Gloucestershire Police have shown that they will use any technology available to them to help ensure the safety of the county’s residents. Officers in the Gloucestershire force control room were able to help reunite a missing man with his worried family earlier this week by using their knowledge of a free iphone app.
On Monday, July 2, police received a call from a woman reporting that her husband was missing and that she was very concerned for his wellbeing. The worried wife alerted police that the man was in his car and had taken his iphone with him. Officers began physical searches for the man, which involved a lot of police resources but, as the man’s wife could recall log in details for his phone, they were able to access an app called ‘Find My iPhone’ to help with the search.
By using the app Sergeant James Wyatt in the control room was able to locate and track the man’s phone on a map and direct officers involved in the search directly to him.
Inspector Arman Mathieson, who works in the Constabulary’s Control Room, said: “An effective response is paramount in this kind of investigation and we will always do everything within our power to make sure individuals are kept safe from harm.
“By using the app when we were first made aware of the concerns for this man we were able to respond directly to where the male was located ultimately leading to a man’s life being saved, via an efficient and dynamic approach.“
Police also suggest that this and similar apps could help see stolen or lost phones and ipads returned to their rightful owner.
“It’s important for members of our community to take personal responsibility for valuable technology like mobile phones and ipads. Downloading this type of app can help save you from having to replace an expensive piece of kit if it is lost of stolen.
“It will also help lead police to the minority within our community who decided to break the law and help see them arrested and put before the courts,” Inspector Mathieson added. Police offer the following advice to Iphone/Ipad users:
Download the ‘Find My Iphone App’.
Turn ON ‘Location Services’ and ‘Find My Iphone / Ipad’ in your device’s settings.
Set and activate a ‘Passcode Lock’ (this helps reduce the chances of a thief being able to quickly turn off the app following the theft).
