Out of the many helpful apps that can be found on Cop Block’s apps page, a GPS app called “Waze” is one of the most helpful for pinpointing the location of police and reporting police sightings to other drivers. When someone sees a police car or a speed trap somewhere along their route, they can make a report alerting other drivers in the area about the police activity.
There is even an option that allows you to type in a message that gives a better description of where the police are and what they are doing. This option also allows activists to send out witty messages to their fellow travelers, such as, “warning: state mercenaries extorting civilians near exit 7?.
There are a few different GPS apps out there that have similar features, but Waze has the most users, making the reporting more frequent and accurate. Waze also awards points to people who make regular reports, encouraging everyone to stay active and warn other drivers of danger when they can.
A brief description on the app’s website explains how Waze works.
“After typing in their destination address, users just drive with the app open on their phone to passively contribute traffic and other road data, but they can also take a more active role by sharing road reports on accidents, police traps, or any other hazards along the way, helping to give other users in the area a ‘heads-up’ about what’s to come. In addition to the local communities of drivers using the app, Waze is also home to an active community of online map editors who ensure that the data in their areas is as up-to-date as possible.”
Download Waze today by searching “Waze” on the app finder in your phone, or try visiting www.waze.com
Having proven that you can, in fact, blast across an entire state in a bright orange supercar without getting a ticket thanks to Waze, a Google-owned navigation app, what more need we say? Well, a few things, actually—Waze has been targeted by police departments that aren’t too pleased about users’ abilities to tag police-car locations for other Wazers, citing officer safety among their reasons. That police departments have put Waze in their cross hairs may have kept the cop-spotting tool in headlines, but Waze isn’t the only crowdsourcing app capable of dehydrating Johnny Law’s revenue stream. Here are three other useful offerings, and it’s no coincidence that two come from established radar-detector companies.
Escort Live
Main Function: Speed-trap and red-light-camera alerts. Escort preloads known radar and red-light-camera locations, and the crowd handles the rest. Basic navigation is included, but a premium-access plan brings real-time alerts, speed-limit info, and integration with Escort radar-detector units.
What It Costs: $4.99 via Google Play and iTunes stores (premium access, $49.99 a year).
Cobra iRadar
Main Function: As with Escort Live, Cobra’s iRadar is geared toward saving you from friendly roadside chats with smokey—or from cold, impersonal, mailed tickets from camera smokeys. It can link up with a Cobra detector to transform your mobile device into a display for the unit’s alerts and warnings, while simultaneously handling basic navigation functions.
What It Costs: Free via Google Play and iTunes stores.
Garmin U.S.A.
Main Function: Like Waze, Garmin’s smartphone app is a navigation tool first and foremost. Which makes sense, considering that Garmin has always been associated with top-flight global-positioning-system receivers. But this app isn’t a one-trick pony: Users can submit speed-trap and red-light-camera locations, painting a useful picture entitled “Stuff to Watch Out For.”
What It Costs: $49.99 via iTunes store.
