AfriForum launches new neighbourhood watch app to help combat crime

AfriForum has developed a new smartphone application that will give the organisation’s neighbourhood watch members the ability to immediately report incidents during patrols, call for help and gather information.

The neighbourhood watch members only have to press a few buttons to report an incident, there is a list of types of incidents drawn up in advance to choose from and the coordinates are also immediately collected so that possible hotspots can be more easily identified.

Neighbourhood watch members can also indicate on the application whether they are currently on duty or not. When a neighbourhood watch member is on patrol, the app will track their location live to ensure they are called to the right scene. Neighbourhood watch members can also record voice messages, videos and take photos on the application itself to pass on information about incidents as completely as possible.

This application will also contain the patrollers’ essential information such as contact details of next of kin, medical aid information, which AfriForum branch the patroller is affiliated with and so on.

According to Jacques Broodryk, AfriForum’s chief spokesperson for Community Safety, the organisation regularly deploys new technology to serve as a force multiplier.

“This application is a major breakthrough in our efforts to make our patrollers’ work easier and thus increase their efficiency. The information that is collected can also be used to monitor and analyse crime trends to be able to take better action against them.”

Join your nearest AfriForum neighbourhood watch today at www.afriforumbuurtwag.co.za.