Crime rates are going down all over, including within the US as well as the UK. Despite this, public perception of crime rates is going up. Why? I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter. The point is people are increasingly scared, even as they have less reason to be. It’s been inevitable that some smart person would cash in on this paranoia eventually, and I’m pleased to note that they’ve gone about it in what is probably the best possible way (read: least exploitive) with AlertBox. You can use it to discreetly warn and communicate with your neighbors about that scary person walking down the street (provided they, too, have an AlertBox). Then, when that person pulls out an assault rifle and starts dropping caps in your children playing in the street—which luckily happens twice a day in my neighborhood, if the ammo store is open—you can have it dial 999 (that’s 911 stateside) for you and alert the authorities.
I feel like the fact that there’s a market for devices like this is sad commentary on how people’s perceptions of crime stack up to reality. It’s still an interesting wireless gadget that could help keep people and cities safer.
AlertBox Product Page [AlertBox]
