By Mark Woolsey

Marietta Police have a new way to notify residents about road closures, accidents and major incidents.

As of Jan, 1, The new Marietta PD app has replaced Nixle as a means of sending push alerts to the public. The old system had been in use for several years.

Police say the new app developed by tip411 is a powerful crimefighting tool that allows residents to find information and get alerts from any smartphone. It also allows for an enhanced way to send anonymous tips to the police which can include videos and photos as well as text files.

The department says the technology removes all identifying information before police get a tip. Officers can then reply and create an anonymous two-way conversation. They say those without a smartphone can use their cells to text keyword MARIETTAPD and a message/tip to 847411.

The app is available from the Google Play Store, the iTunes App Store or through this link: https://www.citizenobserver.com/landing/mariettagapd?iframe=true.