East Haven Business Buys Public Safety, Video-Sharing App 'BOLO'

EAST HAVEN, CT — NexGen Public Safety Solutions announced its purchase of BOLO Mobile, a secure public safety image- and video-sharing app that enables police to instantly disperse and receive images and video of wanted or missing people.

NexGen, Connecticut’s leading provider of law enforcement and emergency services software, completed its purchase of the Massachusetts-based BOLO Mobile on Dec. 31.

BOLO is the acronym for police jargon, 'be on the lookout.'

“I’m so excited and proud to offer this amazing product to our customers,” NexGen CEO Sal Annunziato said. “This app is a true lifesaver."

The app "renders obsolete the time-consuming, multi-step process" of getting a photo or video and distributing it to police agencies. With BOLO Mobile, officers take a cell phone photo or video, hit a button and every member of their department, or beyond, receives it.

In a media release, Nexgen says, the app "means quicker location of missing persons, faster apprehension of suspects and increased safety -- officers get instant bad guy alerts. Hats off to the guys who developed this software and put it in the field."

Annunziato said the acquisition is a "tremendous addition" as his company expands and improves service for customers.

The BOLO Mobile app was created by law enforcement professionals for law enforcement professionals, according to company co-owner Richard “Rick” Stanley, former Chief of Police for Wareham and North Andover, Massachusetts departments. A 38-year law enforcement veteran, Stanley said in a media release that the "software emerged from discussions between a police officer and a computer professional about how to better distribute images and video to officers."

The system, used by around two dozen police agencies in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, is cloud-based, meaning it operates independently of other department software, Stanley said. It uses the highest level of encryption, equivalent to that employed in banking, he said.

Stanley said he and his partners decided to sell BOLO Mobile because they have full time jobs and lack the time to take it to the next level. They concluded that NexGen is the best company to accomplish that, he said.

“It was the perfect fit for NexGen,” Stanley said. He and his partners have stepped away from the business, the release says. “I believe BOLO Mobile will flourish with the name NexGen associated with it. They have a full time staff of people who can make this happen and really make a difference in the day-to-day lives of law enforcement officers as well as the public.”

Methuen (MA) Police Chief Joseph Solomon says his department has used the app for three and is “extremely happy with it,” according to the media release announcing the sale.

“It’s a great tool for officers,” Solomon said. “Something that was labor intensive becomes instantaneous. Something that took an hour is literally a matter of minutes. I wish we had it 10 years ago.”

NexGen serves public safety agencies in 155 of Connecticut’s 169 municipalities. Its biggest clients are the Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport, Waterbury and Norwalk police departments.

The firm also provides software and services to five Massachusetts police departments, Methuen, Attleboro, Salem, Salem State and Northborough

For more information on BOLO Mobile and NexGen, visit the website here.