The next crime-fighting tool may be sitting in your pocket: UbnAppd?(iTunes, Android).
Capitol Hill residents concerned with local crime issues gathered this past Monday at Grim?s Provisions & Spirits for a public meeting. LGBTQ advocacy group?Social Outreach Seattle?(SOSea) and private company UbnAppd unveiled a new public-safety program: a Smartphone application that can help facilitate notification of local law enforcement.
?I hope nobody ever has to use this app,? explained Shaun Knittel, president of SOSea. ?I really think it?s terrible that we?ve gotten to this stage and you have to report that you?re being attacked but that is the current state of affairs. This past August, there was a sharp increase in muggings and other crimes on Capitol Hill in 2014.?LGBTQ people especially report feeling unsafe on Capitol Hill, and other areas of the city after the sun goes down.?
The UbnAppd app will allow users to record incidents and GPS location, and then notify the user?s emergency contacts, who can determine urgency. The emergency contacts do not include law enforcement, but they may decide to alert police upon viewing the footage.
Video and audio recording is activated by touching the UbnAppd icon button, and uploaded to a Cloud Based Secure Server where it cannot be deleted for 30 days. Users are encouraged to let subjects know that they are being recorded.
Knittel said that if the app is inadvertently engaged, recipients will disregard the recording upon viewing it. He believes the app will be useful to address not only the recent increase in crime on the Hill, but in school and workplace harassment situations as well.
?Kids are tech-savvy these days,? Knittel said. ?If your child turns on this app while in a bullying scenario, it helps teachers address the problem. It?s a good tool for schools to use for prevention of LGBTQ bullying. Victims sometimes feel they aren?t believed, and this tool can be an ally they need.?
Knittel believes the app will be especially popular with young Hill residents, who may otherwise reluctant to report harassment.
?Young people are used to multitasking, so this app is easy to use,? Knittel said.? ?For people who are used to using phone apps, this is a breeze, but it?s also simple for beginners to learn.?
UbnAppd, an outside vendor based in Bellevue, approached SOSea approximately a year ago. Knittel said his group initially asked the Seattle Police Department to offer a similar product, but conversations stalled due to concerns related to legal accountability.
?SOSea went to the SPD about a year and a half ago and asked why there?s not an app for reporting crime,? Knittel said. ?The police told us that it?s too much of a liability for the City of Seattle if something went wrong. We were later contacted by UbnAppd when they were in the beta stages with this product.?
SOSea has launched additional crime prevention programs. A media initiative, No One Walks Alone, promotes neighborhood awareness and safety precautions, particularly for service industry workers. Fliers are distributed at local establishments promoting a volunteer ?buddy system? for local residents walking on the Hill after work. Victims of crime are often alone and distracted when they are targeted by attackers.
?The muggers are often striking late at night, and they?re often attacking staff of bars and restaurants,? Knittel said. ?The criminals are watching these employees and know they have tip money. We encourage awareness for service employees in the neighborhood through leaflets and other materials.?
Knittel believes that discussions of personal safety concerns issues are vital to LGBTQ groups. SOSea organized its first crime rally two years ago and invited community activists then. The group continues to engage local law enforcement, and plans to hold additional public meetings.
?The history of Capitol Hill is strongly linked to the gay community,? Knittel said. ?We organize like nobody?s business. You can?t be your authentic self if you?re worried about being mugged. Our Hill belongs to us and not crime. Word will get out to criminals that this app is out locally, and this can be a deterrent. We refuse to give away our neighborhood.?
The app is available for $29.99. For more information, visit the UbnAppd website.
Sources: Capitol Hill Times, UbnAppd