LEICESTER, England/PRNewswire/ --

As recent research reveals that almost two thirds of UK adults do not believe that crime rates are falling*, a new personal safety app, PanicMe, launches this week in a bid to help put some reassurance back into our worried nation.

News reports of dwindling police forces, reduced visibility of local bobbies on the beat and the increased switching off of street lights during non-peak hours may all be playing a part in making people feel vulnerable, especially as the clocks go back.  

The new easy-to-use PanicMe app can help ease the worry for you and your family members by turning smartphones into a personal safety device, which can provide an essential lifeline if you are ever in trouble or feel threatened.

How it works

Developed in consultation with local police forces, PanicMe allows you to create a personalised response network of your friends and family who will be contacted when a panic alert is triggered.  A traffic light system (red, amber, green) offers three panic options depending on the urgency of the event and up to 30 contacts from your phone can be selected for each panic option.

• Red Alert: high risk situation.  You are in serious trouble and danger is imminent.  You may be in fear of being attacked, abducted or seriously ill and urgent assistance is required.
• Amber Alert: medium risk situation.  You are in serious trouble and may come to harm if help doesn't come within half an hour to an hour.
• Green Alert: low risk situation. You may be lost, separated from your group or your car has broken down and you require help within an hour or two.

The app features GPRS tracking (TrackMe) which shows your panic response network your exact location and also indicates the location of your chosen contacts making it easy to identify the nearest potential responders.  Data capture is activated once an alert has been triggered logging your location as well as any available Bluetooth connections.

When an alarm is raised, contacts are notified by push messages to their own smartphone at regular intervals, which vary depending on the chosen panic option, until the alarm is deactivated.  

David Lindley QPM, former Deputy Chief Constable commented: '?There may be any number of reasons and circumstances why people feel afraid or vulnerable.  With so many people these days having a mobile phone, apps such as PanicMe cannot only help to make those in need feel much safer but can also give peace of mind to those who care for them.'?

The basic version of the app, PanicMe Light, is free to download and includes the green panic option only.  The full version, PanicMe Pro, includes all features including TrackMe and costs £14.99 annually.  Both apps are available for iPhone, Android and Windows smartphones.  For more information visithttp://www.panicme.com or like us on Facebook

References

*Ipsos Mori and Kings College London Survey, July 2013