SA Police launch smartphone app

South Australian police are set to become the first force in the country to launch a mobile phone app.
The new phone application will be launched on Wednesday with versions available for iPhones, Android phones and Windows smartphones.
"Members of the public now have a quick and convenient access to a wide range of news, information and updates from the South Australia Police in the palm of their hand," SA Police said in a statement ahead of the launch.
"The SA Police news web app features articles on arrests, police operations, serious and fatal road accidents as well as appeals for witnesses to a range of crimes formatted to display on a mobile phone."
Police said the move to develop the app was driven by feedback from users of the SA Police news website and social media sites who accessed the internet via their mobile phones.
SA Police already use Twitter and Facebook to provide details about operations, investigations and arrests as well as information on traffic issues.
"These digital technologies have been extremely successful and generated positive responses from both media and the community," they said.
So far the SA Police news website has received more than 600,000 page views and 228,000 visitors.
More than a third of the traffic has been generated from links on the force's Facebook page.
The Facebook page has attracted more than 19,600 fans since it was officially launched in February this year.
"Communication using these new media technologies has enabled SA Police to be more effective at engaging, listening and interacting with the community," police said.
"Facebook and Twitter have proved an effective tool to communicate traffic updates, arrests, appeals for witnesses, information about police operations as well as emergency and public safety information."