Neighbors Are Calling Each Other Instead of the Cops

Strong neighborhoods are made up of people who know each other well and interact regularly.  As policing and community relations continue to evolve, residents are changing the way they strengthen the interconnectedness and safety of their communities.  Take, for example, the residents of Minneapolis.  As reported in Vice, “People in Minneapolis Are Calling Each Other Instead of the Cops”:

In June 2021, REP rolled out a hotline called Revolutionary Emergency Partners that responds to “non-violent” emergency calls on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7 PM to midnight. Thanks to funding from grants and donations, the group can train volunteers to handle things like noise complaints, mental health crises, and neighbor disputes, and to refer people to other community services. Eventually, REP hopes to respond to calls dealing with domestic abuse, medical crises and anything involving active violence.

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But one primary objective of such programs, according to a memo from the Department of Justice, is to encourage close collaboration between these community-based organizations and police. In the Twin Cities, previous reports have shown that the Minneapolis Police Department and some non-profit intervention groups are in frequent contact.

At Eyetem, we believe that this type of close collaboration between residents, community-based organizations, and police is essential for safe and healthy communities.  Eyetem was built on the idea that you should be able to closely collaborate with your community—including community-based organizations and police—in a simple, easy-to-use app without compromising your privacy.  Most neighborhood apps want your personal information - such as, name, email, phone number, even driver’s license—just to communicate with your neighbors, but at Eyetem we think there’s a better way.  

You can download the Eyetem app on your phone and start connecting with people in your community today—without sharing your personal information.  In cities like Minneapolis, Washington DC, and San Francisco, Eyetem already provides regularly updating crime data, allowing you and your neighbors to discuss what’s going on in your neighborhood and find ways to make a difference with community-based organizations and police.

Try out Eyetem today on iPhone and Android, and tell your neighbors to join you!