EAST HAVEN, Conn. — NexGen Public Safety Solutions has purchased BOLO Mobile, of Chelmsford, Mass., a secure public safety image- and video-sharing app that enables police to instantly disperse and receive images and video of wanted or missing people.
NexGen, Connecticut’s leading provider of law enforcement and emergency services software, formally completed its purchase on Dec. 31.
“I’m so excited and proud to offer this amazing product to our customers,” NexGen CEO Sal Annunziato said. “This app is a true lifesaver. It renders obsolete the time-consuming, multistep process of getting a photo or video and distributing it to police agencies. With BOLO Mobile, officers just snap a photo or record video with their cell phones, hit a button and every member of his or her department or beyond has it. BOLO Mobile means quicker location of missing persons, faster apprehension of suspects and increased safety — officers get instant bad guy alerts. Hats off to the guys who developed this software and put it in the field.
“BOLO Mobile is a tremendous addition to NexGen as we continue to expand the company and improve service to our customers,” he added
BOLO Mobile, named after a popular police acronym for “Be on the lookout,” was created by law enforcement professionals for law enforcement professionals, said company co-owner Richard “Rick” Stanley, former Chief of Police of Wareham, Mass. and North Andover, Mass. Stanley, a 38-year law enforcement veteran, said the software emerged from discussions between a police officer and a computer professional about how to better distribute images and video to officers, he said.
The system, which is used by about 25 police agencies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is cloud-based, meaning it operates independently of other department software, Stanley said. It uses the highest level of encryption, equivalent to that employed in banking, he said.
Stanley said he and his partners decided to sell BOLO Mobile because they have full time jobs and lack the time to take it to the next level. They concluded that NexGen is the best company to accomplish that, he said.
“It was the perfect fit for NexGen,” said Stanley, who with his partners has completely stepped away from the business. “I believe BOLO Mobile will flourish with the name NexGen associated with it. They have a full time staff of people who can make this happen and really make a difference in the day-to-day lives of law enforcement officers as well as the public.”
Methuen, Mass. Police Chief Joseph Solomon added that his department has used BOLO Mobile for about three years and that he is “extremely happy with it.”
“It’s a great tool for officers,” Solomon said. “Something that was labor intensive becomes instantaneous. Something that took an hour is literally a matter of minutes. I wish we had it 10 years ago.”
NexGen serves public safety agencies in 155 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities. Its biggest clients are the Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport, Waterbury and Norwalk police departments.
The firm also provides software and services to five Massachusetts police departments, Methuen, Attleboro, Salem, Salem State and Northborough
For more information on BOLO Mobile and NexGen, click here to visit the NexGen website.
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