This blog was inspired by a conversation I had with my mother, a regular reader of my posts (shocker LOL). We were talking the other day and I mentioned a post Prevention is Possible 2.0 and the latest mobile phone apps I had written about. She then told me that my niece (a Sophomore in college) is using one but didn't know the name. As soon as I got off the phone with my mom I sent a text to my niece who told me she downloaded the SafeTrek app but thankfully had no need to use it yet. Because I had a more personal connection with this particular prevention tool I decided to not only look at their website but learn more about the development and inspiration behind it.
The SafeTrek app works by first downloading the app (for a small $3 monthly fee). When the user feels unsafe at any time she or he can launch the app and hold their thumb down on the safe button. When the user feels safe again they take their thumb off the safe button and enter a personal four-digit pin. In an emergency the thumb is released, the four-digit pin is not entered and the police will be notified of the users location and emergency.
It all started in May 2013 at the University of Missouri by four young, progressive, compassionate male college students. I spoke to Aaron Kunnemann who is one of those amazing young men. He shared with me the following...After constantly receiving crime report emails and hearing stories from their friends about incidents that were occurring on their University of Missouri campus, four of them decided to tackle the problem that the campus blue light system was failing to solve. Once running the initial SafeTrek concept by friends, it became very clear that there was a need for it.
They do no market the app (my niece actually found out about from reading an article on Tumblr) but choose to invest their time and energy into the app itself. As far as the product's development it's by only listening to and focusing on the users. They've been able to solve their problem in the simplest way possible - a single button design that puts police at your fingertips. The team came up with a solution which "has become the core of why we have been successful and how we continue to maintain an almost perfect 5 star app store rating on the Apple App Store", Aaron states proudly!
What's next for the SafeTrek app? Development is continuous as they look for ways to improve SafeTrek everyday. Right now, they're laser focused on optimizing operations and user experience in the United States, but may look to expand internationally in the future.
The four guys behind the SafeTrek curtain are:
Zach Winkler - Mobile App Developer/Computer Science
Zach Beattie - Entrepreneurship/Business Administration
Nick Droege - Student Body President/Biological Sciences
Aaron Kunnemann - Project Management/Business Administration
I want to add how amazing I think these guys are and I'm so inspired by how many good young men are out there like them and the ones I see and meet at Take Back the Night rallies and Advocate training's. The good guys don't hear it enough.
Check out the SafeTrek App website here to learn more and instructions to download or donate to call center expenses.
SafeTrek - Mobile Phone App
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