BuyCrash.com now available in Florida

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) today launched a new service that will lead to more cost effective, timely and accurate filing of crash reports while at the same time providing easy online access to those reports for involved parties.

Given the fast pace of information exchange today many people would rather go online to get a copy of their crash report. By going to BuyCrash.com, involved parties can purchase and download a copy of the report and eliminate the time, gas and inconvenience of driving to the local police agency and standing in line for a copy of their report.

BuyCrash.com is one component of Florida’s Integrated Report Exchange System (FIRES), which includes free software tools and services for local law enforcement agencies that will help them collect, file, retrieve and analyze crash records. Many agencies currently rely on paper-based processes or costly software solutions. Through a public-private partnership with Appriss Inc., FIRES software and support is provided to the agencies at no cost. Savings across the state could amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in processing, postage, storage and retrieval costs.

Funding for the project is derived primarily from the online sale of crash reports at BuyCrash.com to insurance companies and involved parties.

“Through the new service, the Department provides a convenience to customers by offering crash reports online,” said DHSMV Executive Director Julie Jones. “Harnessing new technology to enhance customer service and to create efficiencies is in line with the agency’s strategy.”

Appriss provides BuyCrash.com services in partnership with several other states — including Kentucky, Indiana, Nebraska, and Georgia — with great success. The revenue from the online sale of crash reports is shared with the state and participating local law enforcement agencies, helping to lower the tax burden at a time of challenging budget deficits.    

VINE provides record 25.2 million notifications in 2011

VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday) — the flagship service provided by Appriss — delivered more than 25 million notifications in 2011, the most ever in a single year.

VINE tracks more than two million offenders, or 90 percent of the nation’s jail and prison population. VINE allows crime victims and other concerned citizens to learn the custody status of an offender, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, by telephone, text, email or online. Victims also can register to be notified if an offender is released, transferred, appears in court, or escapes.

Also in 2011, VINE responded to nearly three million incoming calls from crime victims and other concerned citizens inquiring about offender status, and registered 1.8 million new users. VINE, which was created in 1994, now provides service in 47 states and Puerto Rico.

Appriss – one of the “Best Places to Work” in Kentucky

Appriss is once again ranked one of the best places to work in Kentucky according to an annual survey conducted by the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, the Kentucky Society for Human Resource Management and the Best Companies Group. This makes the third straight year – and the sixth time in the last seven years – that Appriss has been honored.

The statewide survey and awards program identifies, recognizes and honors the best places to work throughout the commonwealth, benefiting Kentucky’s economy, its workforce and businesses. There are a total of 65 companies on the list.

“We never get tired of being on this list,” said Rick Cartor, Appriss’ vice president of human resources. “A lot of effort and innovation go into making Appriss a place where people want to work. Having that kind of reputation helps us recruit and keep the best employees.”

Appriss and the other winners will be recognized at the Best Places to Work in Kentucky 8^th Annual Awards Dinner on Thursday, April 19, 2012 in Louisville, with specific rankings announced at that event.

 

Appriss acquires Mobile Patrol

Appriss Incorporated is proud to announce the acquisition of Mobile Patrol LLC, an Arkansas firm that has pioneered smartphone applications aimed at serving local county sheriffs’ offices. This acquisition will enhance Appriss’ mission of keeping communities safe and informed.

“Smartphone technology will help sheriffs’ offices revolutionize how they communicate with their communities,” said Appriss CEO Michael Davis. “Sheriffs are recognizing that social media has a major impact on how people are communicating.  Smartphone technology is transforming the way our society manages information. You have to reach people where they are, and more and more we see that to be their smartphones or tablet computers.”

Appriss will provide this new technology free to sheriffs’ offices that are using the company’s victim notification service, known as VINE (Victim Information and Notification Everyday). The public will also download the app free of charge.

Once users download the application, they’ll have easy access to information that the sheriff chooses to publish for the community. The app is currently available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch users, with an Android version to be introduced in the first quarter of 2012.

The CEO of Mobile Patrol, Tim Lee, is excited about the opportunity this acquisition provides. “Appriss has a long history of providing technology to sheriffs’ offices and we are excited now about our ability to reach more states and more sheriffs. Our leading-edge mobile technology is a perfect fit with Appriss’ existing relationships and track record of performance.”

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office in Arkansas was one of the early adopters of the app. To download their app go to www.itunes.com/apps/wcso.

“This app is improving our communication with the community,” said Washington County Sheriff Tim Helder. “We’re able to share important information such as Amber Alerts or crime notifications, and deliver it right to people’s fingertips. It’s a revolutionary way to help us serve the public better.”

CDC releases findings from latest survey on domestic and sexual violence

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is out with a new report on intimate partner and sexual violence. Among the findings:

➢ More than 1 in 3 women and more than 1 in 4 men in the U.S. have experienced rape, physical violence and/or stalking by an intimate partner
➢ Nearly half of all women and men in the U.S. have experienced psychological aggression by an intimate partner
➢ Men and women who experienced physical violence by an intimate partner were more likely to report a variety of health problems – both physical and mental
➢ Two-thirds of female stalking victims were stalked by a current or former intimate partner
➢ More than 9 percent of U.S. women have been raped by an intimate partner

The survey findings are from 2010. Read the full report here: http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/nisvs/

Kentucky lawmaker files bill to fight meth without forcing law-abiding citizens to get prescriptions for cold and allergy meds

Kentucky State Representative Brent Yonts (D-Greenville) has introduced legislation that he calls a “common sense” solution to fight the state’s meth problem. The measure would require anyone convicted of a meth-related crime to have his or her name placed in a Meth Offender Registry. Anyone on that list would be blocked from purchasing medicine containing pseudoephedrine without a doctor’s prescription.

