Want to get a jump on criminal activity in the schools? There’s now an app for that.
Hoping to head off trouble, the Clayton County Public Schools district is offering an app for smartphones called iWatch. It lets students, parents or people in the community anonymously report suspicious or criminal activity. It also enables the school district to send alerts, such as notices of school shootings, to the community.
The app, which can interpret 32 languages, is the brainchild of the head of the school district’s new police force. Chief Clarence Cox III got the idea after hearing about similar crime-watch apps being used by two school districts in Texas. Creating one for Clayton became imperative after the August shooting incident in DeKalb County at Ronald E. McNair Discovery Learning Academy, Cox said.
Clayton’s app was announced Thursday night at a community forum on school safety held at Mundy’s Mill High School. The community has had a rash of killings in recent weeks involving teenagers.
“Hopefully, we can gather more intelligence going on in our schools,” Cox said Friday. Having police on campus helps reduce criminal activities as students become comfortable enough with officers to tell them when potential problems are percolating, said Cox, who spent part of his career as an undercover narcotics officer and now focuses on early intervention.
The Android version of the app is available now. An Apple version should be available next week. To download the app, go to iWatchClaytonCountyPublicSchools.com. For more details or to text tips, call 404-800-7427.
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