Mansfield District Council has allocated funding to give women and girls free access of the Hollie Guard Extra personal safety phone app.
It has provided funding for 200 subscriptions, running for a year each, to the paid-for version of the app, which provides access to a police approved monitoring team.
Last week it said that 26 had been distributed in the Warsop area and 40 transferred to domestic abuse charity Women’s Aid.
The app – developed by the Hollie Gazzard Trust – acts as a discreet panic button that can be activated in stealth mode by shaking or tapping it. It tracks the user’s precise location in real time so that it can pinpoint them if they trigger and alert and send details to chosen emergency contacts.
It also activates the phone’s camera and microphone to capture evidence that can be sent to the emergency contacts.
Recordings are not stored on the device but on cloud based servers for possible future use as evidence.
The app also has a timer function that enables users facing a potentially dangerous meeting or situation to set a countdown. If they mark themselves as safe it is deactivated; if not, an alert will automatically be sent.
There is also a feature to log a journey, with start and end points.
Peace of mind
Mansfield’s portfolio holder for wellbeing, health and safer communities, Cllr Angie Jackson, said: "For those who feel more vulnerable and need additional support, the Extra version will give them peace of mind that there is somebody available in times of need.
"I hope that this app, along with the other Safer Streets measures in place, will lead to a greater sense of safety and wellbeing among the residents of Warsop, particularly women and girls."
The move is part of the council’s £300,000 Safer Streets scheme for the Warsop area, which in turn is part of a £3 million campaign funded by the Government through the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire Police and Crime Commissioner Caroline Henry said: "The free offer of the Hollie Guard app is just another example of thinking outside the box and ensuring we've got all angles covered when it comes to being safe - and feeling safe. It gives users the peace of mind that they have help at hand if they need it."
