Drop everything and download: CrimeSpotter » Stuff

South Africa is facing the tow big L’s: Lockdown and Loadshedding. Both mean that people need to be ever more aware of safety at home and while travelling. Criminals thrive in situations where they have the upper-hand, which is why this new South African safety app CrimeSpotter is the perfect companion for everyone. 

“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,” reads the CrimeSpotter website. 

Even you can be a CrimeSpotter

CrimeSpotter is a crime reporting and alert app — and it thrives in an environment where everyone in a community uses it. That’s because it makes use of community data. People using the app can log incidents and get the relevant authorities involved. 

“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,” the website details. 

It’s important to note that logging a crime on the app is not a replacement for an official police report – make sure to go and log one of those if the situation calls for it. But the data collected on the CrimeSpotter app is vital to tracking criminals with the help of the community policing forums (CPF), security companies and police. 

This data can also be used to help prevent future crimes by detecting hot spots and ensuring increased safety measures are put in place. 

In the app, users can search for crimes in an area, and they’ll pop up like pins on a map or in a timeline format. The best part? All of this info is public domain — because we all have the right to know what’s happening in our community. Even if it’s bad stuff. In order to protect privacy, no personal information is included in incidents mapped by this service.

CrimeSpotter is available to download on iOS, Huawei and Android on the respective stores. It’s never been easier to do your part, ey?