New Omaha app aims to help citizens report problems around town

The City of Omaha is enlisting smartphone-wielding residents in the fight against grafitti, illegal dumping and other problems that pop up around town. Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle (left) on Thursday unveiled the new Omaha Mobile App (OMA), a smart phone application that allows users to shoot and submit photos of problems they spot in Omaha.…

The Omaha Mobile App allows users to submit reports about issues they spot around town (left) and automatically tags the locations of those reports (right).

The City of Omaha is enlisting smartphone-wielding citizens in the fight against graffiti, illegal dumping and other problems that pop up around town.

Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle (left) on Thursday unveiled the new Omaha Mobile App (OMA), a smart phone application that allows users to shoot and submit photos of problems they spot in Omaha. The app, which is available for free download for Android, Blackberry, iPhone and Windows Phone, helps residents immediately report issues to City Hall, and it does so using geo-tagging technology that automatically provides the location of a problem.

“I have been committed to using innovation and technology to decrease costs, increase efficiency, and provide citizens with greater access to their government,” Suttle said in a release. “Today we have taken technology a step further, offering Omaha residents a free mobile application for smart phones that makes it possible to report problems or request city services in a matter of seconds.”

CitySourced, a Los Angeles-based company, developed the app. 

This isn’t the first time in recent memory Suttle has turned to technology to solicit feedback from residents. Last year, City Hall announced the launch of Engage Omaha, a site created by Omaha startup MindMixer that enables residents to suggest ideas about important civic issues. 

 

Credits: Screenshots from Omaha Mobile App in the App Store. Photo of Suttle from cityofomaha.org.

This story is part of the AIM Archive

This story is part of the AIM Institute Archive on Silicon Prairie News. AIM gifted SPN to the Nebraska Journalism Trust in January 2023. Learn more about SPN’s origin »

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