America's Top Safety App Goes Global With Bold New Mission to Protect the World

From U.S. Streets to International Cities

Citizen, the leading public safety app in the U.S., has announced its expansion across three major cities in Mexico: Mexico City, Tijuana, and Guadalajara. It's a significant leap for a platform that has quietly become one of the most powerful tools in everyday personal safety — and a sign that the company has far bigger ambitions than American neighborhoods.

Following its first international expansion into Canada, Citizen now brings verified, real-time safety alerts, live video, and community-powered reporting to Mexico City, Guadalajara, and Tijuana. The move signals a clear shift in strategy: Citizen is no longer just a domestic app. It's building toward something global.

What the App Actually Does

Citizen gives users real-time awareness of emergencies, crimes, and incidents happening near them before it hits the news. That's a powerful promise — and for millions of people, it's one the app has consistently delivered on. Users can watch live video from the scene, track active incidents on a map, and get instant 911 alerts for their neighborhood, workplace, or school — covering everything from crimes and vehicle pursuits to wildfires, natural disasters, and active shooters.

Citizen uses proprietary, AI-powered technology to provide residents with real-time information about safety-related events, big and small, relying on verified sources and user-generated content to give members the information they need to make smarter decisions about their safety and the safety of their loved ones. A newer feature takes that transparency even further: Citizen now shows users real-time updates and resolution status on active events, so they're not left wondering what happened.

A Real-World Test — and a Passing Grade

Citizen's value was demonstrated firsthand earlier this year when civil unrest swept across Mexico following a major military operation in February 2026. The killing of Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as "El Mencho," leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, triggered widespread roadblocks, burning vehicles, and security incidents across multiple Mexican states, including Jalisco, Baja California, Quintana Roo, Guerrero, and Michoacán. The chaos unfolded fast, and for people caught in the middle, having real-time, verified information wasn't a luxury — it was a lifeline.

People who download the Citizen app will have immediate access to real-time alerts, live video streams, and community reporting based on their exact location. Citizen also offers tailored safety features, including push notification controls, the ability to view historical incidents, one-tap access to Mexico's national emergency number (911), and Protect Mode, which allows users to share their real-time location with trusted contacts. The app is fully localized in Spanish.

Bigger Than an App — A Growing Safety Network

Citizen is also now paying users to go live on the app, with users able to earn up to $400 for a live broadcast of incidents that occur around them. It's a bold move that turns everyday bystanders into real-time reporters — and deepens the community-sourced intelligence that makes the platform tick. Meanwhile, Citizen Premium gives subscribers access to police and fire scanner audio clips, detailed incident archives, multiple alert zones, and a customizable notification radius.

As Citizen expands its international footprint, the platform is evolving from a neighborhood crime-alert tool into something more ambitious: a worldwide safety network powered by technology and community. "After launching in major cities across the U.S. and Canada, we're excited to further expand our international footprint. Our expansion into Mexico marks a significant milestone in fulfilling Citizen's mission to bring essential safety information to people around the world," said Morgan Mathiesen, Head of Operations at Citizen. With AI at its core and a rapidly growing user base, the question is no longer whether Citizen can scale globally — it's how fast.