BY DARREN CAMPBELL

We have all heard the saying, “There’s an app for that.”

“Dad, what’s the Apple ID?” asked one of my boys the other day.

So, of course I responded with, “Why?” This is usually followed by the word, “No.”

And, finally, “Dad, come on, I really need this app.”

Now I can say “We have an app for that” at the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office — and every Iredell County resident needs it. To download our app, go to the App store for your iPhone, or Google Play for Android, and search for “Iredell County Sheriff’s Office.” Our app is easily identifiable by the iconic five-point sheriff star.

The app contains information for citizens of all ages. You will have a front row seat to our community events, along with information about emergency situations that could impact your neighborhood. You can also search the sex offender database, view wanted persons, search recent arrests, and view our press releases.

We receive frequent inquiries regarding pistol purchase and concealed carry permits, so we included an FAQ section regarding these permits. We hope this information answers all of your questions. In the event you cannot find an answer to your question, we always welcome you to give us a call or come by the Sheriff’s Office. If you would like to apply for either permit, you can simply select the link to apply, and you will be redirected to the permit application website.

Stay up to speed with the events at the Sheriff’s Office via the notification settings. These push notifications can be turned on or off, depending on the type of information you would like to receive. As if there aren’t enough weather apps out there, we’ve included one within our app so you can get all of the important information in one convenient place.

Interested in working for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office? The “Join Our Team” section of the app allows you to search our open positions, and browse job descriptions, benefits, and pay. Find a job you like? You can apply by selecting the link for the open position. For those like myself, who are not as tech savvy, our recruiters would love to talk to you about working for the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office. Their contact information is at the bottom of the section.

We are a just a click away. Under the “Contact Us” tab, you can access driving directions from your location to our main office, contact our main number with just a tap, and select the website option to be redirected to the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office website.

I took the time to explain the functionally of the app because our society spends more time than ever before on some form of smart device using apps and social networking. We utilize these platforms to get information out to you because it is the most effective and efficient way to keep you informed, and at times for you to help us, as you did this week. Within one hour of sharing surveillance photos to our Facebook page, we received several tips that helped us positively identify three suspects who broke into numerous vehicles in our community and took various items from inside these vehicles. Without the power of social media, we would not have been able to positively identify these subjects so quickly. I cannot thank everyone enough for liking and sharing our posts seeking assistance from the public. The more people that see the post, the quicker we get criminals arrested and charged.

We encourage you to stay tuned in to our app, Facebook page, and IredellSheriff.com so we can work together as a whole to protect our community. If our office can assist you in any way, please contact me at decampbell@co.iredell.nc.us or 704-878-3180.

Darren Campbell is the Iredell County sheriff.