The Royal Saint Lucia Police Force (RSLPF) is encouraging individuals to make use of its crime hotline app as Saint Lucia continues to record homicides and other violent incidents.
The app, which was launched in 2023, is the island’s only app for anonymous crime reporting and has been utilised by the public to date.
But has it been used sufficiently?
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Dr. Mashama Sealy, not too long ago, indicated that the app was still in use and said the Force has been receiving tips from the public.
But the app, as expected, was not a raging success. Dr. Sealy’s response at a press conference months ago suggested this much.
With a lack of trust between the public and the police, there would be some apprehension.
However, Dr. Sealy emphasized last year when the app was launched, that the app was 100 percent secure and “does not pull information in terms of the IP address or any type of information like (that). The only information we would have is whether the information comes from an Apple phone or an Android and that is mainly because of the two platforms that are being used. Apart from that the app does not pull any other information from your device.”
At a press conference last week, Acting Assistant Commissioner of Police Luke Defraitas urged individuals to use the application, and like Sealy, made it clear that individuals’ identities would not be revealed.
“We continue to appeal to the public for assistance; for information. We want to continue to advertise our crime hotline 555 (and) our crime app,” ACP Defraitas said.
It’s important to note that this app may not only be used by law-abiding citizens.
As writers Jennifer Cole and Alexandra Stickings articulated in an article on Royal Holloway, the University of London’s website, “Those who use anonymous reporting mechanisms are not necessarily law-abiding citizens themselves: as well as feeling vulnerable to crime, they may fear the consequences of other members of their community knowing they have passed information to the police or have something to hide themselves.”
Thus, anonymity is crucial. But the RSLPF has made it abundantly clear that that aspect is under control.
While anonymous crime reporting apps have their advantages, they also have their disadvantages.
For instance, law enforcement agencies may not be able to follow up on anonymously reported crimes to see if the reporter has more information, as observed by Cole and Stickings.
Nonetheless, the RSLPF has made strides (as the app was not even an option years ago) and is attempting to tackle the crime situation head-on.
As for whether the number of anonymous reports rose compared to when it was launched last year, is yet to be detected on our end as efforts to get in touch with Dr. Sealy were futile prior to press time.
But most importantly, and what individuals should remember that is if they are interested in reporting a crime anonymously is “the app is user friendly and the information will be examined and managed by a team of officers who are vetted and trained to handle sensitive information. Users can provide information regarding incidents of crime using text, photos and voice notes. Remember the app is not to be used to report a crime in progress,” Dr. Sealy said, at the launch of the app adding that individuals should call the nearest station or dial 555 instead.
The app is available in both the Google and Apple Play Store.