New app to support citizen crime fighters

COMMUNITY conscious residents have a new weapon in their arsenal against criminals.

Volunteers and police officers have joined forces to create an app to support local neighbourhood watch members.

The app is available to anyone to download and as well as featuring crime-fighting tips it also has local information on Hinckley venues and places of interest and useful contact numbers.

Fully interactive users are invited to send in photographs and news.

Currently the app focuses just on Hinckley itself but more additions and features are expected to follow as well as a widening of the coverage area.

PCSO Adam Cartwright, who devised the app along with Hinckley neighbourhood watch co-ordinator Jackie Saunt, publicised the launch on the Hinckley Police Facebook page.

He said the aim was to encourage community cohesion and help make the streets of Hinckley safer thanks to the sharing of news and ability to report issues.

He added: “I am proud to announce, after a lot of hard work, that the Hinckley Neighbourhood Watch app is available to download today for both Android and Apple platforms.

“Both Jackie Saunt - neighbourhood co-ordinator - and I have been working together to create this app to support the NHW volunteers in Hinckley, together with the local police beat team to help fight crime by utilising mobile technology in order to provide a safer community environment. The app is still under construction and more features will be added as we continue to work on it, however, the main functions are available for you to use.

“If any organisation wishes to sponsor or offer any services on the app then please get in touch.

“We would like the app to evolve into a community app covering a wide range of services including commercial interests that can provide support services to NHW app. The app will help thousands of residents in the entire region and possibly beyond.”