CrimeSpotter is a free app and allows for anonymous crime reporting.
South Africa (17 September 2020) – Knowledge is power in the effort to stay safe. Now you can stay informed on crime and safety issues in your neighbourhood through a locally developed app called CrimeSpotter.
The citizens of a country feel the effects of crime the most, and should be given more direct participation in the reporting and discussion of crime. More needs to be done to intensify the fight against crime by using what is available today to improve communications and information gathering.
FIGHTING CRIME WITH TECHNOLOGY
What is needed is a drive to use technology to widen the crime-fighting capabilities of South Africans and to unite against a common criminal enemy.
CrimeSpotter is an easy to use crime reporting and alert app. Using the power of the community to gather and share data. Bringing communities closer together with technology and information that can be shared quickly and centrally.
Developed independently by In-Detail Advertising, a Johannesburg based design agency who developed the free app to try to curb the rising crime in South Africa.
NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH
The aim of CrimeSpotter is to mobilise South Africans in crime prevention by becoming the eyes and ears of their community and actively reporting all crimes and providing any additional information possible on those crimes which have been reported by others.
For example, most property crimes can be prevented by taking simple steps such as locking doors and removing valuables from plain view. If you know that these types of crimes are being reported in your neighbourhood, you can better prepare to protect your property.
CrimeSpotter is ideal for Community Policing Forums (CPFs), neighbourhood watches, townships, estates, road closures, security companies and active citizens.
EASY CRIME REPORTING
The CrimeSpotter app allows users to rapidly report crime incidents and suspicious activity. Crimes are mapped, and nearby users instantly notified. Providing incident awareness to all residents, security companies, CPF members and the police.
Reporting incidents on CrimeSpotter does not replace an official police report and is done to alert others and to contribute valuable data to the central crime database. Data that can assist in the formation of crime prevention strategies of law enforcement and security companies.
Crimes can be searched or browsed as pins on a map or in a timeline format. All crime information is public, as this is the guiding principle behind the project – to map and share up-to-date countrywide crime trends.
TRENDING CRIME STATISTICS
Many crimes go unreported as the only incentive to go to a police station and report a minor crime is for insurance purposes. As the yearly crime statistics rely on these official police reports, there is an inaccurate depiction of crime levels. This app aims to solve this and provide realtime trending crime statistics.
Whatsapp groups are widely used for sharing community information but are often segmented to roads or small private groups and are prone to local politics and abuse. CrimeSpotter simply connects all residents based on their location and is centred purely on safety and security.
The alert radius can be set to anything between one and ten kilometres providing users with localised detail. While the app makes use of your current location, additional places may be added should you want to monitor other addresses pertinent to you.
CrimeSpotter is a free app and allows for anonymous crime reporting. In order to protect privacy, no personal information is included in incidents mapped by this service.
Search CrimeSpotter on your App Store.
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