Yonts says his bill “does not punish law-abiding citizens. It’s a common sense, middle ground solution for fighting meth in Kentucky by targeting criminals, not people who suffer from colds and allergies.”

Kentucky lawmakers are divided over whether to require everyone to get a prescription for cold and allergy medicines that contain pseudoephedrine. Such a bill was defeated in this year’s legislative session and he says the votes are not there for a similar bill that’s expected to be introduced for the 2012 legislature.

There are more than 5,500 people with meth-related convictions in Kentucky and Yonts’ bill would block them from buying medicines with pseudoephedrine unless they have a doctor’s prescription. His measure would also lower the amount of pseudoephedrine a person could buy to 7.5 grams per month from the current 9 grams per month, with a maximum of 60 grams per year.

VINE and the Volunteer State: Victim advocates love it

“I’ve been doing this for 21 years and it’s one of the greatest tools that we’ve had.”

That’s Sue Jones, Statewide Victim/Witness Coordinator for the state of Tennessee talking about VINE. Her comments came during the District Attorneys General Conference in Nashville last month. Tennessee began offering the VINE service in 2008 and victim advocates are singing its praises.

Stokey Bourque, one of Tennessee’s district victim/witness coordinators, says crime victims tell him that VINE gives them tremendous peace of mind. “They don’t have to live in fear. They don’t have to look over their shoulder because they know they’re going to be notified when their offender gets out.”

In addition to crime victims, Bourque says police have also found VINE to be a very helpful tool. “If there’s an offender that ends up being habitual, they will go ahead and register for that person so that they know when the person gets out.”

“There’s no amount of money or anything that you can do or say that gives victims that kind of feeling and that kind of safety net that they have now that they’ve never had in the past,” says Jones. “With VINE we don’t fail these victims. We take care of them. It’s our job to make sure they’re taken care of, and that’s what we do.”

Says Bourque, “The VINE system no doubt saves lives because it allows people to be notified right away, anytime of the day or night.”

“America’s Most Wanted” and VINE supporter John Walsh return to weekly TV

Welcome back! “America’s Most Wanted,” created and hosted by John Walsh – one of the VINE service’s biggest supporters – returns to television on a weekly basis on the Lifetime cable channel beginning Friday, December 2. In a story in The Washington Post (www.washingtonpost.com), Walsh says he’s excited to be “back in the saddle again.”

Walsh has been in the saddle for us by recording PSAs for the VINE service. He’s among a group of celebrities who have touted the benefits of VINE, a list that includes Meredith Baxter, Victor Rivers and Charlie Daniels.

“America’s Most Wanted” began in 1988 on the FOX network, which announced earlier this year that it would no longer run the show as a weekly series. Since it began it has enlisted the help of the public to help capture more than 1,100 fugitives.

Congratulations, John, on your new television home. Keep up the good work!

Watch Walsh VINE PSA: http://youtu.be/raYV6HZ48fw

All right, Mr. DeMille, we’re ready for our close-up

Appriss Inc.’s flagship service, VINE® (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), will be featured on the next episode of “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” the popular NBC crime drama. The episode will air Wednesday, November 2, at 10 p.m. Eastern time. VINE allows crime victims to check on the status of their offender 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and to register to be notified when the offender is released or has some other change in their custody status (escape, transfer, court appearance, etc.). Registration is free at www.vinelink.com.

“This is quite a thrill for us,” said Michael Davis, Appriss CEO. “The show’s producers approached us and asked permission to use VINE in an episode and we were more than happy to give it to them. It’ll be fantastic exposure and hopefully will lead to more crime victims registering so they can stay informed about the status of their offender, which will bring some peace of mind and help keep them safer.”

The VINE program began in Louisville in 1994 in response to the 1993 murder of Mary Byron. She was shot to death on her 21st birthday by her ex-boyfriend, who had been jailed for raping her and was released without her knowledge.

In Wednesday’s “Law & Order” episode, a female crime victim receives a call from VINE, notifying her that her offender has been released, giving her the opportunity to take action to protect herself. A link to more information about the VINE service will also be included on the show’s website: www.nbc.com/law-and-order-special-victims-unit, plus there will be an item about the service on the producer’s blog.

Appriss just keeps growing … and growing …

We’re feeling pretty proud – and humble – about a recent piece of news. Appriss is once again among the “Fast 50” – the annual list of the fastest growing companies in the 13-county Louisville metropolitan region as compiled by Business First. That in and of itself is something to be proud of, but the biggest news to come out of this year’s ranking is that we are the only company to make the list each of the 12 years it has been published.

“While hundreds of companies have made this list over the years, we’re proud to be one that has been able to demonstrate long-term growth, even through difficult economic times,” said Appriss CEO Michael Davis. “We’re looking forward to continuing our streak next year.”

The “Fast 50” is open to independent and privately held companies in the Louisville area. To be eligible firms must have an average of at least $1 million in revenue for the three most recent years and have a three-year operating history.

Next year we hope to make it a baker’s dozen. Stay tuned.