle, it’s tied to their phone.

“If he’s for whatever reason away from the car, we know where the deputy is at, which is more important to us,” he told News 9.

After the trial, the Sheriff’s Office signed a one-year contract with the company for $15,000. GeoSafe is based out of Oklahoma City and Austin, Texas.

The app is useful during foot pursuits and setting up perimeters, Undersheriff Ward said.

“We can look on the map and see if we have any gaps that we need to fill,” he said. “Do we need to realign our personnel to better secure that scene?”

And when a call comes in from somewhere in their 1,000 square-mile jurisdiction, dispatchers know who can get there fastest.

“They can look and see who is the closest unit and get them started immediately,” Undersheriff Ward explained. “And then they can see where the backup is and how far away they are.”

The Undersheriff said GeoSafe also helps with accountability.

“If they’re not out patrolling, if they’re just stationary, we find out why.”

The app is integrated with their reporting system. And it shows the status of each deputy -- whether they're in service, on their way to a call, or on location.