Crime Reporting- There’s an App for That

A recent addition to anti-crime efforts in New York has just been revealed by a Brooklyn politician.

Senator Eric Adams has created a crime-reporting smartphone app that skips over the NYPD by allowing users to submit anonymous photos of suspected criminal activity, or even recorded voice descriptions, to the new system. Managed by retired law enforcement volunteers, the information will be shared with investigators via a private Facebook page.

“It does away with the fear that people have- I don’t want to walk into a precinct. I don’t want to call the police and have them come to my house because the bad guys are going to see them” explained Adams.

The project has stirred some controversy as many believe the concept is unsafe.

Senator Marty Golden, a former cop, said: “I think it’s foolish. I think people can get hurt. An app for reporting crime to the police is one thing, but going around the NYPD… that’s a recipe for disaster. The quickest and most effective way is to call 911.”

Adams defended the idea by explaining that although people should certainly call the police, they often hesitate to report from high-crime neighborhoods out of concern of retaliation or even because of lack of trust in the police.

“We don’t want people not calling 911. We will encourage calling 911″ he continued. “It may seem strange. We may say to ourselves ‘Just call the police!’ But that’s not the reality… The reality is people are afraid of the police.”

Plus, as app developer Garth Naar pointed out:

“This is a great supplement because with 911, of course, you can’t pass on an image or a video.”