A SAFETY app has been helping residents choose better routes by avoiding 'high crime zones' in Romsey.
The WalkSafe app alerts users when they enter 'high crime zones' and has grown in popularity in the wake of Sarah Everard's murder.
The map shows users ports of crime taken from monthly police reports in the area, including sexual assault, mugging and knife crime.
How does the app work?
WalkSafe visualises crime reports which have been published by the police, so you can plan your route more safely and effectively.
Its HomeSafe function estimates how long it should take you to get somewhere (and alerts a loved one if your journey doesn’t go to plan), while TapSafe allows you to send a contact your location details.
WalkSafe automatically alerts you when you walk near an area with any reported crime and helps you to divert your route.
The app is free and there are no in app purchases either.
Each coloured dot seen on the map represents a different crime. Red means violence/sexual assault, black means knife crime, light blue means feeling unsafe, and yellow means mugging.
The colours on the TapSafe feature will change depending on the time of day, allowing for discreet use at night time reducing the risk of alerting a potential attacker.
However, the app's website does stress all police data can't be shown at once, as "the map would be too cluttered to read".
Instead, the algorithm cycles through the most recent month of police data, refreshing the map twice per week.
Crime reported on the streets of Romsey - a quick round-up:
Banning Street - Violence/sexual assault
Latham Road - Violence/sexual assault
Oatlands - Violence/sexual assault
Beverley Gardens - Violence/sexual assault
Braishfield Road - Violence/sexual assault
If you want to download the app for yourself, you can do so via your phone's app store.
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