'I'm Getting Arrested' App Just Perfect for 'Occupy Wall Street' Protesters

By Ray Downs, Christian Post Reporter Tuesday, October 25, 2011

If you plan on getting arrested, don't worry about making phone call. There's an app for that.

Jason Van Anden, a Brooklyn-based software developer, decided to build the app after a friend's girlfriend was about to be arrested and had no way of quickly notifying friends and family before the handcuffs were put on, the New York Daily News reported.

"He said it would be great if you had an app so that she could quickly broadcast her situation," said Van Anden, 43.

The new app, called "I'm Getting Arrested," allows future inmates to alert a list of people with a prepared text message that they are about to be arrested. An example of a text message can be see in the photo accompanying the article.

According to the Daily News, the free app had been downloaded 9,000 times by Monday.

Van Anden, who spent a mere two nights building the app, admits that it is "very fresh" and still needs a lot of tinkering. Several suggestions were provided on the Android Market, including geo-location so people know exactly where app-users are being arrested and a special "wipe out" option that would erase all the phone's information, such as contacts and messages, after the arrest message is sent so that police will not be able to go through the arrested person's phone.

"Warrantless searching of phones is a BIG DEAL, and adding a 'wipe phone' option seems like a reasonable step to take as you are being arrested," said one commenter.

Although Van Anden sympathizes with the OWS protests, he has not personally participated, but creating the app allowed him to be a part of the movement in a unique way, the Daily News reported.

"The fact that there was an opportunity for me to contribute something was awesome," he said.

Currently available only on Android, Van Anden is working on making a version of the "I've Been Arrested" app for the iPhone soon.

The app has received four stars out of five on CNET, and 4.5 stars from dozens of users on the Android market.