Nearly 18-thousand Jamaicans have so far downloaded the free Stay Alert app as a way of empowering themselves and to support the police in the national crime prevention efforts.

Since the application was first introduced by the Ministry of National Security in 2014 a number of adjustments have been made to the digital security tool based on feedback from the public.  The major change has been the removal of the tedious registration process which has resulted in a tripling in the number of the downloads over the past four months

“Jamaicans are actively using the app to send reports to the police.  Only last month, several reports were made to the police using the Stay Alert app.  People are also actively using the ‘Panic’ feature as a direct means to contact the police,” said Robert Montague, Minister of National Security.

“This is encouraging. In fact, the anonymity aspect has had a positive impact.  But it’s now important for those with the App to enhance their security by entering their mobile number. This is to enable the police to advise that help is on the way,”  he continued.

The Stay Alert app offers four menu options: iReport, Panic Mode, The Law and Alerts.

The iReport menu allows the Stay Alert user to send anonymous information to the police in the form of a video recording, audio recording, photo or a message.

The Panic Mode feature is used to contact the police if someone is in personal distress or danger and needs the help of the police.  Persons must input their telephone number for this feature to work optimally.

The Law menu gives easy access to Jamaican laws in short format, and Alerts allow you to receive important information such as roadblocks, from the police.

In a review for the App one user said: “Every citizen should know the laws of the land and also know their rights. Stay Alert is a great help in that area.”

Minister of National Security, Robert Montague and Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, Pearnel Charles Jr. continue to encourage Jamaicans to download the Stay Alert App at the Google Play Store and enter their mobile number.  “It can act as your personal bodyguard” said Mr. Charles Jr.

Downloading the app is easy as 1, 2, 3!

1. Open the "Google Play Store" app on your Android phone and type “Stay Alert” in the search bar.
2. Select the option to download the “Stay Alert” app.
3. Once installed, "Stay Alert" will be accessible via the icon on your home screen.  Don’t forget to complete your profile page by clicking the icon on the top right corner of the open app screen.