A new app allows users to record someone committing a violent crime and report it to the app’s monitors, who contact local law enforcement if the situation escalates.
OnCamera allows users to record and send the video of the crime directly to OnCamera First Officers, who respond to the criminal, telling them all appropriate legal action which will be taken toward them if they continue the act. The responder then contacts local law enforcement if necessary.
The app’s officers are separate from police departments, according to OnCamera’s website. They are a group of veteran police officers who have spent decades in the force and have joined the OnCamera team. They provide witnesses the option to report a crime without fear of getting arrested themselves, because OnCamera officers are relieved of any obligations other than the reported crime.
Kyle Tobeck, a junior general education major, said the app raises the concern of how a perpetrator would react to the app.
“I am hard pressed to believe a criminal, someone who has spent time behind bars, is going to be scared of an officer on a phone while what I would imagine an unarmed civilian is recording the video,” Tobeck said.
On its website, OnCamera said its officers offer real-world expertise and facts, and the app has stopped real assaults and prevented crimes.
The OnCamera app can be used on iOS for iPhones and Androids, but is currently undergoing a beta testing phase. The users in the beta program are the only people who are granted the full service for a limited time, and in return provide feedback so the company can make improvements. The service is not available for public use, but users can join the beta or be notified when the app is set to release to the public by visiting the website.
Muncie Police Department Officer Robert Skega said the app seemed like a good idea.
“I think our department will be more than willing to be supportive of the app,” Skega said. “The best thing about the app would probably be them recording the act. … That gives us evidence to look it up to try to identify suspects if they weren’t located at the time of the crime.”
OnCamera was developed through a collaboration of a wide variety of groups, including private security experts and organizations aimed at preventing violence, according to the website.
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