There are many debates ongoing whether crime-tracking apps are doing the general public favor by letting them know about crimes near them or putting them in harm’s way. Not all crime-tracking apps are similar in function and approach to documenting crimes. These apps have the power to transform how urban communities react to crimes by placing the information in their hands using the latest technologies and social media strategies. We’ll be providing you with a list of 4 of the most popular crime-tracking apps that can make a difference in your or someone else’s life.
1.Citizen
With over 250,000 active users, Citizen is a real-time app that uses different platforms to alert its users of ongoing crimes happening near them. It’s currently operating in 5 major cities: New York, Baltimore, San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. It uses a team of professional dispatchers who monitor 911 and emergency calls using police scanners. If you would like to see what other options are out there, just read more here about the different police scanner apps available to you. After the dispatchers verify the calls, they alert nearby users by providing real-time map depictions and notifications to encourage users to livestream the incident as it unfolds.
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2.Witness
Live-streaming and recording crimes crimes has played a greater role in identifying criminals and providing evidence for years. The problem arises when someone is being assaulted and no one is around to record it as evidence, especially in incidents of police brutality. Witness acts as an app that provides a form of safety-umbrella for victims rather than nearby people like Citizen. It allows you to make an emergency list of contacts for the app to communicate with during emergencies. With the touch of a button, the app starts a livestream recording that is hidden under a black screen to make it inconspicuous. It then proceeds to send links to your emergency contacts to help them track the incident in real-time using GPS and video footage.
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3.AreaVibes
While AreaVibes doesn’t record or notify users of on-going crime, it provides statistics related to the crime rate that could affect your decision to live in one area or another. Its main criterion to help you decide whether a place is safe to live in or not is the livability score, which is calculated using many factors and compare them with nearby areas as well. It can easily break down the crime rate into type, incidents, and activity. It also compares it to the national average to give you an idea of whether you should worry or not before moving.
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4.Family Watchdog
Family Watchdog is an app that reveals the officially registered sex offenders in your neighborhood radius. You can visit the website and enter the location you’d like to inspect to see a list of their names, crimes, the danger of children, and even their pictures. It can also provide you with alerts once a registered sex offender moves in your neighborhood.
While crime-tracking apps are great for staying updated and avoiding danger, you should always focus on your safety. Most crime-tracking apps don’t endorse vigilantism and sometimes it can even lead you to problems with law enforcement.
