MANHATTAN — Occupy Wall Street protesters can use their smart phones to find the closest coffee shop, check the subway map and now let their parents know when they're about to get arrested.
I'm Getting Arrested, which is only available for Android phones, lets those who have been lassoed by the long arm of the law alert their lawyers and loved ones with the click of a button.
"I'm Getting Arrested enables anyone, with one click, to broadcast a custom message to SMS numbers in the event they are arrested," according to a description on the Android Market.
To use the app, a protester, or anyone else for that matter, can type a message ahead of time listing, for instance, the name and phone number of their lawyer.
When the cuffs come out, they simply hit a button on their phone that sends the message to a list of numbers of their choosing.
Hundreds of protesters have been arrested since the movement began in Zuccotti Park on Sept. 17, and many of them were forced to shout out their names and personal information to legal observers.
But when there are mass arrests, like the more than 700 who were detained on the Brooklyn Bridge on Oct. 1, the process becomes more difficult.
The free app, which was created by Quadrant 2, Inc., was inspired by Occupy Wall Street.
While most commenters on the Market were enthusiastic about the app's usefulness, at least one person had some words of warning.
"Unless you've already got your phone in your hands, it would be really stupid to reach into your pocket to pull out your phone if you're being arrested. The cops won't know if you're reaching for a phone or a gun, so you're putting your life in danger," wrote one commenter.
