A spate of sexual assaults against woman in Vancouver has some looking to smartphone apps to help them feel safer when walking home alone.
Several apps have been developed in recent years that allow users to invite a friend to virtually walk them home using a smartphone’s GPS system.
The app Companion, created by students at the University of Michigan, allows users to choose a friend to monitor their walk. The designated friend is notified if the user begins running, falls or if their headphones are pulled out.
At least one University of British Columbia student says she has used the app after a series of sexual assault reports on campus.
"I use it all around campus if I have to walk by myself," said Ellen Morrison, a first-year UBC student. “It makes me feel a lot better. It makes me feel like I have at least some one there in case anything were to ever happen.”
Another smartphone app, B-Safe, similarly allows users to have a friend walk them home. It also includes an “SOS alarm” in case of emergencies and a feature that can send out a user’s GPS location.
Vancouver police say the technology can be useful, but warn that it could give some a false sense of security.
Vancouver police advise that anyone walking alone should know the route and avoid possibly dangerous areas.
With a report from CTV Vancouver
