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Citizen App Wants to Create Its Own Private Police Force: Leaked Emails

The company is already testing out a model in which it dispatches security guards at the request of app users.

Citizen, an app that maps public safety incidents using users reports and police radio calls, wants to add a private security arm to its business, according to internal records obtained by VICE. The company is already testing out a model in which it dispatches guards from existing security companies at the request of app users. One leaked email said the concept had been pitched to the LAPD, who thought it could be a game changer. “The broad master plan was to create a privatized secondary emergency response network,” one former employee said. Citizen relies heavily on user-reported information about possible crimes, often leading to false, overblown, or even racially motivated reports. Last week, Citizen shared a photo of a man suspected of starting a wildfire in Los Angeles, and offered a $30,000 reward. But they got the wrong guy.