A new mobile phone app is allowing citizens of Detroit to inform city officials about problems affecting their city. The app is called “Improve Detroit” and citizens are using it to better their community.
The app enables users to alert city hall about issues such as potholes, illicit dumping grounds, abandoned vehicles, water main breaks, broken traffic lights and destroyed fire hydrants.
Citizens can even use the app to see what progress is being made by city officials on their inquiry.
The administration of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan launched the app six months ago. Since then, more than 10,000 problems have reportedly been fixed. Nearly 6,500 Detroit citizens have downloaded the app.
Duggan says, “The Improve Detroit app has ushered in a new era of customer service and accountability in city government,” Mayor Mike Duggan said. “It’s never been easier for Detroiters to get their voices heard and their complaints taken care of.”
Residents of the city have been complaining about problems in their city for a long time. Now they have a much easier way of informing city hall about issues that affect them on a daily basis.
Local resident Dan Wroblewski says, “It saves time, it gets results, and I love how I can follow the progress being made on the complaint.”
Another app called “Detroit Police Connect” allows users to obtain current information regarding the Detroit Police Department, and it gives citizens a way to anonymously contact the police. People have also been able to obtain public bus information by using the “DDOT Bus” app.
The city of Detroit has faced many problems in recent years. Its neighborhoods have been neglected for a long time. The economy of the city was essentially ruined with the decline of the American automotive industry, and the financial crisis of 2008 hit the city particularly hard. The result has been widespread financial woes, abandoned homes and decaying buildings. The city as a whole even had to declare bankruptcy at one point.
Hopefully this app will be able continue to help Detroit in its long road to recovery.
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