Mobile App Launched to Aid Hidalgo County Precinct 2 Issues
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PHARR – Hidalgo County Precinct 2 launched a new smartphone application aimed at improving public safety for its residents.
The app, called PCT2, allows people to send an image of a problem and the exact location to the county.
Community leaders hope the app will alert them to issues they need to address quicker like illegal dump site or drainage problems.
Alamo resident Analila Palacios her neighborhood has had trouble in the past.
“Many times people pile trash outside their home. Sometimes they take a while to pick it up,” she said.
Resident Berta Trevino said she thinks the app will hold the county more accountable.
“It’s not the same if you call and they say, ‘OK, we’ll go check it out and we’ll see what we see.’ This way, you’ll have the evidence at hand,” she said.
Reports through the app can even be made anonymously.
“Many times, due to a person’s status, they’ll be afraid to call. It’s better this way,” she said.
Hidalgo County Precinct 2 Commissioner Eddie Cantu said everyone who passes through, not just residents, can use PCT2.
“Road issues, right? There may be a pothole. There may be something that came up overnight. They can immediately get on their app and send us in a picture or an exact location of it,” he explained.
Cantu said the app will allow the county to learn about issues faster and improve their response time.
The app can also inform someone about construction projects and emergency cases like a hurricane warning.