In government, you can't wait for people to come to you - you need to
give residents the tools to empower themselves in the most convenient
way. Whether it's blogging, tweeting, or just good old fashioned
door-to-door canvassing, I love promoting government at people's
doorstep or, even better, in the palm of their hand.
In that vein, this weekend I am launching a new, free iPhone
application called "Garcetti 311" that will allow users to snap and
submit photos of potholes, graffiti, and other problems in my council
district for the city to address.
The new app empowers Angelenos to improve our neighborhoods by
providing a quick, easy way of letting city government know where
there are problems that need to be fixed. It's a great way for
Angelenos to become more engaged with their city and its government,
and help their own neighborhood at the same time.
Through "Garcetti 311," users will be able to report a variety of
problems for the city to address, including:
- Abandoned bicycles and vehicles
- Deceased animals
- ulky items
- Graffiti
- Illegal dumping
- Broken sidewalks
- Potholes
- Overgrown trees
The application automatically geo-tag the problem's location,
simplifying the reporting process for users. During the year-long
pilot program, my staff members will submit the requests to the
appropriate city departments for action and users can follow the
outcomes on their phone.
The application will be made available free of charge via iTunes. It
was developed by CitySourced, which is powered by the Los
Angeles-based FreedomSpeaks.com. Within the next three months,
CitySourced expects to expand availability of the technology to other
mobile platforms such as Google Android, Blackberry, Palm, and Windows
Mobile.
I am proud that Garcetti 311 will be part of the growing Government
2.0 movement -- connecting people and their government through smart
technologies that improve efficiency, communication and engagement.