Police: See something, say something

The police have taken a new approach to crime-fighting with the launch of their mobile app, See Something Say Something. It was launched yesterday at the weekly police press briefing.

Its aims are to assist with detection and reduction of crime, increase safety and awareness, provide real time updates and enhance police-citizen partnerships.

Commissioner Griffith said “For the TTPS to be successful, we need information, guidance and support, and we need the public to work hand in hand with us.

“This provides a perfect avenue for you, who are concerned about fear of reprisal.”

Head of the Operations Command Centre Sgt Ashraf Ali explained that mobile data or wifi is not necessary to access certain features of the software.

“People who have the app will receive emergency alerts on their devices, even if there is no mobile data. Data points will be strategically located to give information to the public. Data points are not static and will be created when incidents happen.”

The information police receive via the app will be confidential and only officers assigned to respond to reports will be granted access. It does not store information about the users, Ali said.

“The information received by the Operations Command Centre is dispatched to the relevant emergency response patrol (ERP) or police stations,” he explained

The police are urging the public to report and upload videos and photographs as well as sending messages about suspicious or criminal activities.

The app comes with an “SOS” option that allows police immediate access to the user’s location and five emergency contacts. When users access this feature, their name, phone number and location will be shared only with the police and their emergency contacts.

The police warned this should only be used in case of emergency, and using it inappropriately would incur a penalty of six months in prison and a fine of $1,000 for wasting police time.