Is the Waze App Putting Police in Danger?

Police are not pleased with the cop-tracking feature on Waze. The app, bought by Google for $966 million in 2013, utilizes over 50 million of its members to provide real-time traffic warnings and route guidance. It will even warn you about weather conditions, stalled cars, potholes, and accidents. What concerns law enforcement is Waze's ability to tell drivers exactly where police are, though the app doesn't specify whether it's due to a speed trap or officers aiding in a traffic accident. Police say this feature has the potential to endanger officers, possibly putting them in harm's way of possible police killers looking for where their targets are precisely located.

In a statement, Waze spokeswoman Julie Mossler said, "We think very deeply about safety and security and work in partnership with the NYPD and other police and departments of transportation all over the world … to help municipalities better understand what's happening in their cities in real time. These relationships keep citizens safe, promote faster emergency response and help alleviate traffic congestion." Waze claims that most users drive even more carefully because they believe law enforcement is nearby."

There is no history of the tracker being used to hurt police, but officers are speaking out, letting it be known that they believe it's just a matter of time. Do you think that this could be a threat for cops, or is it a feature that you think drivers need? Let us know what you think.

Source: Waze