Can your phone help fight crime? - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

Can your phone help fight crime?

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By Lauren Hensley, Reporter - email

What should you do if you see crime happening? Well, you might want to reach for your phone.

You don't need fancy surveillance video to help catch a criminal. All you need is your phone! With the help of an app called Suspicious Activity Reporting you can help stop crime in your neighborhood.

"We can all recognize activity that may be suspicious it may not be, but there are ways you can relay that information and you can do it anonymously if you'd like," Kevin Taylor, Raleigh County Emergency Manager said.

Developed back in 2001 shortly after September 11th the app has been a very useful to helping local police officers solve cases, putting criminals behind bars.

"We've had a lot of success stories through the fusion center, but a lot of times it is the little tips that help. someone say a car and write it down and it can lead back to crime,"Sgt. David Allard, Beckley Police Detective said.

"We all have a responsibility whether it be a law enforcement officers or an average citizen here in Raleigh County or Beckley to keep our community safe and we can all recognize activity that may seem to be suspicious," Taylor continued.

Users can even submit a report from their home computer. Click here for more information.