Law enforcement is joining the mobile app bandwagon. The San Francisco Police are testing a new mobile application for reporting. There are many benefits to this, including tremendous efficiency in transmitting information while a police officer is on the go. However, creating a mobile app comes at price.

As reported by Patrick Hodge in Bay Area BizTalk:

“…the $100,000 cost of the two-month trial is being funded for by San Francisco Citizens for Technology and Innovation (sf.citi), a new nonprofit representing the city’s tech industry.”

A trial is useful because it allows for users to test the app somewhat in-the-wild. However, with that much money poured into the trial of the app, both the San Francisco Police and the SF.Citi should be considering more cost efficient and in-depth mobile app testing options.

If this app is going to be successful, it will need the full suite of testing services with a large focus on security testing. Police records need to be kept private and secure from the public, and of course from hackers. Using a mobile app for police reporting opens up a lot of security risks. It will be interesting to see what occurs during the two-month trial.