Country Eye is a free App for people living and working in the rural community in Kent; it records and disseminates information using smartphone technology. It was designed to help communities and residents in Kent to receive information and to report issues quickly and efficiently. The Country Eye team analyse the information and disseminate it as appropriate. This may include email, text or broadcast to other subscriber’s smartphones.
The Country Eye app identifies the following Categories:
Animal, Wildlife Crime – Hare Coursing, Poaching, Suspicious Behaviour
Aviation – Low flying Aircraft, Unusual Activity, Suspicious Behaviour
Farm Crime – Arson, Suspicious Behaviour, Trespass
Fly Tipping
Heritage Crime – Metal Detecting, Night Hawking, Off-Roading, Suspicious Behaviour
Kent Fire & Rescue – Hydrant Reporting and Water Reservoirs/Storage on Farms
Maritime - Suspicious Vessels, Vehicles, Behaviour
Potholes and other KCC Highways issues.
HGV Watch
Unlike messaging using Social Media groups, the integrity of information from Country Eye has been accepted as evidential by the Crown Prosecution Service. The App is also GDPR compliant.
Country Eye has links to the following Agencies:
Kent Police
Kent Fire & Rescue Service
K.C.C. Intelligence Unit
Special Branch
The 13 Borough/District Councils in Kent
Kent Heritage Watch
Kent Neighbourhood Watch
Kent Wildlife Trust
HGV Watch
Sign up is simple; the system requires a contact number, email address and postcode. Personal preferences can be set to enable the location finder and the users chosen radius of information.
Recording information is intuitive; click the camera icon, take an image, identify the exact location, fill in the type of crime, whether you have a crime number, and any other useful information. The time and date will be automatically recorded.
As at February 2020, the App has over 4800 subscribers and has reported over 5,000 submissions to various agencies resulting in some 20 arrests.
Country Eye’s ease of use, its connectivity with a wide range of public agencies and services and its compliance with CPS evidence, has proved to be very successful since it went live in 2016.
Given its proven positive results and outcomes it is proposed to develop and enhance the Country Eye app enabling residents of Kent to report a wider range of issues along with receiving up to date information such as location of defibrillators etc.
Although the app is only used in Kent at present, it can easily be programmed to work anywhere.
Duration of project:
Ongoing since 2017
What worked well?
5000 reports so far and assisting in approximately 20 arrests
How did you overcome any challenges?
Persistence against the dark forces of inertia
How did you cover any costs?
Funding has been from various agencies and charities
https://countryeye.co.uk/
Force Area: Kent