Would-be crime fighters in the Capital Region now have a tech tool to help their cause.
Disorder Reporter, a mobile app created by a developer from St. Albert, connects citizens with a vast array of authorities.
“This is really an opportunity to report a dead tree, a pothole, graffiti. It can be anything and everything,” St. Albert Mayor Nolan Crouse explained.
Photos and messages can be sent via the app, which will then be distributed to the correct enforcement authority who can address the problem.
The app uses the GPS in the phone to record the location where the photo was taken.
“When you take the picture it will designate a very precise location. It’s going to save a lot of work for a lot of people,” Crouse added.
“We don’t take crimes in progress or things where people’s lives are at risk,” creator Dale Fetterly told CTV News.
“This is strictly for issues where something needs to be done but it’s not an urgent thing.”
Fetterly said he was inspired to create the app after his work with the RCMP in tracking down graffiti vandals.
Submissions will be reviewed by an analyst who will then forward the information on to the correct authorities.
“When somebody submits something I get this list of items,” Fetterly explained.
The program has also been designed to rule out duplicate complaints.
“It also checks to see if there were any other photos taken in the last 30 days within the distance of where that photo is.”
Residents have been encouraged to report on issues from potholes to street light problems.
BE THE SOLUTION
As a new operation, Fetterly said he was looking for volunteers to help analyze complaints.
“We are looking for volunteers who would be interested in doing this,” he explained, adding there would be a police security clearance required.
The app is currently available on iPhone and Android devices with other platforms to be added.
With files from Jeff Harrington
