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Instant Messaging for Law Enforcement—Can Agencies Use Consumer Apps?

What Really Matters for Your Law Enforcement Communication App?

Sending instant messages through your iPhone or Android is easy and familiar. We do it every day in our personal lives. But these solutions aren’t designed to be a law enforcement communication app. The same goes for other messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Signal, and Voxer. The list goes on.

All of those platforms are “public messaging apps.” On the surface, they seem secure. When you get down to law enforcement communication compliance, they just don’t hold up.

It boils down to the record retention requirements. The CJIS regulations and FOIA call on law enforcement to share access to all of their communications. When officers are stuck using those public platforms as their go-to police communication app, agencies end up breaking compliance. Often, they don’t even realize those mistakes until it’s too late.

Police Communication App: Risks and Benefits

Using consumer apps—whether it’s the standard text messaging system on your phone or another platform like WhatsApp or Signal that you’ve downloaded—leaves agencies vulnerable to civil lawsuits. Without compliant communication between officers, we’re going to lose the trust of the public.

The solution? An intentionally designed law enforcement communication app. One that’s specifically meant for this industry, with automatic archiving and an intuitive, user-friendly setup. No more endless email chains. No one being left “out of the loop.”

Watch Video –> Top Phoenix chiefs investigated for using secret messaging app

How to Ensure Compliant Communication Between Officers

Make sure your agency stays above board, without compromising on the clear, instant communication you need. There’s no doubt that sending and receiving messages and intelligence directly to our smartphones is easier and better than email and radio chatter. The crucial part is ensuring that your officers are upholding the law enforcement communication compliance standards.

With the Genasys Protect CONNECT law enforcement communication app, there’s finally a way for agencies to move their officers away from consumer apps and onto a platform that’s designed for their own line of work. You can build chatrooms, send direct messages, review past conversations, and even connect with agencies and first responders in other districts.

Contact us to request a demo.