With the latest statistics showing a home is burgled every 20 minutes in Victoria, Australia, a new app developed by the RACV and Neighbourhood Watch called How Safe is My Place takes some of the guesswork out of home security – giving you a good indication of just how safe your home is.
The app asks a series of questions and by your answers it’s able to help you determine how safe your home is from burglary and what you can do to improve its overall security.
RACV Head of Home and Business Insurance Kirsty Hayes said RACV is incredibly proud to be partnering with Neighbourhood Watch and to help launch the How Safe Is My Place app.
“The app can help inform decisions you make around the home and whether it’s worth considering installing a security system for added peace of mind to help keep your treasured possessions and family secure,” said Ms Hayes. “It’s also essential to check that your home insurance is up to date, with an adequate level of cover,” Ms. Hayes said.
At the launch of the app, Neighbourhood Watch CEO Bambi Gordon said almost one-third of burglaries in Australia are made without force and done for opportunistic reasons.
She added:.“With the support of RACV, our new app will help you assess how safe you are, identify risks and get you thinking about easy things you can do which have a significant impact on how secure you feel.”
“If you think home security is a boring topic, you are in for a surprise,” Ms Gordon continued. “You can now visit a virtual home to discover ways to secure your property. The app is fun, interactive, and a family-friendly initiative designed to help make your home safer.”
“In addition to using the How Safe is My Place app, introducing yourself to neighbours and exchanging contact details, or joining or establishing a Neighbourhood Watch group can all make a difference,” she added.
The app was developed after the popularity and success of an online quiz by the same name. Neighbourhood Watch used How Safe Is My Place to encourage people to do simple things to secure their home including starting or joining a Neighbourhood Watch Group so they can watch out for each other.
Neighbourhood Watch will be at the Melbourne Home Show from 29 April to 1 May giving live demonstrations of the app, providing safety tips and helping Victorians and Australians in general, foster neighbourhood connections.
For more information, visit the App Store or Google Play store to download the app – or visit here.
For more information from the latest RACV Burglary statistics, visit here.
For more from Women Love Tech on the latest apps, visit here.