CrimeReports iPhone App Surpasses 100,000 Downloads
Last week CrimeReports announced that its iPhone app had accumulated more than 100,000 downloads since launching last December. Add one more to that number because we just downloaded the free app to give it a whirl.
Unlike other free apps that let you pop bubble wrap or consult the Magic 8-Ball, this one is actually pretty useful. CrimeReports Mobile gives users crime data and sex offender reports in real-time. Their reports include around 700 law enforcement agencies in all 50 states, which turns out to be quite a lot of data to sort through.
What’s great is that it allows you to zoom in on your neighborhood to see what’s really been happening around the block. We were shocked to find six reports of theft and one of assault blocks away from where we rest our weary head. Sheesh! Troubling as it may be to realize that crime is lurking in nearby shadows, at least it makes us all aware of what’s happening and where.
What truly makes an impact is the visualization of crime. Sure, you can read about vandalism and burglaries in the newspaper, but there’s nothing quite like seeing how close in proximity crime really is to where you live, work and play.
Probably the most startling addition to the crime reports is the sex offender listing. The detailed listing includes a snapshot of a menacing-looking offender while some others look strikingly normal. Along with a picture, the address, age, height, weight, eye and hair color are listed. That way, there’s no confusing this person with anyone else.
The downside to the app? The data for adjoining precincts is not all there. So, when we zoom out a few miles to another neighborhood, it appears crime free. However, we’re guessing the data from that particular department has yet to be added to the database.
On the bright side, the database is expanding — and quick. In order to obtain this information, CrimeReports partners with law enforcement agencies across the country and it says it’s been signing up 50 new agencies every month. Its current service area covers 20 percent of the U.S. population, and it mapped more than 10 million crimes last year.
“The real credit for our growth goes to our partner agencies, who have opened up their crime data to the public,” said Greg Whisenant, founder and chief executive of CrimeReports, in a prepared statement. “Essentially, we’re providing an inexpensive, powerful service to law enforcement agencies who already wanted to get this information to the public.”
Whisenant sees that information as beneficial not only for law enforcement agencies, but also for the general public.
“They have quick, easy access to timely crime information that they didn’t before,” Whisenant said. “And law enforcement agencies have a new tool they can use to communicate with citizens and engage them in better crime prevention efforts.”
In: Information · Tagged with: crime, law enforcement, technology, video
on February 9, 2010 at 12:07 am
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This post was mentioned on Twitter by jnetcat5: TP Blog gives CrimeReports App a big thumbs up! http://tacticalpants.com/blog/crimereports-iphone-app-surpasses-100000-downloads/ Loves it!…