April 23, 2024
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App for McHenry County Sheriff’s Office moving forward

Many other Chicago-area sheriff’s offices have also developed apps to communicate with residents

By Ben Szalinski
McHenry County Sheriffs Office Marine Unit Deputy John Szatkowski heads to his boat to monitor boaters on the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes on Tuesday, July 6, 2021.

McHenry County Sheriffs Office Marine Unit Deputy John Szatkowski heads to his boat to monitor boaters on the Fox River and Chain O' Lakes on Tuesday, July 6, 2021. (Matthew Apgar)

The McHenry County Sheriff’s Office may soon have its own app to share emergency alerts, road closure information, jail inmate statuses and information about registered sex offenders with residents.

The McHenry County Board’s law and government committee advanced a proposal Tuesday allowing the sheriff’s office to agree to a five-year contract with TheSheriffApp.com to create an app.

“One of our big goals is reaching a whole different generation that perhaps doesn’t read papers and get alerts about closed roads,” sheriff’s office business manager Sandra Salgado said. “Pretty much everyone under 30 now has an app for everything. This is really going to move us into that next level in communicating with our constituents out there.”

Salgado said McHenry County is playing “catch-up” with other area sheriff’s offices. The Lake, Kane, DuPage, Will and Kendall county sheriff’s offices all have their own apps.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Office app also was designed by TheSheriffApp.com. McHenry County’s plans for its app to be similar.

“With the development of a mobile app, the sheriff’s office will provide citizens the opportunity to receive emergency alerts and road closure information, check inmate status, gain information on registered sex offenders, submit a tip, learn about career opportunities, see upcoming community events and more,” sheriff’s office spokeswoman Emily Matusek said.

The app is different than Nixle – an alert system used by the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and several other local police departments – because it is more interactive and allows users and find information on their own instead of only receiving alerts, Salgado said.

“It was really important for law enforcement to get info out into the community and really work on some of those relationships,” Salgado said. “This app is the next step in that.”

The contract with the developer will cost $69,945 over five years. Developing the app will take several months should the contract be approved by the County Board, Matusek said.

“I applaud you guys for doing this. It’s great. I think the more communication the better,” said board member Kelli Wegener, D-Crystal Lake.

The app will go for final approval before the County Board on Sept. 21.