Former MPD chief Harteau joins police app Vitals
(KMSP) - Former Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau announced Tuesday she is joining Vitals, a technology startup with an app designed to help police deal with vulnerable children and adults.
Harteau will serve as the team’s chief public safety strategist, where she will “oversee and help establish partnerships between police departments and Vitals,” according to a news release.
The app allows the caregiver of a person with a disability to create a profile containing their name and a list of triggers and ways to calm them down. The profile then pops up on an officer’s phone when they come within 30 to 60 feet of the vulnerable person, so they know who they are dealing with and how to handle them.
The St. Paul Police Department was the first to use the app. It has since been adopted by police in Roseville and New Brighton, as well as the Three Rivers Park District.
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Harteau served as chief for nearly five years before resigning from the Minneapolis Police Department in July following the shooting death of an Australian woman by a Minneapolis police officer.
In her new role, Harteau will support the ongoing Minnesota rollout, as well as introduce the app to police departments across the country. She is also tasked with "the creation of best practices for police department onboarding, training and policy development,” the company said in statement.
“The Vitals App is a game changer and will save lives. I am thrilled to be part of the team!” Harteau wrote on her public Facebook page.