Software developer attempts to create 'CrimeTracker' app to help prevent violent crime in Riverwest

RIVERWEST, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With an upswing in crime in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood, one local software developer is taking the problem into his own hands -- literally.

Wish Born has lived in the area for the last three years.

Since then, he's "been a victim of different crimes," including theft.

“The Riverwest neighborhood has never been more active in posting about crime since I’ve been here," Born told CBS 58. “Every day you’re hearing about somebody broke into a house, broke into a garage, stole something off a porch.”

That's when he and his partner, Roberto Sandoval, devised an idea they now call "CrimeTracker."

While it's still being developed and is in beta mode, the data visualization app would be free to use and wouldn't even require a profile to be made.

Users would be able to report instances of violent crime they either witnessed or fell victim to, that would then be moderated and vetted by the developers before the information is made public.

Plus, artificial intelligence could also be incorporated to help track patterns of crime, leading to informed prevention efforts.

“It’s really just about getting the data and then learning from it," Born said. “It’s not supposed to be a place where people can just voice their opinions, it’s really just about this is what happened, when it happened, and here’s the details of what happened.”

When asked about similar apps like Nextdoor or Citizen, Born said CrimeTracker is much more niche as it's currently focused on Riverwest and violent crime.

“Oh, I see somebody walking around my neighborhood and they look suspicious, like that’s not a crime," Born said. “There’s no monetary gain in what we’re building here, it’s just that we’ve seen there’s a need for this kind of information and we’re trying to fill it.”

Alexander Hagler, the owner of Kuumba Juice and Coffee, said in the last eight months, the eatery has also fallen victim multiple times.

“We’ve had several instances where folks will come in off the street and just blatantly take money right off the counter," Hagler said. “A gentleman just the other day tried to break into our building, luckily the alarms scared him away.”

Hagler said he hopes that the app could "bridge the gap between perception and reality when it comes to crime."

“Often times, our awareness of crime can be sensationalized, and I hope this can bring a little bit more of a granular perspective to crime in our city," Hagler said. “When you say hey, there’s some young Black kid with a hoodie walking down the block, be on the lookout, that doesn’t really help, and in fact, it actually does a lot more damage than it does any good.”

Both agreed that Riverwest is a strong neighborhood and that those in it should look out for one another.

“Crime can shape people’s ideas and opinions about certain spaces, but all in all, I think we do have a beautiful community, and we are moving forward in many ways," Hagler said. “I think that this app is, again, just going to really help stem some of those negative commentaries and bring in a more fruitful and insightful conversation.”

Currently, Born and Sandoval are searching for crime victims in Riverwest who may be willing to share their experience for a video they want to post when they create a GoFundMe to cover the cost of the app developing.

Once the GoFundMe is launched, the app could publicly launch within the next few months.