Virginia Tech Shooting Survivor Makes Terrific App to Stop Campus Crime

LiveSafe is simple. Anderson said as much to the Washington Post today: “A lot of people say, ‘I thought this already existed.’ It’s a very simple concept, but it’s also a very important one. As smartphone adoption has spread, it makes sense for safety to become a part of app culture.” College students are alerted if there's been a crime on campus—admittedly, something like this is already offered at many schools—but it really shines with its easy tip-off feature. You don't have to call the cops to report a crime. You can send a message and discreetly chat with the police, even sending pictures if need be. Like Tinder!

Look: here's the cut of it. This feature isn't a way for “millennials” to get over their “fear” of talking on the phone. It's a way to tip off tragedies like Tech's without alerting the bad guy to your presence. It's unfortunate that this is a necessary safety precaution at colleges now, but it is. And if it also prevents more minor incidents, like theft or assault, that's great too.

Luckily, the Post says LiveSafe is entering a crowded market, so LiveSafe users VCU, Winthrop, and UNH aren't the only schools with this type of technology. But if a school has no easy tip-offs in place, it really should consider this. 

[H/T: Buzzfeed]