New iWitness Service for the iPhone Helps Stop Crime Before it Starts

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) June 13, 2012

iWitness, a Seattle-based personal security technology company, today announced iWitness for iPhone users, a service that helps deter a crime before it happens. The new, easy-to-use, service provides rapid audio/video uploads every 3 seconds ―of what a user records via iWitness― to secure data centers, where a protected copy is kept that only law enforcement can access. One of the biggest deterrents to a possible assailant is a witness who may see the crime― iWitness is able to provide just that without another human having to be nearby. Because it is a video recording, it is an objective “witness” that cannot be influenced or scared into not testifying. The iWitness service also includes a bright flashing light, a loud alarm, a 911 quick-call button, real-time tracking of your location via GPS, alerts to friends and family, and more.

The iWitness service is great for women, students, night shift workers, the elderly, and many others who may feel unsafe at times. It is for anyone who has ever felt any fear walking down dark streets, in scary neighborhoods or past questionable characters. Now available on the iPhone for only $3.99 a month, it will also soon be available on the Android platform. To obtain the iWitness service, people need to go to the iWitness website to sign up. They will then be prompted on their iPhone to download the service and will be ready to go within minutes.

“When we talked to people, especially women, it was amazing how much fear for their personal safety they felt on a daily basis,” said Greg Heuss, CEO of iWitness. “For the cost of one latte’ a month, people can feel much safer as they walk downtown, on campus, go out at night, jog, hike, or enter uncomfortable neighborhoods.”

iWitness, the company, believes it is better to deter a crime before it starts rather than having to defend while a crime is already in progress. Law enforcement officials have said that in most cases a person will hear, see, or be engaged by, an assailant before they strike. This gives the iWitness user time to press the button on their iPhone to activate the service and help deter the possible incident.

Typical self-defense methods don’t always work. Things like pepper spray, knives and guns can all too easily be turned on innocent users and others by an assailant. The iWitness service provides a level of protection without the inherent risk of a weapon being turned on the user, or the user having to physically hurt someone else. iWitness is safe around children and can be taken and used when going into public facilities, while traveling, and on airplanes.

iWitness was designed by tech industry veterans with deep experience in E911 and wireless data transport for emergency services. It has also been praised by law enforcement professionals across the nation.

"Today almost everyone has a virtual camera in hand, so we were able to make this long-held vision a reality,” said David Remer, iWitness founder and Chairman. “If we collectively save even just one life through this service, it will be worth the effort.”

iWitness is Valuable in Many Scenarios
There are thousands of scenarios where iWitness can help bring peace-of-mind to the user and possibly deter a crime. A few of them are listed below.

•     A nurse in a night shift has to go to her car in the dark.
•     A young woman who works downtown in a retail store has to take a bus home in the dark because she unexpectedly had to work late.
•     A stay-at home-mom is home alone while the kids are at school and a “solicitor” walks up to her house.
•     A career woman wants to squeeze a quick walk in after work, but she doesn’t estimate the correct time of the sunset and ends up in the dark on the last mile.
•     A woman is driving along and her car suddenly breaks down on a quiet road and questionable characters keep approaching her to ask if she needs help.
•     An elderly couple notices a suspicious person walking around their house.

By having the iWitness service on their mobile phone, something that most people typically have nearby, people can have an added layer of safety when they feel fear.

“We have talked with several men who want to buy this for the women in their lives, be it their wives, girlfriends, mothers or sisters,” continued CEO Heuss. “Everyone wants to protect themselves and those they love from potential harm and iWitness can help with that.”

About iWitness
IWitness is a personal security technology company designed to prevent crimes from happening, keep them from escalating when they do, make it easier for authorities to catch and prosecute criminals, and provide peace-of-mind for the user. Founded by early pioneers in the e-911 space, the company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington. For more information, please go to http://www.iwitness.com .