Greenview Partners with Lightcatch

Starting today, sharing possible crimes in action with neighbours is easier in the Municipal District of Greenview. A collaborative partnership has been launched with Lightcatch to help reduce rural crime rates, increase community awareness and collaboration using the free Lightcatch app. Everyone who works or lives within Greenview will have the ability to report trouble and alert other app users nearby.

The Lightcatch app is a crowdsource solution that is safe and easy for the public to use to alert others in their area of suspicious activity. All self-reported alerts on the app are entirely confidential, and the platform is managed by sophisticated programming to ensure facial anonymity. In addition, an operations team monitors and supervises submitted alerts 24 hours per day to minimize false and erroneous posts.

"Crime prevention is not an issue that one organization can manage alone," said Reeve Dale Smith. "We need community members and partners to work together to help tackle it. We hope that this project will help to reduce crime rates and increase feelings of safety and security for our residents."

"In cases of theft, we have seen communities increase success rates from 20 percent to 85 percent over time. The Ambassador Program will help residents see that they can make a real difference towards better road, community and property safety." Boyer says the app has also been used for dangerous driving reports, dangerous offender warnings, missing people, and even missing horses.

Outcomes will be shared with Greenview-based organizations and residents monthly and reported to Council every quarter.