NEW: Citizen app describes itself as a safety network that sends alerts about nearby incidents including crime. But in recent months, its business has pushed into potentially dangerous new territory, alarming law enforcement officials.
But in recent months, its business has pushed into potentially dangerous new territory, alarming law enforcement officials and people who worked there.he incorrectly thought was responsible for starting a brushfire that was threatening homes. The sheriff's office denounced the move, saying it put the man in danger, and the man was cleared of wrongdoing.driving around Los Angeles.
It's not unusual for tech startups to cycle through business ideas and focus on growth as they figure out what they want to be. But because Citizen is focused on public safety, the stakes behind each idea are higher. NBC News spoke with eight former employees of Citizen who collectively described a startup that frequently acts without thinking through consequences, and often fails to live up to its marketing themes about putting safety over other priorities such as attracting new users.
"One of the goals when we founded the company was to create symmetry of information between the community and law enforcement — so nobody has to wonder why there's a police car on their corner or helicopters overhead," the company said in response to written questions."Citizen creates an open, shared safety system where police and citizens can hold each other accountable. This is the only way to rebuild trust between community and law enforcement.
The app has found some success, though not the kind typically encouraged by startups backed with tens of millions of dollars in venture capital. It has been downloaded about 11.7 million times since its launch, according to Apptopia, a tech research firm. Its growth has been steady over the past two years, according to Apptopia data, though well behindCitizen, a smartphone app, is designed to alert you when crimes, emergencies and other dangerous events occur in your area.
"It fuels public insanity and fear," the former employee said."The effect of Citizen is to make everybody afraid in a community. I'm not a supporter. I tell people that." She said that one day last year, in the late spring or early summer, Citizen sent a celebratory-but-premature notification that"we had flattened the curve" against Covid-19, but"that was not true at all. There was no proper vetting there," she said.
"Andrew was like, 'That wasn't a mistake,'" the former employee said."He said, 'The worst thing that can befall a company is to be ignored.' He said, 'That's what put this company on the map.'"
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