The Tribune

By STEPHEN HUNT

THE recent spate of abductions of children in New Providence has led to public outcry for improvements in alerting the public to safety threats – but one group has already taken steps to do just that and is offering a reward of up to $1,000 for information in the latest incidents.

Crime Stoppers, a community action organisation, is asking people to supply tips to help police track down suspects and to solve crimes, but the group has also created an app for your phone or other device that can broadcast an alert whenever police issue a warning.

In the wake of the latest abduction of children on Thursday – when three boys were taken by a woman in a car before being released unharmed, the second such incident within 24 hours – the need for an alert system has already been highlighted.

Marisa Ahwai, chairman of Crime Stoppers, said that the app, Crack Crime Bahamas, was launched in part to help the organisation’s goal of improving safety across the country – and restoring a way of life where fear of crime is not as prevalent as it is today.

“Crime restricts our freedom,” said Ms Ahwai. “Last year we went to an international conference in the Netherlands – you could see teenagers walking around at night, and no problems of crime. Here in the Bahamas, we rush around to get home and stay in our houses.

“It’s restricting all our freedoms when we hide away in our homes like that. We don’t want kids to be afraid to go out on the streets to play. We want to return to that level of normalcy.”

The app — which is free — combines a number of aspects. It includes emergency numbers and contact numbers for a range of locations, such as police stations, BASRA, the Crisis Centre and more, and alerts sent out via the app are checked to make sure the information comes from official sources, to ensure it does not spread fake rumours as can sometimes happen in social media networks such as Facebook and messenger service Whatsapp. Alerts include messages about missing people and wanted suspects.

In addition, people with information that can be helpful in solving crimes can pass on their tips via the app – and Ms Ahwai was quick to reassure people that their tips are confidential.

“We took the position that in a small community like ours, a voice might be recognised by someone taking a call – so we used an outside party. Our tips are handled by the Miami Dade Crime Stoppers.”

Outsourcing the handling of tips means that anyone contacting Crime Stoppers can be sure their information is received without bias.

Tips are also eligible for a reward – and the group anticipates that any information in the recent abduction cases would be eligible for a reward toward the top end of the amount it can provide — $1,000.

Already, 8,000 users have downloaded the app, which Ms Ahwai was closely involved in developing at no cost to Crime Stoppers, and the organisation is hopeful it will boost its work – which has already since 2001 been involved in tips that led to the recovery of stolen property worth $460,000, the seizure of narcotics worth $670,000 and the arrest of suspects in major crimes including murder.

She said the success of the app – and of Crime Stoppers – is down to the support of the community, and emphasised that for people using it, notifying the authorities of a crime was a matter of self-protection, urging people to: “Stop the crime before it’s your time.”

The Crack Crime Bahamas app is available on both iPhone and Android stores as a free download.

Crime Stoppers can also be contacted at 328-TIPS (8477) with information regarding possible crimes.