MARKO SVICEVIC
Brooklyn SAPS in collaboration with developers of the Namola app have launched an app to bolster the fight against crime in Tshwane. On 5 February, Station Commander Brigadier Kushie Nair and Chief Ambassador of Namola, Yusuf Abramjee signed a partnership agreement in which they committed to collaborating together in an effort to continue the fight against crime. Abramjee said, “To combat crime in Tshwane and across South Africa, we need all hands on deck. Partnerships like this add support and capacity to our emergency services, like the Brooklyn SAPS.” Abramjee added that embracing innovative technology in fighting crime was the future for safety and security in South Africa.
The app, called Namola, allows users to report crimes and share their physical locations with the nearest police emergency response vehicles through their smartphones. It further provides users with direct access to the SAPS officer en route to the scene and the function to rate officers responding to the alert. SAPS officers are also able to precisely locate complainants and phone the complainant directly for more information. The control room feature allows police to monitor real-time vehicle location and tracking and also gives an overview of all reported alerts.
According to Brooklyn SAPS Captain Colette Weilbach, “When a citizen sends out an alert, the nearest Brooklyn SAPS or Tshwane Metro Police Department vehicles that are Namola app-compliant are able to see the exact location of the incident. The first available officer is then directed to the incident while being monitored by the control room, which has the ability to intervene if necessary. While en route to an incident the officer is able to receive messages from the citizen and phone them if they need more information.”
Weilbach added that the app enables faster response times and a more efficient flow of information. The app is currently available for download from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store, or at www.namola.com/ download.
Photo: Apple App Store
