The Los Angeles Police Department has just launched a community awareness program that has useful information for users living both in or outside of LA. The iWatchLA app—also written as iWATCH, iREPORT, i KEEP US SAFE—was created to educate the public about behaviors and activities that may have a connection to terrorism. It’s obvious that the local police can’t prevent terrorist acts alone, so the best way to combat them is for us all to learn what signs to look for so that we as citizens can then alert authorities to possible threats. That’s exactly what this app does.
Everyone should take the time to download the free app (available on Android and iOS) and watch the videos, which teach users to focus on behaviors and activities, not individuals. What’s extremely helpful is the industry tab, which offers specific lists of suspicious behaviors for people who work in an airport, hotel, rental car company, construction, bank, retail shop, etc. For example, if you work in a hotel or motel you should be suspicious of people who request certain rooms or locations, refuse cleaning service over a long period of time, change their appearance, leave a room with burn marks…(the list is long so check it out). Angelinos or visitors to LA can also use iWatchLA to report a tip by sending a text or photo or calling the iWatch Hotline. Obviously, the best option is to call 911 but those are good alternatives for matters that aren’t time-sensitive.
