Apps Such as Waze Aid LEOs As Well As Civilians?

[Ex-Soviet]

I have found myself over the past few months using the user-generated traffic app Waze to navigate my way around my day. Individuals can post traffic jams, accidents, road hazards such as debris or weather and the location of law enforcement vehicles.

One of the greatest uses I have found is to be able to find a quick alternate route (at least in dense urban areas) where I can use local streets instead of the highway if there is a major accident on the highway. What do law enforcement officers use to get to the scene of an accident if the highway leading to it is completely shut down? Do you check Google Maps or Waze beforehand to see the best route or do you know your local area by heart and don't need any electronics? Or does dispatch tell you the best route?

In addition, what do you think of civilians posting your locations on sites such as Waze to inform others of your position? It certainly saves a lot of people some money some of the time.

Do you use Waze in your personal time when traveling somewhere yourself? What information do you prefer to add, if any?

[RGDS]

Since you are being paid to know the roadways of the jurisdiction you work in, you should be pretty comfortable with finding alternate routes.

[AppState]

We have a program on our computers/on the county website you can use to see any street/lot numbers in our jurisdiction.

I haven't been here for two full years yet, so I will occasionally pull up the map to check an address/get cross streets if dispatch doesn't give them to me. However, I DO still use google maps sometimes if I'm having to go to another zone I'm not familiar with and I need to get there quick. Our zones are huge and we stay busy, so for the most part I only know the main roads/frequent call areas out in the other two zones on my side of the county.

[SmallCityCop]

My city is only roughly 7 sq miles, so I pretty much know the area inside and out by now (8yrs). Personally, I don't care if everyone knows where I am at, if I am running radar or anything, because I will STILL catch someone being stupid.

[CAnde]

If it's a limited access highway and it's completely closed, we go to the next exit and come counter flow to the scene. People still look at me funny when driving the wrong way down the highway.

I love Wayze, and messing with people dropping police pins ever few feet for the entire length of the highway! Plus there is no shortage of New Yorkers going above the 50mph limit in NYC.

[CityCop21]

I have lights and sirens and people tend to get out of my way when I am going to the scene of an accident so I don't worry about it.

Waze is not very accurate. It often simply reports a spot where an officer used to be sitting. We don't camp out all shift in the same spot. If people really want to save money by avoiding traffic tickets they can just obey the law....that's another option.