By DON STINE
Ocean Township will be the first municipality in the nation to use a special app that allows residents to report a problem to township officials and get an immediate response.
Report It is a free and simple-to-use app that can be installed on any mobile device or accessed via the web. It is designed to provide users the ability to share important information, comments or suggestions directly with organizations and companies in a way that’s simple, anonymous and non-confrontational.
“It allows someone to generate a report (with attached photos) anonymously and send it to the right people. With Report It now anyone can see it, say it, report it instantly and anonymously. It gets everybody in the community better connected,” Report It co-founder Raymond Sobieski said at last week’s Township Council meeting.
Sobieski, a township resident, said the company is now expanding to cover municipalities as well.
“But this is not a 911 replacement,” he said.
Using the app, residents can present issues or problems that can be forwarded to various township departments, like police, code enforcement, or public works, or on quality-of-life issues- all anonymously.
“We are the first municipality in the country to use this. You can report any situation, like unruly parties or potholes, take a picture, and send it right to the proper department. I also always get a copy of the report. It’s one more option for folks to get situations handled without a hassle- and it’s anonymous,” Mayor Christopher Siciliano said.
“Rather than use something like Facebook to complain but not get a response, this app let’s a resident go to the proper source first and get the problem handled,” he said.
The township has a contract with Report It, not to exceed $3,000 a year, and the app has been up and running for about a month to test it and see how it works.
“We are very excited about it and expect other governmental entities to come onboard,” Siciliano said.
Founded in 1999, Report It has provided hotline reporting services for public and private companies, nonprofit organizations, healthcare and financial institutions, as well as colleges and universities. Report It provides users a direct voice to the management of businesses, organizations and now, for the first time, to a municipality.
For more information go to www.reportit.com.
